DCSD Advanced Academics & Gifted Ed
January 2026
Douglas County School District Advanced Academics & Gifted Education
Equity of Access ~ Opportunity ~ Agency ~ Empowerment
Vision: We seek out, surface, and nurture the potential in each student in DCSD.
Mission: We partner with staff, students, families, and our community to design/refine/implement equitable and culturally responsive systems of identification and programming for high potential/advanced/gifted students from all demographic groups in all schools.
Email: gifted.education@dcsdk12.org
Website: dcsdk12.org/gifted-education
Location: 620 Wilcox St, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Phone: 303-387-0191
Douglas County High Students Go Green in Copenhagen
A group of 13 students from Douglas County High School’s International Baccalaureate Program traveled to Denmark over Fall Break to complete their Creative, Active and Service (CAS) requirements. While in Copenhagen, the students learned about sustainability and urban development while interviewing locals and designing plans to encourage productive, sustainable urban growth.
Students participated in Copenhagen's commitment to sustainability, with activities such as a lakefront cleanup, touring a recycling plant, urban gardening and campfire cooking. The high school students tried numerous local dishes, including mussels they farmed themselves from the canals of Copenhagen. Community dinners were also spent learning about Danish culture from residents.
Learn more about the International Baccalaureate Program at Douglas County High School, including the mission to encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners.
Now Accepting Applications for 2026 Legislative Day
Legislative Day 2026 at the Capitol will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2025. This will be the 27th year of providing this unique opportunity for students and adults to experience firsthand how state government works.
There are three major components to the day:
1. The student's involvement in shadowing a legislator.
2. Q&A with various legislators from both sides of the aisle.
3. Afternoon activities will wrap up the day.
This program is designed for identified gifted students, 9th through 12th graders ONLY, who are passionate about our state's legislative processes, current state or national issues, and who are ready to have an individualized experience with other students and adults. No two experiences are the same!
Registration is now open. Click on this link for more information and to submit your application.
We look forward to seeing you at the Colorado State Capitol in February!
CAGT Legislative Committee
DCSD Twice Exceptional (2e) Cadre
DCSD is excited to launch a Twice Exceptional (2e) Advisory Cadre. We are seeking dedicated individuals with diverse backgrounds and expertise to join our inaugural group. The cadre will work collaboratively to provide recommendations to DCSD leadership to support twice-exceptional students. If you are a parent/guardian of a student who has an IEP, 504, and/or an ALP, please consider joining us by completing the DCSD 2e Cadre Self-nomination Form (linked).
Choosing Meaningful Gifts for Gifted Children This Holiday Season
By Reby Parsley & Kali Fedor, Ed.D. - Parent, Family & Community Network Chair and Chair-Elect, November 2025
The holiday season is upon us, and many families and educators are thinking about gifts. For gifted children, choosing the right toys, games, and books can feel especially difficult. Gifted learners often seek depth, complexity, and authenticity—not just entertainment. The toys, games, and books that truly resonate with them are the ones that spark curiosity, invite exploration, and can be returned to again and again with new ideas and new questions.
Regardless of age, a meaningful gift for a gifted child is not necessarily the most complicated or expensive one, it’s one that offers opportunities for:
- abstract thinking – encouraging patterns, logic, and symbolic play.
- complexity and open-ended exploration – more than one right answer or way to play.
- depth and connection –touching on real-world ideas, scientific processes, artistic creation, or meaningful storytelling.
- authenticity – tools, materials, and experiences that let children do the real work of scientists, engineers, designers, writers, and artists.
These kinds of gifts support problem-solving, creativity, self-direction, and the joy of tinkering, building, imagining, and discovering.
See age specific recommendations and continue the article HERE.
Colorado Gifted Education Family Page
The Colorado Department of Education has created a new page specifically for families. It contains information about all things gifted in Colorado. Find this resource HERE.