RFSD PEAK Program Components
Roaring Fork schools will ensure that every students develops the enduring knowledge, skills and character to thrive in a challenging world.
The Purpose of the PEAK program is to advocate for, challenge, and inspire students who show exceptional potential by providing appropriate opportunities and support in order to ensure that they thrive both academically and socially-emotionally.
Roaring Fork School’s Common Components for High Quality Programming and Instruction for gifted students throughout the district will result in the following:
● All students graduate with the knowledge and skills to enroll in postsecondary education.
● Students complete high quality projects that challenge them to pursue a passion, demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving, put forth effort, and engage in authentic learning.
● Students exceed grade-level benchmarks in their area(s) of giftedness.
● All students graduate with the character and life skills to succeed in college, careers, family and community.
● Students complete high quality projects that challenge them to develop resilience, be self-motivated, passionate and responsible for their own learning, engage in the community, and show effort, learning, and achievement.
I. Procedures for Parent, Family, and Student Engagement and Communication
Educators provide parents/guardians with information about the identification process.
● Teachers obtain parental/guardian permission for assessments, use culturally sensitive checklists, and elicit evidence regarding the child’s interests and potential outside of the classroom setting.
Educators provide parents/guardians with education about giftedness and parenting gifted students.
Educators provide parents/guardians with information about opportunities for involvement and progress monitor reporting.
Educators engage students with gifts and talents in identifying interests, strengths, and gifts.
Parents/guardians understand concurrent enrollment options.
Parents/guardians understand how to be involved in college and career planning.
Communication is available in preferred language.
Parents/guardians and families understand ways they may participate in the school community.
II. Gifted Definition, Assessment, and Identification
All students have equal access to assessment process for identifying students who meet gifted definition in all domains of giftedness and in underrepresented populations.
● A variety of appropriate and valid assessment measures are available in order to best determine strengths
● Nonverbal universal screening assessments are administered at 2nd and 6th grades.
● PEAK and Special Education Teams collaborate on assessment selection, administration, and interpretation
● Designated staff member has time to assess nominated students
Assessments provide a body of evidence that includes qualitative and quantitative information from a variety of sources.
● For each category of giftedness, 95th percentile or above and/or an exceptional/distinguished rating are used for determining exceptionality.
● Not meeting criteria on a single assessment does not prevent further consideration for identification.
● Educators select and use multiple assessments that measure diverse abilities, talents, and strengths that are based on current theories, models and research.
Referrals are accepted from multiple sources through on-going procedures.
● Staff is aware of and has access to identification process and procedures.
There is a review team procedure with a least one member trained in gifted identification.
There is communication with parents to make them aware of and understand identification results and procedures.
There is communication with parents/guardians to make them aware of and understand development and review of ALP.
The implementation of statewide identification procedure ensures portability in Colorado.
III. Advanced Learning Plan Content, Procedures and Responsibilities
ALP is developed for every gifted student according to the student’s strength area(s), interests, and instructional and affective needs.
● Designated staff member has time to coordinate ALP development.
● ALP includes a student profile and describes the qualifying body of evidence.
● Annual, standards-aligned achievement goals are developed for student’s strength area(s) for all identified students.
○ For twice exceptional students, ALP and IEP/504 Plan development is coordinated in order to support student growth in gifted area(s)
● Affective goals reflect development of personal, social, communication, leadership, and/or cultural competency.
● ALP includes description of supplemental curriculum, activities, specific strategies and/or extended opportunities that support goals.
Progress reports about student progress align with district’s schedule for parent-reporting are included and communicated.
ALP development includes teacher(s), student, parent and support staff as appropriate.
● Classroom teacher(s) are familiar with and support ALP goals, and/or create measurable ALP goals.
● Goals are written and align with differentiated classroom instruction and/or supplemental programming.
● Gifted/Special Education resource personnel are not the sole custodian of ALP.
● Students are active participants in the ALP process.
● There is evidence of parent engagement in the ALP process and content.
ALP documents are part of the student’s cumulative record and are transferred between grades and school levels.
IV. Programming
Gifted programming aligns with student educational needs, interests, data, and standards-based ALP goals.
● Gifted programming includes differentiated classroom instruction that aligns with ALP goals and assessment information.
○ Gifted and Special Education staff collaborate to provide differentiated opportunities and supports for twice exceptional students to achieve strength-based goals in the student’s area(s) of giftedness
● Extended or supplemental learning opportunities have standards-based learning outcomes and progress is monitored.
● Programming supports differentiated instruction and methods.
○ As appropriate, pace of learning is increased, curriculum is compressed, practice time is decreased, assignments are tiered.
○ Learning objectives, resources, and experiences encourage increased depth and complexity.
○ Open-ended tasks/projects encourage exploration and higher order thinking.
○ Product choice is available when appropriate to learning objectives.
○ Rubrics include well-defined advanced levels of performance.
○ Educators adapt, modify, or replace the core curriculum to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents.
○ Educators use pre- and formative assessments to measure the progress and academic needs of students with gifts and talents so that mastered content is not repeatedly practiced.
○ Educators provide feedback that focuses on effort, on evidence of potential to meet high standards, and on mistakes as learning opportunities.
● Gifted programming does not require additional academic instructional time; core/universal programming schedules support ALP needs in areas of giftedness.
● Gifted students have equitable access to appropriate academic and elective opportunities.
Educators provide a variety of research-based grouping practices for students with gifts and talents: cluster grouping, flexible grouping, content replacement pull-out.
● Educators provide opportunities for interaction with intellectual and artistic/creative peers as well as with chronological-age peers.
● Educators provide structured opportunities to collaborate with diverse peers on a common goal.
Educators design interventions for students to accelerate and extend learning that is based on research of effective practices: acceleration options, differentiated instruction, compacting, increased depth and complexity, concurrent enrollment.
Educators provide students the Talent Pool appropriate programming options and/or interventions to address strength or potential areas to develop an academic or talent aptitude and promote achievement and growth.
Educators provide social-emotional and guidance programming and support that aligns with student needs and ALP goals.
● Educators assess and provide instruction on social skills needed for school, community, and the world of work.
● Students with gifts and talents demonstrate growth in personal competence. This may include self-awareness, self-advocacy, motivation, resilience, independence, curiosity, and risk taking.
● Students with gifts and talents develop social competence manifested in positive peer relationships and social interactions.
● Students with gifts and talents demonstrate personal and social responsibility and leadership skills.
● Students with gifts and talents value their own and others’ language heritage and circumstance. They possess skills in communicating, teaming, and collaborating with diverse individuals and across diverse groups. They use positive strategies to address social issues, including discrimination and stereotyping.
Educators have a problem solving process to develop intervention services for students with gifts and talents who are underachieving.
Educators provide students with college and career guidance that is consistent with strengths.
V. Evaluation and Accountability
UIP for gifted students is monitored and measured and aligns with state accreditation process.
Affective growth is monitored and measured to ensure continual development.
Gifted student achievement and growth are disaggregated.
Gifted program self-evaluation includes periodic feedback and review from stakeholders and informs stakeholders of the methods for program evaluation.
An annual budget plan is submitted to the state which reflects state funding and AU contributing funds.
● State funds are used to support one or more of the following
○ Salaries for licensed or endorsed staff that primarily serve gifted students
○ Professional development for gifted education
○ Program options to support ALPs
○ Materials to support gifted programming
○ Administrative costs, technology, and equipment not to exceed collectively 20% of state funds
Accurate records for the Data Pipeline annual reporting of gifted education include:
● Percent of students identified
● Qualified personnel
● Number of identified students by
○ Grade level
○ Gender and ethnicity
○ Freed and reduced lunch
○ Areas of giftedness
○ Twice exceptionality
○ Preschool served through early access
Describe procedures for resolving disagreements with parents/guardians, or students in regard to identification, programming, and ALPs to include:
● Method to express issues and concerns
● Means to discuss disagreements in a timely manner
● Notice of decision giving rise to the dispute
● Opportunity to be heard before decision is implemented
● Procedures are posted for access to all stakeholders
RFSD complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations regarding the program plan, identification and special education services for gifted students.
RFSD monitors annual enrollment and performance reports.
RFSD is prepared to participate in the Colorado Gifted Education Review (C-GER).
RFSD participates in follow-up activities to correct areas of non-compliance.
VI. Personnel and Professional Development
District employs sufficient personnel that are responsible for providing instruction, counseling and coordination of programming for gifted students.
● Paraprofessionals are not funded with gifted grant funds and are not sole instructional providers.
A designated person is responsible for management of program plan and gifted education professional development.
Personnel instructing gifted students in the core academic areas meet federal requirements for highly qualified teachers.
Professional development supports the improvement and acquisition of knowledge related to the needs of gifted students - gifted characteristics, equity and access, assessment, curriculum planning and instruction, learning environments, and social-emotional needs.
Personnel receiving funding from PEAK designated FTE allotments or PEAK stipends are provided the time and resources to address the following prioritized list:
Elementary / Middle School / High SchoolCoordinate ALP Process: Creation and maintenance (Required) 15% / Coordinate ALP Process: Creation and maintenance (Required) 20% / Coordinate ALP Process: Creation and maintenance (Required) 25%
Provide/Coordinate ALP Programming and Support (Required) 50% / Provide/Coordinate ALP Programming and Support (Required) 40% / Provide/Coordinate ALP Programming and Support (Required) 10%
Assessment & Identification (Required) 15% / Assessment & Identification (Required) 10% / Assessment & Identification (as needed) (Required) 5%
Social Emotional Support and Programming
(Required) 10% / Social Emotional Support and Programming
(Required)15% / Social Emotional Support and Programming
(Required) 50%
Whole School Engagement and Professional Development 10% / Whole School Engagement and Professional Development 15% / Whole School Engagement and Professional Development 10%
VII. Building Leadership
Leadership has a focus on equity and student achievement and reinforces that all teachers are responsible for all students.
Leadership is accountable for program effectiveness based on District and School Program Evaluations.
Leadership agrees to maintain the integrity of defined roles and responsibilities of PEAK teachers, liaisons, and cluster teachers. (See Job Descriptions)
Leadership establishes schedules that promote collaborative planning in order to meet and support ALP development, communication, and progress monitoring.
Leadership establishes schedules that support the concept that PEAK instructional time is considered universal and ensures that schedules are meeting defined ALP needs.
Leadership ensures that PEAK personnel are meeting required state and district program expectations.
Leadership is knowledgeable about PEAK program expectations and PEAK (including Talent Pool) student needs.