Gifted Education Information

Superintendent's 5K Run/Walk for Excellence

The Superintendent’s 5K Run/Walk for Excellence will be held Saturday, April 5 at the Fort Fraser Trail in Highland City, south of Lakeland just off U.S. Highway 98 South.

Entry fees for the event will be used for programs in the school district’s gifted student education department. There are no entry fees for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Parking on race day is available at the Jim Miles Professional Development Center, 5204 U.S. Highway 98 South, Lakeland.

Contact Pam Sudzina at (863) 534-0934 for information on the school district’s gifted student education programs.

Questions Asked by Parents

We think our child is very smart. What should we do?

There are three basic steps to be followed in identifying students for gifted services.

Referral: Referrals for the Gifted Program may be made by parents, guardians, school personnel or community agencies.
Evaluation: Evaluation may include a formal intellectual evaluation conducted by certified school licensed psychologist.
Placement: Placement in the Gifted Program will be contingent upon the staffing committee’s recommendation and the parent’s or guardians’ permission for placement.

What will our child’s Gifted Services be like?

The Gifted Education Classes are designed around research, best practices, Sunshine State Standards and students’ academic and affective needs. Gifted Education classes focus upon each child’s strengths, interests, abilities and other special needs. An Education Plan (EP) is written upon initial placement into the program for each student. Polk County’s Gifted Education Programming provides a continuum of services dependent upon the student and school site needs. Gifted Education services options may include:

The regular school program supplemented by Gifted Education consultancy services.
The regular school program supplemented by special Gifted Education courses or classes.
The regular school program supplemented by a school based Gifted Education resource room.
A program combining academic subjects, academic enrichment and the regular school program at school, or combinations of these services in some situations.

How can I show my support for Gifted Education?

There are several positive and constructive ways to be involved with gifted education:

Find out about your local/state parent community.
Be active.
Voice your questions and concerns to decision makers who can make a difference.
Remember that gifted education is part of the student’s total educational program, not an add-on program. Gifted Education is not a privilege; it is the child’s right to receive the most appropriate education for his/her needs.

What happens if we have a child receiving gifted services and we move to Polk County?

New students previously enrolled in another Florida county are eligible for placement as soon as their participation can be confirmed through a request of records. Documentation of eligibility may be made via a call to the prior school (notation of which is placed in the student’s files). Parents should contact the child’s previous school to request the student’s gifted records are forwarded to the new school. The school site and the parent work towards this effort.

If a student is new to Polk County, and has moved from another state, the student is placed temporarily into the gifted program at the new school following verification of placement in the out-of-state gifted program; a phone conversation will suffice followed by written documentation from the previous school. Evaluation of the criteria used in the initial out-of-state gifted services takes place. If the criteria for gifted services differ from Florida’s criteria the student will follow referral for Polk County Schools’ Gifted Program; policy and procedures, within six months to determine if the student is eligible for gifted services in Florida. If out-of-state criteria for gifted services are comparable to Florida’s gifted services then the child is placed into the school’s gifted program using the regular procedures.

Polk County Public Schools, Parents

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