Gifted Services

Mission of Gifted Services for Saint Paul Public Schools

Advocate for the rights of gifted learners through a program that identifies, nurtures and challenges students to develop their strengths and passions.

Minnesota Statute

120B.15 Gifted and Talented Students Programs

(a) School districts may identify students, locally develop programs, provide staff development, and evaluate programs to provide gifted and talented students with challenging educational programs.
    (b) School districts may adopt guidelines for assessing and identifying students for participation in gifted and talented programs. The guidelines should include the use of:
     (1) multiple and objective criteria; and
    (2) assessments and procedures that are valid and reliable, fair, and based on current theory and research.
    (c) School districts must adopt procedures for the academic acceleration of gifted and talented students. These procedures must include how the district will:
     (1) assess a student's readiness and motivation for acceleration; and
    (2) match the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum to a student to achieve the best type of academic acceleration for that student.

Identification of Elementary Students for Gifted Services

Saint Paul Public Schools will be using the most recently renormed version of the Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test (NNAT), the NNAT2.  The NNAT2 is used to identify students who are eligible for gifted services within the school district. The NNAT2 also determines a student's eligibility to apply to Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School. Gifted Services provides challenging and fast-paced learning programs for students who have the ability to do work at a level above what is expected at their grade in school.

All Saint Paul Public Schools students in kindergarten and second grade who attend Saint Paul Public Schools will take the NNAT2 for one hour on one day at their school during the week of January 12-15th. Students in grades 1, 3, 4 and 5 may also be selected to take the test based on their need for gifted services.

The school district is also offering special testing sessions in January for students who live in Saint Paul and attend private, parochial, charter, and home schools.

Families are notified of final results before the school choice deadline on March 6th.

For up-to-date information about Gifted Services in Saint Paul Public Schools, click here.