The Vanguard program at KB Polk is designed for G/T (Gifted and Talented) students in grades 4-5 who excel in general intellectual ability in combination with creative/productive thinking and/or leadership ability. Vanguard programs provide services that are comprehensive, structured, sequenced, and appropriately challenging. The Vanguard curriculum is differentiated by modifying the depth, complexity, and pacing of the general school program, utilizing higher-level thinking skills and developing independent research skills focusing on advanced-level products.

 

Admission to Vanguard requires the completion of an application, testing, and a writing sample. Once accepted into the Vanguard program at KB Polk Center for Academically Talented and Gifted, the student and their parents must sign an Entrance Agreement defining student expectations for participation in the program.  

 

Vanguard teachers are required to obtain 30 certificate hours in G/T.

 

How do I know a student is Gifted and Talented (G/T)?
It is important to note that there are not one or two characteristics that an educator can point to in order to say that a student is gifted and talented. It is a combination of characteristics. Some signs that a student might be gifted and talented include but are not limited to:

• Extraordinary memory compared to peers
• Highly curious
• Highly creative
• Exhibits abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Draws inferences and grasps underlying principles
• Initiates projects
• Discusses things in detail and elaborates