It’s no secret that there are a bunch of talented and gifted students within the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows School District. Now, thanks to some recent changes within the district, they have more opportunities than ever before to explore their gifts. CGD has expanded and rebranded their Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program this year and is already seeing success.
Many states offer TAG programs in schools, though they may be called something different depending on the state. In Iowa, by law, districts are required to offer such programs in all public school districts. Though many might assume that “talented and gifted” is probably an academic distinction, it is actually much more than that.
According to the Iowa Department of Education, gifted and talented children include those children with demonstrated achievement or potential ability, or both, in any one or more of the following areas: 1) general intellectual ability; 2) creative thinking; 3) leadership ability; 4) visual and performing arts ability; and 5) specific ability aptitude. Districts may use different methods to check for such abilities, including testing and referrals.
CGD’s new full-time TAG Director Tanja Jensen says that the program is really getting rolling in the district this year. It has existed for years, but now that the district has decided to dedicate a staff member to the program entirely, more doors are opening up. TAG, which is available to Kindergarten through seniors at CGD, gives students the chance to do special and targeted activities outside the regular classroom, often tailored to the student’s interests.
Jensen explains that depending on the grade-level of the students, there are many programs and opportunities available to students through TAG. For instance, elementary students have done Zoom programs with the zoo this year and did a little ‘spooky science’ around Halloween. Middle school TAG participants enjoyed the ISU Extension ‘Water Rocks!’ program and have done various STEM activities including building their own foosball tables. High schoolers in the program can work on college test prep and really start to dig into career exploration. And this is just a tiny snapshot of activities planned, with many more to come said Jensen.
School administrators are also excited about the new opportunities that the expanded TAG program has at CDG. Elementary principal Tricia Rosendahl emphasizes, “I think what we are working to do is to provide many opportunities for students to be challenged. What strengths do they have and how can we continue to challenge them to keep growing are some of the questions we are asking. TAG is important because every student needs the opportunity to be challenged at their level. All students need to strive to do the best they can do each and every day.”
Middle School Principal Steve Haberman agrees. “We’re looking forward to being able to offer even more support for students who need to be challenged thanks to TAG. With more parental input, more personalized content, and eventually more opportunities outside of the classroom, we’re really going to be able to fulfill a need in the district.”
For her part, Jensen is excited by what they have accomplished so far. “The students’ excitement to learn is amazing,” she confirms. “When they find something they’re passionate about, they just have unbridled enthusiasm.” She plans to build on that in the future, eventually including more opportunities for TAG students out in the community.
With that kind of student enthusiasm and Jensen’s dedication to the TAG program, there’s no doubt it will continue to grow and flourish. “This is really an incredible thing for the district,” exclaims Jensen. “We are meeting the needs of the students in an important way.”
