Gifted and Talented Programs and Advanced Learner Services

Granite School District is fully committed to both excellence and equity for all students. Elementary and junior high schools offer a continuum of services for gifted and talented students including talent development opportunities for all students, differentiation for gifted and talented students within the regular classroom, and specialized academic school groupings and classes.

Advanced Learner Testing

Students who would like to be considered for placement in one of the following programs must take the advanced learner assessments:

• Advanced Learning Center (ALC) grades 1-5
• Gifted Spanish Dual Language Immersion at West Kearns, grades 1-5
• Advanced Learner cluster groups at neighborhood elementary schools, grades 1-5
• Junior High Gifted and Talented (GT) classes, grades 6-8

Students enrolled in Granite District elementary schools will have the opportunity to be tested at their school. If you would like your child to be tested, please contact the school or call the Granite District gifted office to request testing.

The following sign-up link is for students not currently enrolled in a Granite District school or students who missed testing at their elementary school. Testing will take place during the 2024-2025 school year, with student scores being considered for placement in the 2025-2026 school year. If you are new to the district and require immediate testing for the current school year, please contact Jannette LaRose in the district gifted and talented office.

Click here to sign up for advanced learner testing for placement in the 2025-2026 school year.

Granite School District Services for Gifted and Talented Students

Gifted learners have different learning needs compared with typical learners. Therefore, instruction and curriculum must be adapted or designed to accommodate these needs. Gifted students and high ability learners present a particular challenge given they may have mastered 50-80% or more of the core curriculum for their grade level before a course of study begins. Therefore, academic growth for these students can only be achieved through differentiated educational services, opportunities, and programs.

All children, including gifted and talented children, have a right to have the opportunity to make at least one year of academic growth during a school year. Because there is a continuum of “severity” in the population of high ability learners, the scope of programs that should be available for students at each school also exists on a continuum.

Click the link to view Granite School District’s Continuum of Services for Gifted and Talented Students.

Continuum of Services

Granite School District Definition of Academically Gifted and Talented Students

Academically gifted and talented students/advanced learners are those with outstanding academic ability or those who show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of academic accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment.

These students need program modifications to receive an appropriate education. The distinction between gifted and talented is individual for each student and is based upon the severity of need. Needs of moderately talented students may well be met through enrichment opportunities within the regular school program. By contrast, the needs of some profoundly gifted students might only be met in a specialized district-wide program. These extremes define a continuum of need between moderately talented and profoundly gifted. Each academically gifted or talented student needs to be placed appropriately on this continuum.

Talent Development

Talent development opportunities should be provided for all students to develop a wide range of talents and could include: Math Olympiads, Future Problem Solving, Science Fair, National History Day, Debate, etc.

Granite District Debate Tournament 2024: The Granite District Debate Tournament was held on April 16, 2024 at the Brockbank Campus of Cyprus High School. State qualifiers are invited to participate in the Utah Debate State Championship Tournament on May 2 (junior high) and May 3 (elementary) at Alta High School. Please use the following links to see a list of state qualifiers. If you have questions about the Utah tournament, please reach out to your child’s debate coach or classroom teacher.

Junior High Debate State Qualifiers 2024

Elementary Debate State Qualifiers 2024

Differentiation within the Regular Classroom

Curriculum and instruction should be differentiated so there is an appropriate match to the academic levels and needs of all students.

Specialized Academic Grouping

Academically gifted and talented students may need to be grouped together in specific content areas. For example, a first grader may be placed in a second grade classroom for mathematics instruction if appropriate to his/her needs, or a seventh grader may be placed in an eighth grade classroom for mathematics instruction if appropriate to his/her needs.

Specialized Academic School Classes

Gifted and talented students should have specialized classes ranging from ninety minutes to all day at their school site. They should be taught by a teacher possessing or actively pursuing an endorsement for gifted and talented on their Utah professional educator license.

For Elementary:

• Advanced learner language arts class, grades 1-6
• Advanced learner math class, grades 3-6

The following are possible grouping options for these specialized classes:

Full Day Cluster Group within a Heterogeneous Class: All of the students identified as advanced learners (typically the top 5-10%) within one grade level are placed in a single class with a gifted endorsed teacher. Other students in the class are randomly selected as in other classes. (Good practice would indicate that the bottom 5% would not be included in this heterogeneous group.) A school may chose to create a full day cluster group across multiple grades. Students may be regrouped during the language arts and math classes.

Single Grade or Cross-Grade Academic Class: Teachers in a single grade or across multiple grades coordinate the time of day that one or two subjects are taught (i.e., Language Arts and Mathematics). Gifted students (typically the top 5-10%) and other students are grouped together with a gifted endorsed teacher during these periods. (Based on the instructional program being used it may not be appropriate to place below-grade-level students within this grouping.) This could be extended to include more subject areas.

Specialized District-Wide Programs: Gifted students whose needs are at a level that requires a very specialized program should have the opportunity to attend a district Advanced Learning Center program.

Please note: We do not have an advanced learner kindergarten option. We test in kindergarten for placement in our 1st and 2nd grade Advanced Reader Program.

Elementary Advanced Learning Center (ALC) Programs

High ability students whose needs are at a level that requires a specialized program have the opportunity to attend a district Advanced Learning Center, which includes placement in a full-day advanced learner classroom, use of curriculum developed for gifted and advanced students, and a teacher who has a gifted and talented endorsement.

To be considered for placement in these specialized classes, students must take specific assessments used to determine their level of need.

For information about the ALC program, please view the following slide presentation:

Advanced Learning Center Information

Elementary Advanced Learning Center (ALC) Locations:  

Fox Hills Elementary
3775 West 6020 South
Taylorsville, Utah 84129

Morningside Elementary
4170 South 3000 East
Holladay, UT  84124

Woodstock Elementary
6015 South 1300 East
Murray, UT  84121

West Valley STEM Elementary
6049 West Brud Drive (3100 South)
West Valley,  UT  84128

West Kearns Spanish Dual Immersion (Kearns Network)
4900 South 4620 West
Kearns, Utah 84118

Placement in ALC schools across the district is determined by the school boundary in which a student lives.  If a student qualifies for the ALC program, they will be invited to attend the ALC school to which their home school is assigned. To see a list of the schools designated for each ALC location, please click here: Advanced Learning Center Feeder Schools

The following document may answer many of your questions about the ALC program:

Advanced Learning Center Parent FAQs

Transportation for ALC Schools

Transportation is provided to each ALC school from junior highs and other designated locations throughout the district. Siblings of ALC students are also allowed to ride an ALC bus. Please refer to the following bus schedules to find the stop most convenient to you.

Fox Hills
Morningside
West Kearns
West Valley STEM
Woodstock

Junior High GT and Honors Programs

Granite District junior high schools offer both gifted and talented (GT) and honors classes in English, math, science, and social studies to students desiring rigorous coursework.

Gifted students will be identified through Granite District advanced learner testing for placement in GT English, math, science, and social studies courses.  Students must earn a qualifying score on the CogAT or the SAGES-3 in a specific subject area in order to be placed in a GT course. These courses are designed to be accelerated and provide a rigorous, enriched curriculum with the Utah State Curriculum Standards as the foundation of course work and are taught by a teacher with a gifted and talented endorsement. If there is no gifted-endorsed teacher for each content area, the identified gifted students must be grouped together in one section of the honors classes identified to serve the needs of gifted students.

Curriculum for gifted students includes content that is accelerated, complex and in-depth. It requires students to use higher order thinking processes to an advanced degree. Differentiated instruction for gifted students requires high level, fast paced and intra/interdisciplinary instruction.

Honors students may select placement in honors courses based upon their interest, strengths, and potential.  Honors classes will provide increased focus on depth and complexity in the subject areas.  The course work will help students to develop individual autonomy and independence.  Additional focus will be placed on problem-based learning and concept-based instruction with an emphasis on developing critical and creative thinking skills.  The coursework will prepare students for future concurrent enrollment, advanced placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses.

Testing is only required for those students seeking placement in GT classes. As a general rule, students seeking placement in GT classes should be performing significantly above grade level. Students do not need to be tested in order to sign up for honors courses. All junior high honors courses are by self-selection.

All GT placement decisions for junior high students will be made by a GT committee at each school. Test results will be sent to principals and counselors in early spring.  If your child does not qualify for GT classes, please consult the junior high counselors regarding other courses that may be available. Appeals are handled by the individual junior high schools. 

If you do not currently live within the boundaries of the junior high school you would like to have your child attend, you must apply for an open enrollment permit for the school. 

Testing Schedule for Students Being Considered for Placement for the 2025-2026 School Year

October 2024-December 2024
Grades 3-4: High Ability students will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) for possible placement in the Advanced Learning Center (ALC) or the Advanced Learner cluster groups at their neighborhood schools.

Grades 5-6: Students in their last year of elementary school will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Middle School Students–Third Edition (SAGES-3) to determine placement in the gifted and talented classes offered at the junior high schools.

January 2025-March 2025
Grades K-1: Students are screened using a reading screener, and those who meet the criteria for further testing are given the verbal and nonverbal portions of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Kindergarten students who live in the Kearns High School network may also be considered for the Spanish Dual Immersion program at West Kearns Elementary.

Grade 2:  High ability students take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) for possible placement in the ALC program or the Advanced Learner clusters at their neighborhood schools.

Please note: All 2nd graders who are served in the ALC program or neighborhood cluster groups must be assessed and qualify for placement in the 3rd grade programs.

Assessment Procedures

To determine the level of service that is necessary for a student to continue appropriate academic growth, the following assessment procedure is necessary:

• Stage 1: Pre-screening – Parents and students should assess interests and motivations on a continuing basis throughout the students’ academic experience. All students should be encouraged to explore a wide variety of experiences provided by their school’s talent development opportunities.
• Stage 2: Screening – Existing evidence of students’ academic accomplishment, cognitive potential, and academic performance should be considered to determine whether further assessment is recommended in order to clarify the severity of need. This determination should be made by a team with an effort to be inclusive in their screening procedures.
• Stage 3: Assessment for Specialized Academic Classes – If further assessment is deemed necessary, the school’s decision-making team will collect information in each of the following areas to clarify students’ severity of need:
  • Elementary – Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)– verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal subtests in grades 2-4, and verbal and nonverbal subtests in grades K-1.
  • Junior High – Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)– verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal subtests; Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Secondary Students (SAGES-3) — Language Arts/Social Studies and Mathematics/Science subtests

Appeals

• All appeals must be submitted within 14 days of receiving your child’s results. To appeal a placement decision for your elementary student, please complete and submit this form: Granite District ALC Appeals Form. For more information about the appeals process, please see the following document: Appeals: Frequently Asked Questions.
• Junior High appeals are handled through the junior high school your child attends or will attend.

Out of District Applicants

Students who are not currently enrolled in a Granite District school are welcome to take the advanced learner testing. Testing will take place at the Granite District office building. The cost for testing if your child is not currently enrolled in Granite School District is $35.  Please be prepared to pay for the test when you arrive on the day of your testing session by check or exact cash only.

Elementary students: Elementary students who do not reside within Granite District’s boundaries will only be placed in the ALC program if there is an opening available after all Granite District students who qualify are placed.

Junior high students: If you do not reside within the boundaries of the junior high school you would like to have your child attend, you must apply for an open enrollment permit for the school, and the school will approve open enrollment applications on a space-available basis.