During a recent meeting of the Savannah R-3 School Board, Danielle Owens, the district's gifted education specialist, presented significant updates to the district's gifted program. Owens, who has held her position since 2011, outlined the enhancements being made to the GEMS gifted program handbook to align with Missouri's gifted program guidelines.

The gifted committee, which includes Owens, instructional coach Julie Heiger, and district diagnostician Amy Hallenberg, has made both minor and substantial revisions to the handbook for the 2024-2025 school year. Key changes are highlighted in green for easy identification. The committee is focused on refining the student identification process, which now includes a two-stage screening and evaluation process mandated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Owens explained that the universal screening will assess students in grades 1 and 3 using various diagnostic data, including STAR assessments and other district evaluations. The top 10 to 20% of students identified through this screening will advance to further evaluation, which incorporates input from classroom teachers and other educators who may have insights into a student's talents.

A primary goal for the upcoming school year is to develop pathways for identifying traditionally underrepresented student populations. This initiative aims to ensure that economically disadvantaged and diverse students are recognized for their potential. The committee is collaborating with Christine Novy, the Missouri state gifted director, to create this alternative identification pathway, which will be piloted using Amazon as the student population for data collection.

Owens emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting that the district has historically relied heavily on diagnostic data, which may overlook talented students from diverse backgrounds. The committee is committed to expanding its identification methods to ensure that all gifted students are recognized and supported.

The meeting concluded with Owens offering to share historical data on student placements and progress, highlighting the district's commitment to transparency and continuous improvement in its gifted education program.