Gifted Service: Academic and Creative Talented (ACT)
Students identified as superior cognitive gifted, via the use of a cognitive abilities test, leave their classrooms during an intervention block and go to a resource room 200 minutes per week to work with a gifted intervention specialist.

Built into the schedule, the emphasis is on enriching, extending, and building upon Ohio’s learning standards, especially in the area of English/Language Arts, the National Association of Gifted Children standards, and the development of

• information processing skills, specifically the ability to gather, organize, analyze, and apply information
• problem solving skills, specifically  the ability to identify, define, analyze, develop and assess possible problem solutions
• critical thinking skills, specifically the ability to use critical/reflective thinking focused on deciding what to do or believe. This includes supporting ideas with facts and/or logic and explaining relationships
• communication skills, specifically the ability to plan, create, and present verbal, visual, and written information in order to effectively share thoughts and ideas with others
• self-discipline and  responsibility, specifically the ability to work productively and independently as an individual, to be a positive and productive group member, and to demonstrate effective leadership skills.

How to Qualify
Earn a qualifying score on a state-approved cognitive test. We administer the CogAT to students by parent request only in December and the OLSAT is administered by parent request only in March. Once students have met criteria to participate in the gifted resource room they are eligible to continue through grade 6.

If you are new to the district you must provide results showing a qualifying score on a state-approved cognitive test that was administered within the past 24 months, or the district will administer a cognitive test to your child within 90 days of the request.

Right to Appeal
Parents have the right to appeal test results and they may complete the Appeals Process Form and send it to the gifted coordinator. Upon receipt of the appeal form, the gifted coordinator will investigate the appeal and will establish a meeting with the parents and necessary school personnel, who may include the principal, the test proctor, the gifted intervention specialists, other specialists, the classroom teacher, the parents, and anyone else who can help address the appeal.

Additional Parent Information
Be sure to visit the link for the Parent Gifted Guidebook to read more about the district philosophy and services being offered.

Contact Information:

District Gifted Coordinator
Nicole Dietrich
dietrichn@masonohioschools.com

Gifted Intervention Specialists
Western Row: Erin Chesar, Kristi Echler and Jill Hartsock.
MECC: Megan Hill, Kristi Echler

Principal
Vivian Alvarez-Western Row
Melissa Bly-MECC