ELEMENTARY. For elementary students, class is held at Mexico Middle School once per week. Students are either dropped off in the back by parents/family, or they get off the bus when it stops at the middle school.

Older SEAGUL students can be on the lookout for new elementary students to escort them to class. Elementary schools will be alerted of students’ attendance (present/absent). Students will be sent for breakfast either with a middle school SEAGUL student or after the middle school students have gone to class. They will eat breakfast in the SEAGUL classroom rather than the cafeteria.

Class days are as follows:

• Tuesday - 5th grade
• Wednesday - 4th grade
• Thursday - 3rd grade
• Friday - 2nd grade 

Students can arrive any time between 7:30 and 8:00; class “officially” starts at 8:00 AM. Class ends at 10:30 AM, at which time they will board a bus to be taken to their elementary school.

During class, students will participate in academic studies designed to interest and challenge them as well as activities designed to help them get to know themselves and also cope with  some of the unique challenges that come with being divergent thinkers. Students in fourth and fifth grade will be given access to a Google Classroom that will allow for access to enrichment activities while not at SEAGUL.

MIDDLE SCHOOL. Students in middle school will have SEAGUL for one class period each day. Sixth and seventh grade students come during GROWL time, which is during 4th hour for sixth grade and 5th hour for seventh. In order to avoid conflicting with electives, students in eighth grade will have a combination of SEAGUL services and social studies class during 6th hour. 

HIGH SCHOOL. Students in high school will have access to SEAGUL programming, as well. Freshman will be put into a seminar together as support during the transition to high school. After the first six weeks of the school year, any student in SEAGUL grades 9-12 will have the opportunity to choose SEAGUL as an enrichment seminar. In this seminar, students will investigate and discuss topics of interest and also participate in activities designed to support them as they prepare for life after high school.

IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES

Universal Testing. All second grade students in the district will be administered a test of general cognitive ability. Further data will be gathered on the top scoring 20% of students. The committee will use data to determine who might be tested right away and who might need more time/data.

Universal Screening. MAP scores are checked for all students in grades 4-7 each fall as the data becomes available. Further data is gathered for any students who score an Advanced in any subject area. iReady scores are checked for all students in grades 2-8 after each diagnostic round. Further data is gathered for any students who score in the 90th percentile or higher in either reading or math.

Recommendations from teachers or parents. Data will be gathered from test scores, grades, teacher observations, etc. The committee will determine if and when testing will be appropriate. In either scenario, parent permission must be obtained before any further testing can be done.

Testing Rounds.Gathered data is reviewed once per month by the committee. The committee will select students that the data warrants testing. Mel Hamm will contact teachers to work out days and times to administer tests after parent permission is on file. The goal is to test one group of about 5-7 students per month.

To qualify for a MO state gifted program. Students must earn a qualifying score on three of the four following assessments:

• Gifted Evaluation Scale: Minimum qualifying score of 90th percentile overall
• Creativity Assessment: Minimum qualifying score that is 1 SD above the mean in 5 out of 9 areas
• Standardized general intelligence test: Minimum qualifying score in the 90th percentile or higher
• Standardized academic ability test: Minimum qualifying score in the 90th percentile or higher

If a student earns enough qualifying scores. Parents will be notified of testing results via mail and will receive an informational letter as well as a permission slip to participate in the program. As soon as the signed permission form is returned, a student may begin attending class with his/her grade cohort. Once a student is admitted into the program, he/she does not have to do any further re-testing to stay in the program. 

If a student does not earn enough qualifying scores. Parents will be notified of testing results via mail. One round of non-qualifying testing does not eliminate a student’s possibility for future testing, but a student will only be tested once per academic year. Certain tests can only be administered every two years, but iReady scores are checked three times per year.

Revised 12/2024