TAG Program Handbook

Iowa Talented and Gifted Association

Belin Blank Center

National Association for Gifted Children

Hoagies Gifted Education Page

Talented and Gifted Ideas

The TAG Program’s mission is to offer a broad base of experiences to identified students. By providing qualitatively differentiated curriculum, this program facilitates the growth of students as independent, life-long learners, with the development of skills, concepts and positive attitudes within the cognitive, emotional and social domains. A major goal of the curriculum should be the teaching and practice of the thinking skills at all levels of the hierarchy.

The philosophy of the TAG Program is to meet the diversified cognitive, emotional, and social needs of talented and gifted students regardless of gender, ethnic origin, or socioeconomic status or physical ability.

Since there are great differences among students’ abilities, special educational provisions are often necessary for those students whose needs cannot adequately be met through the standard curriculum. This program is intended to create an environment in which deliberate efforts are made to recognize students’ emerging strengths, talents, and interests and then nurture them through appropriate and challenging educational experiences.

*Adopted from the National Association for Gifted Children

The TAG program shall provide services that will be matched to the needs of the gifted learners through the provision of a full continuum of options.*

The TAG program shall provide an Individual Education Plan for identified students needing differentiated services.

The TAG program shall serve as an advocate for students by facilitating activities and encouraging positive attitudes in the school and community.

The TAG program shall provide to teachers, administrators, and parents instruction, practice, and application opportunities for the use of skills, techniques, resources, and materials that may be appropriate to meet the unique needs of talented and gifted students or other students as appropriate.

The TAG program will supplement and build on the basic academic skills and knowledge learned in the regular classrooms at all grade levels to ensure continuity as students progress through the program.*

Gifted learners shall be included in flexible grouping arrangements whenever possible to ensure that gifted students learn with and from intellectual peers.*

The TAG program shall employ valid and systematic procedures using multiple criteria for identifying talented and gifted students for services.

The TAG program will be evaluated systematically for the purpose of program improvement.

Contact - Troy Thams, TAG Coordinator
tthams@siouxcentral.org