Talented and Gifted

This page is a work-in-progress.

The Talented and Gifted Program (TAG) in the Portland Public Schools district is the program designed to provide TAG identified students special educational programs and/or services beyond those ordinarily provided by the school.

Oregon state law defines "talented and gifted children" as meaning children who require these alternative education programs and demonstrate ability or potential in one or more areas:

• General intellectual ability as commonly measured by measures of intelligence and aptitude.

• Unusual academic ability in one or more academic areas.

• Creative ability in using original or nontraditional methods in thinking and producing.

• Leadership ability in motivating the performance of others either in educational or noneducational settings.

• Ability in the visual or performing arts, such as dance, music, or art.

Students must be identified as "Talented and Gifted" by PPS through testing and evaluation to be eligible for the TAG-designated programs offered by the district.

Talented and Gifted Programs

PPS offers programs for TAG designated students, both at alternative schools as well as within the student's neighborhood school.

There are three tiers of programs that PPS describes for students that are TAG designated.

Tier 1 programs are referred to as "CORE", and are centered on providing higher level thinking and questioning, as well as differentiated assignments for students. These supports occur in the student's standard classroom.

Tier 2 programs are referred to as "targeted supports", and focus on independent study and projects, extension activities, and cluster grouping of students.

Tier 3 programs of are referred to as "intensive", and include attendance at alternative schools like ACCESS academy or single-subject acceleration in mathematics. Alternative school programs include ACCESS Academy, which provides accelerated education for students, who are often TAG-designated. However, a student must score in the 99th percentile to attend ACCESS, a higher score requirement than TAG-designation.

Administration of tier 1 and 2 programs are the responsibility of the child's teacher, who may manage a classroom with students of multiple abilities. It is important as a parent to advocate for your student's educational needs, as they may not necessarily be identified by the teacher if they are focused on serving the whole classroom.

Getting TAG Services

TAG-identified children are eligible for the above services. Schools have a designated TAG facilitator who can be contacted to help navigate the conversations regarding tier 1 and 2 program administration in the classroom, as well as information about tier 3 programs. A list of school TAG facilitators is available here.

Additionally, families have a right to request the creation of an Individualized Learning Plan/Personal Education Plan for their student, which can provide educators with information about each child and how to best support them in the classroom. A template for one can be viewed above, and if a parent is interested in this option, the school's TAG facilitator should be contacted for more information and submission of the form.