Background

The 2014-15 school year marked the first year for Mankato Area Public Schools’ Talent Development Program. During the 2013-14 school year, the district had an external study done by Dr.Karen B. Rogers and Dr. Karen L. Westberg from the University of St. Thomas. The purpose of this study to was to get a comprehensive view of the district’s K-12 gifted and talented services and to provide recommendations for the district to improve gifted and talented services.

The expanded K-12 Talent Development Program was established as a result of that study and a full-time coordinator was hired. As part of developing the program, the district has also hired math and English Language Arts coaches to work with teachers, students, classrooms, and professional development. A Talent Development Advisory Committee has been established to facilitate communication and teamwork between students, parents, teachers, and district leaders to improve the Talent Development Program. A regular newsletter will be published and posted on this website.

Program Review Presentation April 2014

2013-14 Program Review Executive Summary