1. DESERT VISTA GIFTED PROGRAM Amie Hickel and Mark Kulik Gifted Student Counselors

2. How Did You Get Here?  Students are identified as Gifted by scoring in the 97 th percentile on a standardized test.  Some here took the TUHSD sponsored test at McClintock High School.  Others may have previous tests or will test Gifted after starting high school (PSAT, etc.)

3. Haven’t Taken Gifted Test?  Final chance is Sat, Jan. 10, 2015  McClintock High School  Online Registration –:http://www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/surveys/giftedapp. html –Or call 480-752-8696 for more information

4. Desert Vista Open Enrollment? *2015-16 online open enrollment applications are available on our district website. www.tuhsd.k12.az.us *Applications must be submitted online by February 1. *Turn in a complete DV registration packet to DV by Feb. 2.

5. Counseling Services

6. Gifted Student Services  Specialized Counseling Services –2 counselors  Focus on College Readiness –Test preparation –College visits –Scholarship opportunities –Honors Professional Internship- Juniors and Seniors only

7. Gifted Services Continued  The Gifted Counselors work with students during scheduled meetings, as well as during unscheduled, informal meetings. They also regularly share information with students and families through written and electronic means. Counselors are available for meetings, consultations, and telephone conversations with students, parents, teachers and administrators as needs and interests arise.  Gifted students have unique academic, social, and emotional needs, and benefit from specialists with training and experience with their respective groups of students (teachers, counselors, administrators etc.).

8. Continued  Counselors and Teachers are trained to identify and meet the unique needs of gifted students. DV gifted counselors work on a proactive basis to help students deal with some common issues:  Perfectionism  Anxiety  Underachievement  organizational/time management concerns.  In addition, a gifted program can provide direction for students and parents seeking opportunities and resources outside the school day and year.  Internships  Clubs and Extra-curricular  Whole Campus/Student Approach

9. Desert Vista Course Offerings  18 Advanced Placement (AP) Courses  82 Honors and/or Dual Enrollment Courses *There are no classes offered exclusively for gifted students. Desert Vista offers many Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, and Honors level courses. If gifted classes were offered, only a limited number of sections could be scheduled.

10. DV Freshmen Honors Classes – Multiple Methods Used for Honors Placement:  Prior honors placement or  8 th grade Teacher recommendation- signature on registration form or  Grades (A’s or B’s) or  Assessment Review: 7 th, 8 th or HS AIMS (Meets or Exceeds) or equivalent passing score on the new assessment, Top quartile on STAN 10 (75 th percentile or higher), or review of other standardized and/or state testing

11. Honors Placement Guide 1.Know your strengths 2.Know your time commitments 3.Increased rigor due to common core – more critical thinking and student engagement, less memorization and rote learning 4.Know your expectations – do you NEED straight A’s 5.Reference the Honors Placement Guide handout provided

12. Hard-To-Find Courses DV Offers  Honors Calculus 3/Differential Equations  Honors Linear Algebra  Honors Advanced Biotechnology 3-4  Honors Physics 3-4  Organic Chemistry  Honors Spanish 9-10  Fine Arts Academy  4 year Engineering program  Computer Programming – AP and 5-6 level

13. Class Rank/Grades  GPA is unweighted but class rank is weighted.  Rank order is: –1. Honors core classes (Hrs Eng, math, etc.) –2. core classes (regular Eng, math, etc.) –3. Honors non-core (adv. music, Speech, etc.) –4. non-core regular (reg. music, P.E, etc.)

14. Class Rank Change Reminder  Beginning Fall 2010, all classes taken in middle school receive credit, and are calculated in GPA, but do NOT earn rank points.

15. GPA/Class Rank Current Sophomore: Rank #8 GPA 4.0 10 honors classes Current Sophomore: Rank #214 GPA 4.0 0 honors classes

16. GPA/Class Rank Graduated Senior: Rank # 20 GPA 4.0 37 honors classes

17. GPA/Class Rank Graduated Senior : Rank #177 GPA 4.0 4 honors classes

18. Desert Vista Accomplishments  20 Ntl Merit Scholarship Semifinalists  Over 100 college visits at Desert Vista this semester.  Classes of 2012-14 admitted to 250, 232 and 280 different national and international schools, colleges and universities, respectively.  The Class of 2014 was offered a district record of over $30.2 million in scholarships.

19. Additional Accomplishments Over 130 DV graduates currently in ASU’s Barrett Honors College—most in the USA 90% of DV graduates the past two years who started at U of A returned for their sophomore years.  US News and World Report nationally ranked high school

21.  Want a head start as to what our current students and parents see?  “Like” us on facebook  www.facebook.com/dvcounseling www.facebook.com/dvcounseling  Visit the Desert Vista website and counseling page.  www.desertvista.schoolfusion.us www.desertvista.schoolfusion.us