Gifted Services Home

Mission

Our mission is to nurture the unique abilities of gifted and talented learners within an engaging learning environment that fosters deep understanding, critical thinking, and advanced skills development.

Vision

Deer Valley Gifted Programs provide innovative, engaging, and complex learning experiences, which enables students to compete, lead, and positively impact the world.

Core Values

• Student Centered
• Rigorous Academics
• Quality Resources
• Welcoming Environment
• Personal Accountability
• Open Communication
• Problem Solving Mindset
• Relevant and Global Viewpoint
• Balanced and Flexible Approach
• Intellectually Stimulating

 

Philosophy

We recognize that each child is unique and possesses talents that must be cultivated in order to grow. DVUSD Gifted Services provides enriched academic opportunities for gifted and talented students who demonstrate exceptional capabilities that require services beyond the scope of the regular classroom curriculum. 

Program Goal

The goal of DVUSD Gifted Services is to support gifted and talented students in reaching their full potential through challenging curriculum and authentic learning activities.  Programs provide rigorous learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate and effective for gifted and talented learners. 

Continuum of Gifted Services

In Deer Valley Unified School District, gifted and talented students benefit from a wide range of services to meet their unique academic needs and develop individual interests.  DVUSD provides a continuum of services for gifted students in prekindergarten through grade 12.  Within this continuum, Deer Valley utilizes choice programs and focus schools.  Programs at each school may vary to meet the community’s needs and support unique student populations.  Each school provides a Continuum of Services Plan (CSP) in coordination with the school administrator, site gifted specialist, and the Gifted Services Department.

 

 Visit our school websites for additional information about gifted services
and program updates available.

Giftedness

Giftedness reflects asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities create intrinsic experiences that are qualitatively different from the norm.  There are many domains of giftedness. The domains include academic, spatial, the arts, athletics, leadership and creativity. In order to service students demonstrating these traits, a wide spectrum of programs, opportunities, extra curricular activities, and coursework must be available.

In Arizona

The state of Arizona defines giftedness as a student who scores at or above the 97th percentile in any one of three areas (verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning) on a nationally normed, State Board Approved gifted assessment.  Students who score below the 97th percentile also may be served (ARS 15-779).

In Deer Valley

Deer Valley follows state guidance to offer services for gifted and talented students who demonstrate ability on a state-approved gifted assessment, using Age-Level Norms.  The curriculum for gifted students emphasizes critical thinking strategies, content alignment and depth, research-based practices and materials, differentiated products and assessments, and acceleration of specific content pacing. 

Questions???... Ask our virtual Gifted Assistant for more information about Deer Valley Gifted Programs.  The Gifted Assistant is able to synthesize and summarize information about DVUSD Gifted Programs at the click of a button.

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2025-26 Gifted Services Handbook