Who Qualifies for ACT?

Each spring, Jenison Public Schools evaluates students for admission into the ACT program for the following school year.  Entrance to the program is based on available slots and the following testing components:

• Initial Student Invite
• Score on the Cognitive Abilities Test
• Teacher Input​

Traits of Giftedness

The following traits, based on the research of Dr. Barbara Clark, author of Growing Up Gifted, may help you understand whether or not your child is gifted.

Source: Clark, B. (2008). Growing up gifted (7th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. - See more at: http://www.nagc.org/traits-giftedness#sthash.60bylM1F.dpuf

Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Child

Most, but not all, of the following questions apply equally well to children of various ages.  No one child will exhibit all of these characteristics.  They are intended to serve as a checklist of the abilities revealed by many gifted children.

• Did your child walk and talk earlier than most other children of his age and gender?

• Did she show a comparatively early interest in words?
• Does he have an exceptionally large vocabulary for his age?
• Did he show an early interest in numbers?
• Did she show an early interest in reading?
• Does he express curiosity about many things?
• Does he tend to associate with children older than himself?
• Does she act as a leader among children of her own age?
• Does he have a good memory?
• Does she show unusual reasoning power?
• Does he have an unusual capacity for planning and organizing?
• Does she relate information gained in the past to new knowledge she acquires?
• Does he show more interest in creative effort and new activities than in routine and repetitive tasks?
• Does she try to excel in almost everything she does?
• Does he concentrate on a single activity for a prolonged period of time without getting bored?
• Does she usually have a number of interests that keep her busy?
• Does he persist in his efforts in the face of unexpected difficulties?
• Does she figure out her own solutions to problems and show uncommon “common sense?”
• Does he have a sense of humor that is advanced for his age?
• Does she show sensitivity to the feelings of others?
• Does he show a comparatively early interest in questions of right and wrong, religion, God, and/or justice?
• Does she make collections that are more advanced or unusual than those of others in her age group?
• Does he show an intense interest in some artistic activity, such as drawing, singing, dancing, writing, or playing a musical instrument?
• Does she make up stories that are vivid and dramatic, or relate her experiences with a great deal of exact detail?
• Does he like puzzles and various kinds of “problem” games?
• Does she show an unusual interest in science or mathematics?
• Does he show awareness of things that are new or novel?

Source: Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented