Kentwood Public Schools contains a comprehensive gifted and talented program. P.E.A.K.S., or Parents , Educators And Kids = Success, is a full-time, self-contained program students apply for entry into. Gifted and talented in Kentwood services third through eighth grade students and is housed at Discovery Elementary and Crestwood Middle School.
Definitions of gifted are numerous and can vary significantly. Typically, gifted children are identified by their aptitude for learning as demonstrated by certain criterion. KPS defines giftedness as higher natural ability to learn, perhaps within the top 6-8% of grade level, across one or more academic disciplines. Giftedness manifests itself in a variety of ways. High levels of ability can appear across all subjects or in just one. Gifted students can be highly emotional, perfectionist, creative, or sensitive. In general, gifted students possess an eccentricity demonstrated by an intense desire for learning. Other definitions of giftedness are as follows:
National Association of Gifted Children
"Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as an exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains. Domains included any structured area of activity with its own symbol system (e.g., mathematics, music, language) and/or set of sensorimotor skills (e.g., painting, dance, sports)."
State of Michigan
"The 'gifted and/or academically talented' means elementary and/or secondary school students who may be considered to be (1) intellectually gifted, (2) outstanding in school achievement, and/or (3) those who have outstanding abilities in particular areas of human endeavor, including the arts and humanities."
U.S Department of Education
"Children and youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience, or environment. These children or youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields."