By Patty Roy

At its July 30 meeting, the Grafton School Committee approved a first reading of a measure that could eliminate a written policy for a gifted and talented student program. The policy will get a second reading at the next school committee reading.

During the public comment portion of the meeting two residents spoke in favor of keeping the policy.

Davina Premraj, a 2020 Grafton High graduate who recently completed college, said she was in such a program from grades on through three. She got more instruction in math, science and English which helped her in her later years of education when she tutored other students in math.

“It helped me learn better because my educational needs were different than the other kids in my class,” she said. She also liked encountering other students with similar instructional needs.

“If we keep these policies here, we’re better meeting the needs of students who have those requirements,” Premraj said.

Gerry Mroz, Advocacy Co-chair of the Massachusetts Association of Gifted Education (MAGE) also opposed eliminating a written policy.  MAGE reviews school committee policies and district practices across the state to identify how they served advanced and gifted students, he said.

“These students require both productive challenges and support to develop academically, and more importantly, to cultivate the non-academic competencies that are far more critical for achieving happiness and success in later life,” he said, adding that schooling focused on grade level standards often overlooks the needs of advance and gifted children.

In the discussion that followed, school committee chair Amy Marr said she had two children go through the district’s public schools and at different times, they were identified as needing more or different kinds of instruction.

“The teachers kind of make that call; they don’t label the students as gifted and talented, but they see a student who is finishing the math faster or can write a three sentence paragraph in a minute and a half and it’s not challenging for them anymore, ” Marr said. “I trust our teachers to use differentiated instruction.”

There are some students who are gifted in one area and not in others and that can change from year to year, she said. 

Committee member Kristy Kielbasinski said she spoke with Jennifer Mannion, the district’s curriculum director who explained that three criteria were used to identify a gifted student – MCAS scores, the computer adaptive STAR assessment tests and in-class work.

They approved the policy as a first reading.