• Welcome to the Ozark Gifted Education Page!

    The Ozark R-6 School District “KITES” Program (Kids in Talented Educational Studies) serves students grades two through twelve who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas of intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership and academic performance.

    The following goals of the program drive the academic objectives presented to students:

    • The gifted learner will acquire a superior level of knowledge and skills to gather, analyze, interpret, and critique information and ideas with an advanced degree of independence.
    • The gifted learner will acquire an advanced level of knowledge and skills to communicate high levels of thought within and beyond the classroom.
    • The gifted learner will acquire a wide range of knowledge and thinking skills to recognize and solve personal and real-world problems in diverse ways.
    • The gifted learner will acquire an advanced level of knowledge and skills to make informed decisions in order to act as a sensitive and responsible member of our global society. 

    The District has developed a process to identify students for eligibility in the Gifted Education Program.  The process of screening occurs at each site and is facilitated by our school guidance counselors.  Once screening has been completed parents of eligible students are notified.  If permission is granted further individual evaluation is conducted to determine eligibility for the program.  District counselors and other qualified evaluators conduct the testing at the conclusion of each school year and test for approximately one week. Those students who are not available during this window of time are scheduled individually by our evaluators.

    Elementary Grades

    Eligible students in Elementary are pulled out of their regular classrooms one day a week, and attend class in the KITES classroom at West Elementary. Busing is provided to those students who do not attend school at West.  In the KITES classroom, students are provided instruction in the following areas: creativity, affective education, critical thinking, and character and leadership skills. Additionally, a quarterly major unit provides for intense and rigorous research and learning about a specific topic that goes beyond what is taught in the regular classroom. In KITES, students are given opportunities for challenge, work both individually and in groups in order to accomplish tasks, and use a multitude of resources in order to rise to their full potential.

    Our gifted teachers also support KITES students by partnering with classroom teachers to address student needs. This collaborative approach is focused on academics, as well as social, emotional, and behavioral needs for the KITES students.  

    Middle School

    Eligible students in Middle School attend KITES once a week on their designated day.  They also attend related art classes and any advanced math classes they are enrolled in on that day and still receive 150+ minutes of gifted instruction time. National, state, and local gifted objectives are used to plan their course of study. Focus units vary and are planned to challenge and allow the students to use the skills in which they excel.  Exploring topics in-depth and applying this knowledge from various points of view challenges students as they work independently and in small groups. Affective and cognitive growth, creativity, metacognition and social competency are featured. KITES and regular classroom teachers communicate on a regular basis to collaborate and meet student needs. Students work with an ongoing goal-setting document in order to focus their educational plan.

     Junior High/High School Focus:

    Prerequisite: Students must qualify for the Ozark gifted program, per district policy.

    Independent Studies is offered as an elective class at Ozark High School and Ozark Junior High School. Students must meet minimum eligibility criteria as outlined in the District Policies and Procedures Handbook for the Ozark R-VI Public School Gifted Program. Students will engage in a number of activities, including, but not limited to: accelerated studies, individualized research, small group projects, and problem-solving. The focus of the class will be on individualized and differentiated learning designed to meet the individual and special needs of gifted students.

    Ozark R-VI offers a wide variety of high-level courses for students, which can often lead to students not having time in their schedule for the KITES program. To accommodate these students, the Gifted resource teacher is available for students with additional guidance in the areas of career exploration, community service opportunities, extension activities, portfolio building, and more. Ozark R-VI recognizes that our highest achieving students need to feel supported and will work with the students in order to help them reach their full potential.

    Please click here to make a referral for the 2023-24 school year! Referral cutoff for the 2023-2024 school year is April 14, 2023. All referrals made after this date will be rolled into next year's testing cycle.