How do we define giftedness at Westmount Charter School?

• Westmount Charter School is the only K-12 congregated setting in Alberta for students who are intellectually gifted. To be identified as gifted, students at Westmount have been assessed with a Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and/or General Ability Index (GAI) at or above the 98th percentile (standard score 130 +/- 5), as measured on an individually administered intelligence test. 
• Students are gifted when they perform, or show potential for performing, remarkably high levels of accomplishment in learning rate, depth of knowledge, and reasoning and problem-solving abilities when compared to others of their age, experience, and environment (Alberta Education).
• Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally (Columbus Group, 1991).