Gifted and Talented Program

Welcome to Gifted and Talented Education!

Our gifted teachers at BPA are: Kelsey Boyajian and Toiyen Dowell 

Kelsey Boyajian: Kelsey.Boyajian@atlanta.k12.ga.us

Toiyen Dowell: tdowell@atlanta.k12.ga.us

The Georgia State Board of Education defines a gifted student as “...a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities.”

Atlanta Public Schools provide services for identified gifted students at all levels.  The gifted program is designed to meet the very specific needs of these students and extend competencies in the areas of cognitive skills, learning skills, research and reference skills, communication skills, and metacognitive skills beyond the experience of the regular classroom.

The Georgia State Department of Education governs the procedures for identifying and placing students in the gifted program. 

For More Information

Please visit the Atlanta Public Schools Gifted and Talented website for more information. You will find answers to frequently asked questions about how we identify, serve, enrich, and support gifted students.

APS Gifted and Talented Information.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are Kelsey Boyajian and Toiyen Dowell, BPA’s Gifted and Talented Team. We are thrilled to welcome students back for the 2024-2025 school year! We have an educational program that addresses social, emotional, and academic needs.

At BPA, the GATE program serves students in grades 1st - 5th who have been identified as gifted in accordance with the GADOE’s multiple criteria process. As an International Baccalaureate PYP World School, we implement the Cluster Grouping Model in all grade levels. The Cluster Grouping Model serves gifted students daily in a homeroom where the teacher is content certified and gifted-endorsed. Students will not be pulled out of their classroom community. As the gifted lead teachers, we collaborate with our gifted endorsed teachers to support gifted instruction in classrooms.

Throughout the school year, we will focus on critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and project-based learning. Students will complete instructional activities designed to ensure they develop and demonstrate the expectations of Georgia Standards of Excellence while also incorporating Atlanta Public School Gifted Standards from the following domains:

● Advanced Communication
● Creativity
● Creative Problem Solving
● Global Citizenship
● Higher Order Thinking Skills
● Leadership
● Advanced Research Skills
● Social/Emotional Learning

We are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning, growing, and achieving! As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Regards,

Kelsey Boyajian
kelsey.boyajian@apsk12.org

Toiyen Dowell
tdowell@apsk12.org