Learners with IQs of 140 and above

For exceptionally gifted students in second through fifth grade, the Navigator Program serves a small, very unique group of learners with IQs of 140 and above. Exceptionally gifted students often share many of the following characteristics:

• Skills of abstraction, conceptualization and synthesis
• Intrinsic motivation to learn or explore; highly inquisitive
• Quickly perceptive of similarities, differences and anomalies
• A large vocabulary; the ability to read quickly and deeply
• Fast rate of learning with little need for repetitive practice
• Ability to work independently and concentrate for long periods of time
• Often skeptical, critical and evaluative
• A large storehouse of information on many topics
• Intensity in energy, imagination, intellect and persistence

Specialized learning environment

Eighty years of research shows that the academic, social and emotional needs of exceptionally gifted students cannot be met in the regular classroom setting or even in our District's High Potential programs. The Navigator Program provides a specialized learning environment which capitalizes on the unique intellectual strengths of its learners. By providing advanced academic content through differentiated instructional practice, the Navigator Program develops students’ tenacity and cognitive stamina when faced with challenging work. Stimulating social-emotional development, students engage with intellectual peers and work with teachers who understand highly-gifted children.

Navigator classrooms are located in Excelsior and Scenic Heights Elementary schools, but serve students from across the district and beyond through open-enrollment. For transportation, see below.

Parent information sessions

Do you think Navigator may be the right fit for your child? Learn more about the program and application process:

• Tuesday, November 14, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Minnetonka District Service Center
• Monday, November 20, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Minnetonka District Service Center

Open house events

Visit multiple classrooms and see the Navigator Program in action. Observe teachers and students at work. You are welcome to attend one or both Open Houses:

• Wednesday, December 6, from 1–3 p.m., at Scenic Heights Elementary
• Thursday, December 7, from 10 a.m.–12 p.m., at Excelsior Elementary

Step 1: Attend information sessions and open house(s)

Attend a Navigator parent information sessions (see above) to learn about the program from the Director of Advanced Learning, Navigator teachers, and parents of current Navigator students. Topics include: common attributes of highly gifted learners, application, IQ testing, placement procedures, program design, curriculum, and authentic learning experiences for the highly gifted.

To see the program in action, come to our Navigator open house events (see above). You may visit multiple classrooms and observe teachers and students at work.

We invite you to review the Navigator brochure and parent testimonials on this page to learn more.

Step 2: Applications were due January 31, 2018

The official application window for the Navigator Program closed on January 31. However, on occasion, we find we have space remaining in certain grade levels after our formal application and testing process is complete. If you would like to submit an application at this time, please do so. We will complete our first round of assessments and placements in May. If there is space remaining in Navigator classrooms, we will contact additional applicants and arrange for testing in the order applications were received. Thank you for your interest in the Navigator Program!

IMPORTANT: If your child is not currently enrolled as a Minnetonka student, contact the student enrollment office at 952-401-5012 to begin the open-enrollment process. Your child will be assessed for Navigator after the preliminary open-enrollment paperwork is received. You may complete the Navigator application materials and open-enrollment materials concurrently.

Online Application

Step 3: Achievement data

Provide student achievement data from a standardized assessment (examples: NWEA, MCA, Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Woodcock-Johnson). Data must include scores from the prior school year, and we encourage you to include scores from prior years as well. Achievement data is one component of a student’s overall profile.

Email, mail, or fax achievement data to:

Lynne Ostlund, High Potential Administrative Assistant
5621 County Road 101
Minnetonka, MN 55345
Fax: 952-401-5032
Lynne.Ostlund@minnetonka.k12.mn.us

Step 4: Assessment-Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

Once the application and achievement data have been received (and the open enrollment process begun if applicable), a time and date for the applicant to complete the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) assessment will be scheduled. WISC is an internationally accepted standardized measurement of intellectual functioning that yields full scale IQ, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory and processing speed scores. The WISC will be administered by a school psychologist provided by our District. Students with a Full Scale IQ or a General Abilities Index of 140 or higher will be invited to participate in the next step of the application process: Simulation.

Please Note: If your child has been given a WISC assessment within the last calendar year, please email the report to Lynne Ostlund. In some cases, we are able to use those results to qualify a child for the next step in the application process. If your child was tested using another tool, we will schedule a WISC assessment with our District psychologist. Using only IQ scores yielded from a WISC ensures consistency and equity in placement procedures for all children.

Step 5: Simulation

Students in the target IQ range are invited to participate in a morning simulation experience. During simulation, Navigator teachers engage students in math, reading, writing, and critical thinking activities comparable to those they would experience on a typical day in the program. This gives potential students a “taste” of the Navigator experience, and it allows our staff to observe how students work and interact within this unique learning environment.

Step 6: Placement decision

The admissions committee will review each applicant individually to ensure all accepted students are likely to achieve a successful educational experience within the Navigator Program. Once a decision has been made, the advanced learning director will notify parents of results.

Where appropriate, our existing Minnetonka curriculum provides the foundation for learning. Because students progress through it at a much quicker pace, enriched curricular materials are critical for extension and depth. Materials used are specifically designed for gifted learners, or are materials typically used at higher grade levels, which allows us to accelerate content for our advanced learners. Examples include: Mentoring Mathematical Minds, ALEKS math, FOSS Science, Jr. Great Books, Paideia Seminars, and many other sources. Project-based learning, inquiry learning, self-directed study, technology resources and service learning projects are also key components of instruction in the program.

Navigator classrooms are highly differentiated in order to match the level of content to the strengths and needs of the learner. Instructional methods actively engage students in higher-order thinking at a level appropriate for highly-focused, self-directed learners. In addition, the teaching methodology incorporates:

• Thematic, interdisciplinary instruction
• Inquiry-based, real-world problem solving
• Experiential learning
• Emphasis on social/emotional development
• Depth and breadth of subjects

Families who live within the boundaries of Excelsior or Scenic Heights Elementary Schools have normal bus transportation. Families who live within the boundaries of other Minnetonka schools may access busing service to Navigator schools through existing bus routes (contact the Transportation Office by calling 952-401-5000 for more details). Families living outside of Minnetonka's District boundaries provide their own transportation to and from school, or they opt to transport their children to existing bus routes designated for these schools.

Students will integrate with their peers during lunch, recess, and through planned connection activities with other classrooms at the same grade level.

Chinese and Spanish language instruction will be provided to support second language acquisition for students entering from a Language Immersion program. Navigator is an English program; however, our District is committed to supporting the target language acquisition process for students entering Navigator from Immersion classrooms. The Navigator Language Learning Program provides four hours per week of direct instruction outside of the school day. This rich instructional program was developed to continue the goal of language fluency with the possibility of re-entering the Language Immersion experience at the middle level.

In 2007, our District enhanced the High Potential program and increased High Potential staffing at each elementary school. Our District's commitment to that program continues. The Navigator Program provides additional learning materials, knowledge, lessons and expertise to further strengthen the existing High Potential program. In addition, moving exceptionally gifted students to the Navigator program with a dedicated Navigator teacher frees up High Potential staff time for other High Potential students.

The Navigator Program accommodates a small, very unique group of learners. The needs of these students, including academic, social and emotional needs, cannot be met in the regular classroom setting or even in the High Potential programs. Based on extensive research, creating an environment suitable to educate these exceptionally gifted students will lead to:

• Significant achievement gains
• Development of intellectual persistence
• Elimination of student isolation
• Intrinsic rewards for learning

"It wasn’t until we attended a seminar in the spring that focused on perfectionism that we finally realized that although our daughter is intelligent, loves to learn and thrives on lessons and tests, the current classroom atmosphere was unable to meet all of her needs, particularly in the social and emotional areas. We decided to apply to the Navigator program." — Cindy H.

"As parents of gifted children we can’t thank you enough for what you are doing for our children, and quite frankly for our entire family. Having a safe and encouraging, nurturing, educational environment to send our children is like a tall glass of water when you are parched, nothing else can be as satisfying yet so simple. Please know that we will forever keep you updated on the progress of our gifted child. You deserve to know how your efforts have yielded results and your school administrators and board members deserve to know that their courageous decision to serve this population of kids will have profound results in the years to come." — Phil R.

"What a difference we are seeing in our son. I can't thank you enough for being flexible enough to focus on his real needs."

"What a difference we are seeing in our son. I can't thank you enough for being flexible enough to focus on his real needs. Typically, we see that schools have their rules and there is no human element to them. That certainly was not the case with you and you should know what a difference you made for him and us. It was really a life-changing moment for our family to have someone understand his needs and potential. Needless to say, for the first time, we are relieved that he is working with such a high-quality program. I can't say enough about his first couple of weeks and I am excited about how your program is finally beginning to understand and shape his future potential. Thank you to you and the teachers for understanding that our son is very unique/special." — Julie G.

"The Navigator program has provided our son with a teacher who understands his social and academic needs and provides—with sensitivity, balance, and extraordinary patience— opportunities for him to grow in both areas. His friendships and peer relationships have developed in ways we had always hoped he would experience. The Navigator program has been an invaluable and unequivocally positive experience for him and our family." — James M.

Lakeshore Weekly News: Where's the Plow? January 17, 2017

Scholastic: How to Challenge Your Highest Achieving Students, August 5, 2015

Scholastic: Setting Up Your Own Program to Challenge Students, Aug. 6, 2015