QUEST
QUEST is the Quality Use of Exceptional Students’ Time. It is a gifted education class that is offered for qualifying students in the third through seventh grade pullout program in the Rolla Public Schools.
Defining Gifted
According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the State of Missouri, gifted students are identified as, “those students who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity and learning potential as determined by competent professional evaluation to the extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could be best served by an academic environment beyond that offered through a standard grade-level curriculum.” (Section 162.675.RSMO)
Third through seventh grade students who have been identified for the gifted program need enrichment or differentiated instruction more suited to their intellectual ability, reasoning ability, and creative thinking.
Philosophy
The Rolla Public School District recognizes the need for individual students to realize their maximum academic potential. The district also recognizes that academically gifted students need a safe and nurturing environment which encourages creativity, risk-taking, and flexible thinking. A learning environment that allows the gifted student to interact with their intellectual peers can best meet the needs of the students.
Mission
The Rolla Public School District’s mission is to provide in partnership with the community, the best educational opportunities possible for our students through commitment to excellence in personnel, facilities, curriculum and instruction. For students who come to school with advanced knowledge and unusual learning capacity, that potential can be compromised without offering a curriculum that is differentiated and matched to students’ learning characteristics. Those characteristics include the capacity to handle content at an advanced level and pace, the ability to explore areas in significant depth, the tendency to ask and grapple with difficult questions, and the desire to use leadership abilities to make a difference in the world. The Rolla School District promotes a multi-disciplinary environment that challenges gifted and talented students to attain their maximum potential.