Gifted/Talented Program

  • DEFINITIONS
    Gifted Student – a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual, creative, and/or artistic ability(ies); possesses exceptional leadership skills; 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.

    Differentiated Curriculum – courses of study in which the content, teaching strategies, and expectations of student mastery have been adjusted to be appropriate for gifted students.

    textbooks

  • REQUIREMENTS
    Notice - Parents or guardians shall be notified in writing of the following:

    1. The gifted education program operated by the local school system, referral procedures, and eligibility requirements;

    2. Initial consideration of a student for gifted education services;

    3. The student’s eligibility status after an evaluation (Parents or guardians shall be afforded an opportunity for a conference to discuss student eligibility criteria and placement.);

    4. The type of service to be provided annually, the teaching methods to be used, and the time allotted for the student to receive gifted services (Parents or guardians shall also be informed of the objectives designed for students to meet and the manner in which evaluation of the mastery of these objectives will be conducted.);

    5. The criteria the student shall meet for the continuation of gifted services;

    6. The length of the probationary period for the student who is in jeopardy of losing gifted services (The notice shall specify the criteria the student shall meet to continue receiving gifted education.); and

    7. The termination of gifted education services in the event that the student fails to meet the continuation criteria (The notice shall contain a statement that the student shall become eligible to receive gifted education services upon meeting the criteria adopted by the Camden board of education regarding the continuation of services).

    Referral

    1. Reported Referral - A student may be referred for consideration for education services for the gifted by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, and other individuals with knowledge of the student’s abilities; and

    2. Automatic Referral - Students who score at specified levels on a norm- referenced test as described below shall be referred for determination of eligibility for gifted services.

    3. Tests and procedures used in the referral process and to determine eligibility for gifted education services must meet standards of validity and reliability and shall not discriminate with respect to race, religion, national origin, sex, disabilities, or economic background.

    4. Written consent for testing shall be obtained from parents or guardians of students who are being considered for gifted education services. Written consent from parents or guardians is also necessary before students who are determined to be eligible for gifted education services can receive these services.

    5. Eligibility criteria that are inconsistent with this rule shall not be adopted.

  • INITIAL ELIGIBILITY
    To be eligible for gifted education services, a student must meet criteria in any three of the following areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity, or motivation. A student must meet the criterion score on a nationally normed test and have observational data collected on his or her performance. Information shall be collected for each of the four areas of eligibility. Data used to establish eligibility in one area shall not be used to establish eligibility in another area. Test scores used to establish eligibility shall be current within two calendar years. A student must either (a) score at the 99th percentile (for grades K-2) or the 96th percentile (for grades 3-12) on the composite or full scale score of a standardized test of mental ability and meet the achievement criteria defined below, or (b) qualify through a multiple criteria assessment process by meeting the criteria in any three of the following four areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity, or motivation.

    1. Mental Ability

    a. Mental ability tests shall be the most current editions of published tests that measure intelligence or cognitive ability. The tests that are used must have been reviewed for bias regarding race, sex, color, national origin, or handicap. Group tests must have been normed within a 10-year period prior to administration on a nationally representative sample that included minority representation. These tests shall also yield percentile rankings by age;

    b. Mental ability tests that were designed to be administered individually must be administered by a qualified psychological examiner. (See Rule 160-4-7-11 Qualified Psychological Examiner);

    c. The Cognitive Abilities Tests will be used in kindergarten through high school grades. The C-Toni will be used to retest students ages seven years through high school when appropriate; and

    d. A student may be retested if the student scored within the standard error of measurement for his/her age on the mental ability instrument or if the student scored above the 90th percentile on the mental ability instrument and:

    1. Is handicapped;

    2. Is economically disadvantaged;

    3. Is culturally different; or

    4. There are documented compelling reasons such as poor personal health, family crisis, etc., that strongly suggest the obtained score is an underestimate of the student’s ability.

    2. Achievement

    Students shall score > 90th percentile on the total battery, math or reading section(s) of standardized achievement tests. Standardized achievement tests shall be the most current editions of tests that measure reading, including comprehension, and shall give a total reading score or total mathematics score based upon a combination of scores in math concepts and applications. These tests shall have been reviewed for bias and normed on a nationally representative sample that included minority representation within a 10-year period prior to administration. These tests shall also yield percentile rankings by age. Achievement will be measured by the norm-referenced tests that are approved by the Camden County School System and/or the Woodcock Johnson III. When the Woodcock Johnson III is used, the Letter Word Identification, Passage Comprehension, and Reading Fluency subtests will be used to measure reading. The Calculation, Applied Problems, and Math Fluency subtests will be used to measure mathematics.

    3. Creativity

    a. A student shall score > 90th percentile on a scale of 1-100 on the total score using standardized creativity characteristic(s) rating scales or superior rating > 90th percentile on a standardized creativity test. Only one rating scale may be used to qualify for gifted services;

    b. A Teacher must teach a student at least twenty (20) school days before completing a rating scale;

    c. Students in grades 6-12 must be rated by a panel of three or more professionals; and

    d. Students in grades K-5 must be rated by a panel of raters selected in the order listed below. The composition of the panel will be based on the number of professionals who teach the student and the presence of a paraprofessional in the student’s classroom.

    1. Two or more professionals;

    2. One professional, one paraprofessional, and a parent; or

    3. One professional and a parent.

    4. Motivation

    a. A student in grades K-5 must receive a superior rating on a standardized motivational characteristics rating scale (score > 90 on a scale of 1-100) by a panel of two or more professionals;

    b. A student in grades 6-12 must have a grade point average (GPA) of > 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, where a 4.0=A and 3.0=B; using an average of grades from the regular school program over the previous two school years (GPA > 93 @ 9th-12th, GPA > 94 @ 6th-8th, GPA > 95 @ 3rd-5th);

    c. A teacher must teach a student for at least twenty (20) school days before completing a rating scale;

    d. Behavior rating scales used to determine student motivation shall relate to the construct of motivation and differentiate levels such that judgments equivalent to the 90th percentile are possible;

    e. Grade point averages of students are determined by calculating the grades earned during the two years prior to evaluation in the subjects of mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and foreign language, if such language study is included in the student’s records; and

    f. Only one rating scale may be used to qualify for gifted services.

    Assessment data that were gathered and analyzed by a source outside the student’s school system must be considered as part of the nomination and evaluation process. However, these outside data shall not be substituted for data the school generates during the testing/evaluation process and may never be the sole source of assessment data. Outside data will never be used exclusively to determine eligibility for gifted program services. That test data may be used as part of a comprehensive profile of test and non-test evidence of advanced instructional needs. If outside test data are used to help establish students’ eligibility, the local board of education will collect and maintain statistical data that will be reported to the Georgia Department of Education to evaluate the impact of this practice on the identification of gifted students from all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

  • CONTINUED PARTICIPATION
    1. The progress of each student who receives gifted education services shall be reviewed each year. Students who demonstrate satisfactory performance in regular and gifted education services shall continue to receive such services. The board shall provide for any student who fails to maintain satisfactory performance in regular and gifted education classes a probationary period during which the student shall continue to receive gifted education services. A final review shall be conducted prior to cessation of gifted education services.

    2. A student who fails to maintain satisfactory performance in regular and gifted education classes shall be provided a probationary period in which the student shall continue to receive gifted education services while attempting to achieve satisfactory performance status. The length of this probationary period shall be determined by the Camden County Board of Education.

    3. A Student who fails to demonstrate satisfactory performance in both regular and gifted education classes during the probationary period and for whom gifted services are no longer appropriate shall have a final review before cessation of services occurs. A student may resume receiving gifted education services upon meeting the criteria adopted by the Camden County Board of Education for the continuation of gifted services.

    4. The regulations regarding continuation of services are found in IDDD~E.

  • RECIPROCITY
    A student who meets the state eligibility criteria for gifted education services shall be considered eligible to receive gifted education services in any school system within the state. However, a student transferring from one school system to another within the state shall meet the criteria for continuation of gifted services established by the Camden County Board of Education. There is no mandated reciprocity between states.
  • CURRICULA AND SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
    Curricula for gifted students that incorporate the student competencies and Georgia Performance Standards approved by the Georgia State Board of Education shall be developed. Curriculum objectives shall focus on developing cognitive, learning, research and reference, and meta-cognitive skills at each grade grouping using differentiated principles in one or more of the following content areas: mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, foreign language, fine arts, and vocational/technical education.

    Students who are identified as gifted and whose participation has received parental consent shall receive at least five segments per week of gifted education services.

  • DATA COLLECTION
    Statistical data shall be collected and maintained on the number of students referred for evaluation of eligibility for gifted education services, the number of students determined eligible for services, and the number of students actually served during the school year.

GIFTED PROGRAM MODELS

Elementary Resource Model

Middle School Advanced Content Model

High School Gifted/Honors/Advanced Placement Models

Schedule

One day per week pullout

Daily during regular core subject blocks (i.e., math)

Daily by semester in courses selected by student

Time in Gifted Class

All day

100 minutes daily per subject

90 minutes daily per course

Curriculum/Instruction
*Designed to meet performance standards and gifted education goals

Interdisciplinary (math, reading/language arts, social studies, science)

By subject (typically math or language arts)

By course content

System/State/National Assessments

Same as all others by grade level

Same as all others by grade level

Same as others with options for the Advanced Placement Examination

Continuation in the Program
*Per the Camden County Continuation Policy

70 overall average in core subjects

70 overall average in core subjects

70 above in the course

Grades

Progress reported by the gifted teacher and regular progress/report cards reported by regular education teacher (s)

Progress and report cards by subject area teacher (i.e., gifted math class grade)

Progress and report cards by course