Identification: Screening and Selection Process for K-12

All children are open to the screening and selection process at all times. It is an annual process that will be evaluated yearly by the district gifted and talented staff.

Testing is generally done in the spring of an academic year for students in grades 2, 5, and 8. However, any student can be tested at any time through the referral process.  If you would like your child to take the CogAT test please fill out, sign, and return this permission form to the  GT Services Director, Dorothy Dawson, [email protected]  Permission Form

Kindergarten - Grade 2
At the K-2 level, the GT Staff will offer consultancy services to teachers who request differentiation and extensions for students in their class. The GT staff will collaborate with the staff at McGraw and Smith to offer Project Based Learning Projects and Higher Order Thinking Skills activities. These projects and activities will be offered to all students who are referred by classroom teachers. Even though this program will be offered in conjunction with the GT department, this does not guarantee that students who participate will automatically enter Explorers programming.Therefore:

• Formal identification of children will begin in grade 3 except for the highly gifted child, who may be formally identified in grades K-2 (See Statement of Policy K-2: Highly Gifted/Talented below)
• During the K-2 grades, classroom teachers and/or teachers of the gifted and talented will be observing students for demonstration of gifted and talented characteristics.

Statement of Policy K-2: Highly Gifted/Talented
A child who excels beyond that of their age peers in the regular program to such a degree that the need highly specialized instruction beyond that available in the regular school program. The teacher will be able to document the above average ability and the GT staff will determine testing needs and possible services. 

Grades 3-8
Students will be tested for GT services based on referrals after grade 2. Anyone (including parents) can make a referral for testing. There are two methods involved within the identification process in grades 3-8; subjective and objective:

• Subjective Methods:
• Referrals by classroom teacher, parent, and others that have observed a high frequency of verbal skills, a highly complex thinking and/or talent, and a knowledge base that is significantly beyond the norm of the regular program.
• Extensive and intensive diagnostic observation by a teacher of the gifted and talented for a specified period of time.
• Product(s) of child when applicable.
• Objective Methods:
• Aptitude test to document general intellectual ability
• Achievement test(s) to document specific academic aptitude

All 5th and 8th grade students will retake the designated aptitude test and be re-evaluated for services in grades 6-8 and 9-12, respectively.

Grades 9-12
At the end of ninth grade, teachers and guidance will review all students to determine which students are eligible for AP and college course status. They will check any standardized group and individual achievement test scores and other district-wide assessments. The director will meet with students to discuss a pathway. All scheduling will be completed through the high school guidance office. 

Chapter 104 mandates that gifted and talented programming be provided to the top 3-5% of the student population. Within RSU #22 this means that in order to be identified, students must have multiple data points in the 98% to 99%. Multiple data points need to be from different methods of identification (aptitude and achievement). Students cannot be identified through one method (i.e. NWEA).

The GT Advisory Committee
The district has a screening and selection committee known as the GT Advisory Committee. This committee may consist of building administrators, guidance personnel, the director of G/T services, GT service providers and classroom teachers. The selection committee will look at the talent pool of possibly eligible students and will then make the final determination in accordance with the program's philosophy, purpose, and curricular needs of the student being considered.

• The parents of children found to be in need of G/T services will be informed in writing of the committee's determination by the local school G/T director.
• The Superintendent or his/her designee will be notified of the children selected for the program.
• Written parent approval of G/T services must be received before such programming commences. An ILP (individualized learning plan) will be developed. 

Review Procedure
Possible reasons to review the identification of a child for the G/T program are:

• To reconsider the eligibility of a child to be selected for inclusion in the G/T program
• This will occur for ALL identified students in grades 5 and 8.
• To review the appropriate placement of a child within the program
• Exit Procedure: If gifted/talented enrichment services are deemed to no longer be appropriate for a given child, a child may be exited from the program. Before being exited, however, certain program modifications might be made. These could include: in-program sabbatical or a delineation of steps necessary to remain in the program. Before a child is officially exited from the G/T program, a meeting will be held with the child's parents, teachers and/or administrator to discuss the child's performance in the program.
• Possible reasons for removal of a child from the program:
• Student, parent, teacher request
• Non-achievement in the program
• Need for services no longer evidenced
• Behavioral issues (that significantly interfere with the child's performance in program)