Helpful Hints
Ø Communicate regularly with your child’s teacher.
Ø If needed, schedule a meeting to discuss any concerns and develop a plan.
Ø Make arrangements for child care so you can participate fully.
Ø Bring a trusted friend, support person, adult family member or professional who knows your child.
Ø Ask questions.
Ø Communicate with other parents and professionals.
Ø Put all the paperwork you receive in one folder.
Ø Become knowledgeable about your child’s rights and the evaluation process.
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Resources
Internet - Search under “gifted” or find information and links through the following addresses:
Sabine Parish School District www.sabine.k12.la.us
The Council for Exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org
Agencies - Contact these agencies for assistance and additional information.
Sabine Parish Pupil Appraisal Services P. O. Box 1079 Many, Louisiana 71449 (318) 256-9228 www.sabine.k12.la.us/sped
Louisiana State Department of Education P.O. Box 94064 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804 (877) 453-2721 www.doe.state.la.us
Information
for Parents
regarding
Gifted
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Provided courtesy of the Sabine Parish School Board, Pupil Appraisal Services P.O. Box 1079 Many, Louisiana 71449 (318) 256-9228
October 2005
Determining the special help your child will need to do his very best
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The purpose of this pamphlet is to provide basic information to help you participate and become a valuable member of the evaluation team.
The Law
There are parish and state guidelines and bulletins that shape special education practice.
In Louisiana, Bulletin 1706, and the Pupil Appraisal Handbook include procedures, standards and criteria for identifying children eligible for special education and/or related services. A general description of pupil appraisal services, personnel, responsibilities, rights of students and parents, and timelines is also included. Parents may obtain a free copy of these from the Louisiana State Department of Education (1-877-453-2721).
Gifted
In Louisiana’s special education law gifted means “… students who demonstrate abilities that give evidence of high performance in academic and intellectual aptitude.
But, what does that mean?
Some students will perform extremely well in academic and thinking skills. These students may qualify for a special program designed to best meet their needs.
Eligibility requirements for preschoolers and kindergartners are different from first through twelfth graders. Things start to become complex at this point.
The younger group must have either a score three standard deviations above the mean on a test of intellectual abilities or obtain a score of at least 10 when intelligence, reading and math score are entered into a matrix (with 4 points earned on aptitude/intelligence tests).
The older group must either have a score at least two standard deviations above the mean on a test of intellectual abilities or obtain a score of at least 7 when intelligence, reading and math scores are entered into a matrix (with 2 points earned on aptitude/intelligence tests) or obtain a score of at least 6 when intelligence, reading and math scores are entered into a matrix and a recommendation for classification as gifted from the pupil appraisal personnel conducting the evaluation.
A “standard deviation” (SD) is a statistical tool that indicates how far away from the “mean” or “average” a particular score falls. If you are 2 standard deviations above the mean, you scored around the 97.7th percentile. That means out of 100 people, two did better and 97 did worse. If you are 3 standard deviations above the mean, you scored around the 99.9th percentile. That means out of 100 people, you were tops.
“The matrix” yields one, two, three or four points (for the younger group) depending upon the number of SDs above the mean. One point if the score falls between 1 and 1.5 SD, two points between 1.5 and 2 SD, three points between 2 and 2.5 SD, and four points for 2.5 SD and over.
The matrix for the older group is similar except the maximum number of points per score can not exceed 3. Therefore any SD score over 2.0 yields 3 points.
To determine eligibility a test of intellectual ability, and an educational test measuring reading and math skills are administered. These provide the three scores to place in the matrix. If an older student received 6 points on the matrix, the evaluating team usually does some further assessment.
Within sixty school days from the time you signed the permission form all the above will be completed and you will be invited to in the decision as to whether your child is gifted.