Talented and Gifted Program Rationale 2

Contents

Talented and Gifted Program Rationale 2

General Behavior Characteristics of Gifted Students 3

Guidelines for Students Selection for Fort Osage TAG Program 5

Criteria for High School Credit 6

High School Credit for Eighth Grade 7

Policy for Regular Classroom Assignments 8

TAG Withdrawal and Re-enter Policies

Kindergarten through Sixth Grade 9

Transfer Student Policy 10

Forms

Permission to Test 11

Qualified Letters 12

Did Not Qualify Letters 15

Student Transferring out of Fort Osage 16

Revised July 2010
Talented and Gifted Program Rationale

To meet the over-all needs of the gifted child in our Talented and Gifted program, we will address the following applications:

·  An accelerated basic skills approach: This will allow the student to progress at his/her own rate without continuous repetition. The student could choose a unit of study not traditionally studied in the regular classroom.

·  An enrichment approach: This will allow a more “in-depth” approach using a possible mentorship leading to a more “real life” approach to his/her learning. The student will plan his/her study according to his/her interests and available resources.

·  Higher level thinking skills approach: The student’s projects will incorporate higher level thinking skills emphasizing application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels.

·  Incorporation of creativity into the TAG curriculum: Teaching the student the elements of creativity through fluency, flexibility, transformation, originality, and elaboration will help the student develop problem solving skills.

Students will be expected to work to the best of their ability following all school rules involving computer use, plagiarism, and behavior. Failure to follow these rules could lead to disciplinary action. Quality work is expected from each TAG student.

Characteristics of Gifted Students

General Behavior Characteristics of Gifted Students

Gifted children’s behavior differs from that of their age-mates in the following ways:

·  Many gifted children learn to read early, with better comprehension of the nuances of language. As much as half the gifted and talented population has learned to read before entering school.

·  Gifted children often read widely, quickly, and intensely and have large vocabularies.

·  Gifted children commonly learn basic skills more quickly, and with less practice.

·  They are better able to construct and handle abstractions.

·  They often pick up and interpret nonverbal cues and can draw inferences that other children need to have spelled out for them.

·  They take less for granted, seeking the “how” and “whys.”

·  They can work independently at an earlier age and can concentrate for longer periods.

·  Their interests are both widely eclectic and intensely focused.

·  They often have seemingly boundless energy, which sometimes leads to misdiagnosis of hyperactivity.

·  They usually respond and relate well to parents, teachers, and other adults. They may prefer the company of older children and adults to that of their peers.

·  They like to learn new things, are willing to examine the unusual, and are highly inquisitive.

·  They tackle tasks and problems in a well-organized, goal-directed, and efficient manner.

·  They exhibit an intrinsic motivation to learn, find out, or explore and are often very persistent. “I’d rather do it myself” is a common attitude.

Learning Characteristics of Gifted Students

Gifted children are natural learners who often show many of these characteristics:

·  They may show keen powers of observation and a sense of the significant; they have an eye for important details.

·  They may read a great deal on their own, preferring books and magazines written for children older than they are.

·  They often take great pleasure in intellectual activity.

·  They have well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis.

·  They readily see cause-effect relationships.

·  They often display a questioning attitude and seek information for its own sake as much for its usefulness.

·  They are often skeptical, critical, and evaluative. They are quick to spot inconsistencies.

·  They often have a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics, which they can recall quickly.

·  They readily grasp underlying principles and can often make valid generalizations about events, people, or objects.

·  They quickly perceive similarities, differences, and anomalies.

·  They often attack complicated material by separating it into components and analyzing it systematically.

Creative Characteristics of Gifted Students

Gifted children’s creative abilities often set them apart from their age-mate. These characteristics may take the following forms:

·  Gifted children are fluent thinkers, able to generate possibilities, consequences, or related ideas.

·  They are flexible thinkers, able to use many different approaches to problem solving.

·  They are original thinkers, seeking new, unusual, or unconventional associations and combinations among items of information.

·  They can also see relationships among seemingly unrelated objects, ideas, or facts.

·  They are elaborate thinkers, producing new steps, ideas, responses, or other embellishments to a basic idea, situation, or problem.

·  They are willing to entertain complexity and seem to thrive on problem solving.

·  They are good guessers and can readily construct hypotheses or “what if” questions.

·  They are often aware of their own impulsiveness and irrationality, and they show emotional sensitivity.

·  They are extremely curious about objects, and ideas, situations, or events.

·  They often display intellectual playfulness and like to fantasize and imagine.

·  They can be less intellectually inhibited than their peers are in expressing opinions and ideas, and they often disagree spiritedly with others’ statements.

·  They are sensitive to beauty and are attracted to aesthetic values.

Guidelines for Student Selection Fort Osage TAG Program

The student selection process must consist of the following two stages:

v  Screening

v  Individual evaluation and placement.

Evaluation and placement of students will be completed prior to the beginning date of instructional services.

A.  SCREENING

All available data on the total school population will be considered during the screening stage. Any information contained in permanent records will be used, including nationally-normed achievement test scores, group intelligence test scores, MAP scores, GATES reading scores, previous grades, anecdotal records demonstrating creative problem-solving and general creativity, and recommendations from teachers, parents, peers, and other personnel.

B.  INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION AND PLACEMENT

Following screening and referral, schools will use the following three identification criteria to evaluate and place students in the gifted program.

1.  ACADEMIC ABILITY – This test will be given first.

Kindergarten: DIAL 3 95th percentile or higher

Observation, Teacher referral, and/or parent survey

First – Second Grades: Stanford 10 and OLSAT (2nd grade) 95th percentile or higher on any of the following composites: Complete Battery, Total Reading, Total Math, or Language

Third - Eighth Grade: MAP Terra Nova (CA and Math) 95th percentile on one of the composites, 85th on the other

First - Eighth Grades Alternative Test: PIAT-R is reserved for students who may not have an achievement test score in their permanent record file. This alternative test may be given with the permission of the director of the talented and gifted program.

2.  GENERAL MENTAL ABILITY – This group test will be given second upon successful completion of the academic ability test.

Kindergarten-Eighth: SAGES-2 121 Quotient on any two of the three subtests

The following individual intelligence test will be administered upon successful completion of the SAGES-2 Test.

Kindergarten: Stanford-Binet V 95th percentile or higher

First – Eighth: WISC IV 95th percentile or higher

3.  CREATIVITY, REASONING, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY – This test will be given upon successful completion of the academic ability test.

Kindergarten – Eighth: Test of Creativity Minimum of outstanding in 3 out of 4 criteria

Note: Students qualifying for individual evaluation may be assessed once per school year with a maximum of two evaluations.

Gifted Students Receiving High School Credit

Criteria for High School Credit

1.  Parent or district initiated referral for student placement in high school course – referral must be initiated at the building in which the student resides. Final approval rests with the OTMS, FOHS, and Central Office Administration.

2.  Explore Student Achievement Test content subtest of 93rd percentile or above - for advanced placement in English I, both the reading and language arts subtests must be 93rd percentile or above

3.  MAP test or appropriate state test score of Proficient or Advanced in course content area

4.  Social/emotional development indicates a well-adjusted student with no discipline referrals and has a teacher/administrator recommendation.

5.  Attendance rate of 95% or above

Credit for High School Courses Taken By Eighth Grade Students

High School courses taken by 8th grade students will count toward subject area credit for graduation but will not count in the high school GPA. The student will still need to earn the state requirement of credits during grades 9-12.

High school transcripts will show that the course was taken and credit earned during the 8th grade year.

The technology department will create the high school class in the OTMS system and high school teachers of 8th grade students will have access to these courses to enter grades.

Eighth grade students will receive an OTMS grade report each 6 weeks showing their grades in the courses taken at OTMS.

Eighth grade students will receive a grade report from the high school each 9 weeks showing progress in the high school course.

At the end of each semester, high school teachers of 8th grade students will send the grades to the TAG teacher at OTMS who is responsible for communicating with the counseling center so the grades can be imported.

The TAG teacher will also be responsible for communicating grades from high school courses to parents.

Policy for Regular Classroom Assignments

The students attending TAG, kindergarten through sixth grade, are working on gifted curriculum for that day. When possible the regular classroom teachers will introduce new concepts on the days the gifted students are in the regular classroom. It is the responsibility of the student to inquire about any assignments. Regular classroom assignments are not expected to be made up with two exceptions:

1.  The project was given more than one day to complete.

2.  A new concept was introduced while the student was attending TAG.

3.  District Common Assessment must be taken

TAG Withdrawal and Re-enter Policies

Kindergarten through Sixth Grade

1.  Students may withdraw from TAG with parental permission.

Students who have withdrawn from the TAG program may re-enter the following year. Students may be placed on the waiting list according to their qualifying test scores if the TAG class is at capacity.

Transfer Student Policy

Students who transfer to Fort Osage School gifted program shall be placed in the district program if the following conditions are met:

1. The student meets or exceeds the selection criteria established by Fort Osage School for placement in the TAG program.

1. The student and parents agree to such placement.

Acceptable tests for TAG placement as a transfer student into Fort Osage School District will include:

FREQUENTLY USED INTELLIGENCE TESTS:

Wechsler Intelligence Scales

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Tests

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

Leiter International performance Scale

Matrix Analogies Test

Naglieri Non-Verbal Abilities Test

Raven’s Progressive and/or Coloured Matrices

Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence

Cognitive Abilities Test

Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test

FREQUENTLY USED ACHIEVEMENT TESTS:

Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills

Iowa Test of Basic Skills

Metropolitan Achievement Test

Peabody Individual Achievement Test

Stanford Achievement Test Services

Terra Nova

Wechsler Individual Achievement Test

Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement

FREQUENTLY USED CREATIVITY, REASONING, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY INSTRUMENTS

Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking

Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students – SAGES

Structure of Intellect-Learning Abilities

Scales for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students

Creativity Assessment Packet (PRO-ED)

Date ______

Dear Parents of ______:

The Fort Osage School District offers a gifted program for identified gifted and academically talented students in grades K-8. Our Talented and Gifted Program (TAG) operates in accordance with district and state guidelines. The following is the criteria for the TAG program.

1.  High achievement test score at or above 95th percentile.

2.  Group intelligence test at or above 95th percentile.

3.  Individual intelligence test score at or above 95th percentile.

4.  Test of Creativity scores of outstanding in 3 out of 4 areas.

Test scores, teacher observation, counselor or principal recommendations and previous grades are also considered in the TAG selection process.

From preliminary screening instruments and observations, we feel that your child may be eligible for this program. At this time, the school counselor or qualified school district examiner would like permission to administer the following tests to determine if your child meets these criteria.

Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students – SAGES 2

Wechsler Intelligence Tests – WISC IV

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Tests

The results of this testing will be shared with you by your child’s counselor. If a recommendation is made for your child’s placement in the TAG program, you will be invited to schedule a conference with the TAG teacher to address any questions.

Please sign and return to proceed with further testing.

Sincerely,

______

School Counselor Parent/Guardian’s Signature

2

Date ______

To the Parents of ______,

Congratulations. Your child has successfully met the guidelines for the Talented and Gifted Program in the Fort Osage School District. Should your qualified student wish to participate in this advanced educational opportunity, please sign below and return this letter to your school counselor.

The Talented and Gifted Program, TAG, will meet one day a week at Indian Trails Elementary School. Your child will be transported by district bus to Indian Trails.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number listed below.

I give permission for ______to be in the TAG program in the Fort Osage School District.

Parent Signature: ______

Sincerely,

Ellen Wright

Elementary Talented and Gifted (TAG) Instructor

650-7682

Date ______

To the Parents of ______,

Congratulations. Your child has successfully met the guidelines for the Talented and Gifted Program in the Fort Osage School District. Should your qualified student wish to participate in this advanced educational opportunity, please sign below and return this letter to your school counselor.