Plan for Identifying and Serving Gifted Students

Plan for Identifying and Serving Gifted Students

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CALHOUN COUNTY SCHOOLS

PLAN FOR IDENTIFYING AND SERVING GIFTED STUDENTS

I. PHILOSOPHY

A. Current State Definition: Intellectually gifted children and youth are those who perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Children and youth possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.

  1. Personal Philosophy: The Calhoun County School System's gifted program includes exploration of topics not ordinarily encompassed in the regular curriculum. Gifted students receive training in cognitive and affective process skills and participate in opportunities for student investigation of real problems. The Calhoun County Gifted Program provides the least restrictive environment and appropriate outlets for meeting the individual needs of students who are exhibiting characteristics such as:
  1. Above average ability
  2. Task commitment
  3. Creative behavior
  1. Non-discriminatory Statement: Gifted students may be found within any race, color, ethnicity, gender, economic class, religion, or nationality. In addition, some students with disabilities may be gifted. The Calhoun County School System shall prohibit discrimination against any student on the above basis with respect to his/her participation in the gifted program.

II. PROGRAM GOALS

Over the next three years, the Calhoun County School System's gifted program will work toward accomplishing the following goals:

A. Goal: To provide ongoing training for all staff on the procedures for

Identifying and referring gifted students.

  • Develop training and assemble handouts to include forms, procedures, etc.
  • Provide ongoing training for the required second grade screening procedures (see attachments).
  • Schedule training annually to update procedures and inform new staff.
  • Implement training.
  • Maintain documentation of training provided.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of training.
  1. Goal: To maintain and expand an enrichment program in schools where

few or no students qualify for gifted services.

  • Search the literature for ideas.
  • Meet with principals to discuss options for meeting this goal.
  • Visit schools with an established program
  • Provide ongoing training for regular classroom teachers on enrichment nomination procedures.

C. Goal: To acquire additional personnel in order to provide the best service

delivery options for gifted students.

  • Write a proposal including the number of schools in the Calhoun County School System and the gifted student/teacher ratio.
  • Submit proposal to the Superintendent of Calhoun County Schools.
  • Determine the number of at-risk gifted students in Calhoun County and provide counseling and/or other appropriate services.
  1. Goal: To develop appropriate service delivery options in order to provide the following grade level clusters: K-3; 4-6; 7-9; 10-12.
  • Research the literature concerning grade level clusters.
  • Visit schools with established clusters.
  • Write a plan to design the program clusters including the number of

teachers, schools, and students.

  • Submit the plan to the Superintendent of Calhoun County Schools for

Board approval.

E. Goal: To identify and serve students in underrepresented populations.

  • Search the literature concerning underrepresented populations and the need for alternate assessments.
  • Provide for the ongoing training of psychometrists in the administration, interpretation, and appropriate use of non-verbal / alternate assessments.
  • Train Gifted Referral Screening Team (GRST) to identify the need for alternate assessments.
  • Train teachers concerning the need to identify and refer students in underrepresented populations.
  • Include the English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in training sessions.
  1. Goal: To establish an advisory team made up of parents, teachers, administrators, students, business leaders, post secondary representatives, etc.

The advisory team will assist in providing and/or locating:

  • Funding/Grant opportunities
  • Academic support
  • Scholarship opportunities
  • Community liaison
  • Time and talent

III. REFERRAL

A. Informing the Public: The Calhoun County Gifted Program will provide a notice to parents and students regarding information about the gifted program. The notice will include information on the definition of gifted, how to refer a student, the basic eligibility criteria (excluding test scores), and persons to contact to make a referral. The methods utilized in order to provide this notice to all parents and students are:

  • A section in the student handbook on special education
  • A brochure describing the policies and procedures of the gifted program
  • A website to inform the public of gifted services and who to contact in the Calhoun County School System
  • Periodic feature articles in the system's newsletter and local newspapers
  • Gifted program representation on the Calhoun County Communication Committee
  1. Gifted Referral Screening Team (GRST): The GRST will consist of atleast three people. Someone knowledgeable of the student and someone knowledgeable of gifted education must be on the team. In the Calhoun County System, these teams are school based and will be made up of the guidance counselor, gifted/enrichment teacher, the referring teacher(s), and an administrator. Duties and responsibilities of this team are to:
  • Receive all referrals.
  • Collect all required information.
  • Schedule meetings in a timely manner to review referrals.
  • Notify parents when child has been referred.
  • Notify parents of team's decision and inform them of their rights.
  • Obtain parental consent for testing when appropriate.
  • Base decisions on multiple criteria; do not exclude any student on the basis of a single test score.
  • Exhibit sensitivity to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences.
  • Make arrangements for any further assessments.
  • Deliver the completed assessment information to the Eligibility Determination Team (EDT).

GRST Responsibilities-Step by Step Instructions:

A guidance counselor in each school is responsible for setting up meetings and for sending and securing necessary paperwork as follows:

1. Upon initial referral, Notification of Referral for Gifted Services form is sent

to the parents for signature.

  1. After receiving the signed Notification of Referral for Gifted Services form, the Referral for Gifted Services Form and the Aptitude Test Selection Form are given to the student's teacher for completion.
  1. Teacher(s) of the student supply the following information to the GRST:
  1. OLSAT scores
  2. Achievement Test Scores---SAT-9
  3. Grades from last full semester--in academic subjects only
  4. Products/Work Samples/Portfolios---any work sample that is considered by the teacher(s) to be of an exceptionally high level of creativity. Such work may include creative writing sample, art project, and teacher documentation of ability in dance, drama, and/or public speaking, for example. (DO NOT include 100's or A's on tests.)
  5. The GES or other LEA approved gifted behavior rating scale is completed by the student's teacher(s) with input from other persons knowledgeable of the student.
  1. GRST determines:
  1. To accept the referral based on information received,
  • Send Consent to Evaluate for Gifted and
  • Rights in Gifted Education
  1. Not to accept the referral, or
  2. That there is a need for additional information such as the results of an individual screening instrument (Slosson-R).
  • Parents are informed of the GRST decision. Forms to be used are as follows:
  • NO Notification of Gifted Referral Team Decision
  • YESConsent to Evaluate for Gifted and Rights in Gifted Education
  1. After receiving a signed Consent to Evaluate for Gifted form and signed Rights in Gifted Education, the student's vision and hearing are to be checked.
  1. Gifted teacher receives referral and all necessary paperwork from GRST contact person.

7.Gifted teacher advances referral to Eligibility Determination Team.

8. Tracking logs for each school are kept up to date by the gifted teachers. On a monthly basis, tracking logs are transferred to the special education secretary, Peggy Dabbs, who maintains the master Gifted Referral Tracking Log for the System.

C. Screening Criteria: The Calhoun County Gifted Program has established criteria for screening gifted referrals. The specific information to be gathered will include:

  • OLSAT Scores
  • Achievement Test Scores---SAT-9
  • Grades from last full semester--in academic subjects only.
  • Products/Work Samples/Portfolios--any work sample that is considered by the teacher(s) to be of an exceptionally high level of creativity. Such work may include creative writing sample, art project, and teacher documentation of ability in dance, drama, and/or public speaking, for example. (DO NOT include 100's or A's on tests.)
  • The GES or other LEA approved gifted behavior rating scale is completed by the student's teacher(s) with input from other persons knowledgeable of the student.

The professional judgement of the GRST members will be utilized to evaluate the specific information. The specific information will be evaluated by the guidelines as set up for the GRST. No single item reviewed is used to exclude a student. All information gathered is evaluated using a multi-criteria method. If a consensus is not reached by the GRST, the specific information will be reviewed by the EDT. Due to the lack of standardized test scores and grades, different criteria has been established for K-2nd grade students. For these students, all work samples/products are reviewed based upon age appropriate criteria.

  1. Evaluation
  1. Assurance Statement: The LEA's intent is to select and administer tests and evaluate materials that are sensitive to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences and that are appropriate for special populations such as the sensory impaired, LEP, or physically impaired student.

B. Aptitude Test Selection Form: The purpose of the Aptitude Test Selection

Form is to assist the GRST in determining if a student is a candidate for an

assessment other than the traditional WISC-III or SB-IV. The team must

use professional judgement to determine the extent of any checked items on

the form so that tests/evaluative materials selected and administered can be

sensitive to certain issues.

  1. Eligibility: The Eligibility Determination Team (EDT) is a central office-based

team whose responsibility is to implement the procedures to determine eligibility

of students for gifted services. The EDT will consist of someone knowledgeable about the student being assessed, someone knowledgeable about gifted students in general, and someone able to interpret the assessment information gathered. In the Calhoun County System, this team will be made of the Coordinator of Gifted Services, and at least two teachers of the gifted. In certain cases, a certified psychometrist will be asked to attend the EDT meeting.

A. Duties and Responsibilities of the EDT:

  • Determine if all assessment information has been gathered by the GRST: vision/hearing screening, aptitude/creativity test scores, behavior rating scale for gifted, and three of the following: achievement test scores, product, portfolio, work sample, or grades from the last semester.
  • Complete the eligibility determination process according to the Directions for Determining Eligibility for Gifted Students.
  • Inform parents of the decision and of their rights. If eligible, include a Consent For Placement form.
  • If eligible, inform the teacher of the gifted; if ineligible, inform the person who referred the student (if other than the parent).
  • Exhibit sensitivity to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic difference.
  1. Eligibility Determination Team Step by Step Instructions: Directions for Determining Eligibility for Gifted Students Using the Matrix.
  1. Fill in all of the personal data in the top box.
  1. Note the date and results of vision and hearing screening in the spaces provided.
  1. Consider Automatic Eligibility first. Test scores to consider at this

point are:

  • Individually administered tests of intelligence that are considered appropriate for making placement decisions (as opposed to a test that is considered a screening instrument). Use only the composite or full scale score at this point. The obtained score must be two standard deviations above the mean or higher. If standard error of measurement must be considered to include the needed score, then the matrix must be applied. Only obtained scores at the required level are acceptable here.

OR

  • A Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (Figural of Verbal) with a Verbal Average Standard Score of Figural Creativity Index at or above the 97th national percentile.
  1. If the scores meet the Automatic Eligibility criteria, then go to the bottom

of the form and date, check the decision, and sign. If the scores do not meet the Automatic Eligibility criteria, then proceed with the matrix.

  1. The matrix requires information in all three areas. The highest applicable

score should be applied to each area.

  • Aptitude--You may use individual tests or group tests, screeners, or placement instruments. You may use full-scale or composite scores, or next level sub-composite scores such as the Verbal Scale or Performance Scale on the WISC-III. The team should make sure that an appropriate assessment instrument was administered according to the decision noted on the Aptitude Test Selection Form.
  • Characteristics--Examine the sub-scale scores of the behavior rating scale that was administered. Leadership or Motivation scores may be used here or in the Performance area but not in both.
  • Performance--Three items are required for this area. Use the Performance Area Scoring Criteria charts/rubric to determine points. Products/Portfolios/Work Samples may come from home or school. Achievement Test Scores can be from any standardized achievement test, group or individually administered. Acceptable scores are Total Battery, Total Language, Total Reading, or Total Math. Grades should be from the last full semester. If grades are reported in a format other than "A, B, C" and can be converted to a similar point system, then they may be used. If they cannot be converted to a point system, then they may not be used.
  • Average the three scores, and multiply that number by two to get the points earned for the Performance area.
  1. Record the points earned for each area on the matrix. Total the points earned in all three areas, and record the total in the space provided. If the student earned 17 or more points, then she/he should be determined eligible for gifted services.

7. Team members should enter the date in the space provided, note the team's

decision and sign the form to show either agreement or disagreement with

the decision. Dissenting members should attach their reason(s) to the form.

  1. Service Delivery Options

Teachers of the gifted work itinerantly, traveling to each school to provide services on a resource basis. Because of the size and number of schools served in this system, a variety of service delivery options are available.

Elementary students (K-6) are served a minimum of two hours per week. High school students (7-12) are served twice a month for two class periods on a rotating schedule.

Individualized services typically written into elementary (K-6) GEP's include but are not limited to:

  • Subject acceleration; for example a fifth grade student taking math in a sixth grade classroom.
  • Curriculum compacting
  • Independent study
  • Alternate assignments

Individualized services typically written into high school (7-12) GEP's include but are not limited to:

  • Subject acceleration; for example a fifth grade student taking math in a sixth grade classroom.
  • Curriculum compacting
  • Independent projects
  • Alternate assignments
  • Dual Enrollment
  • Mentorships
  • Correspondence courses

Every effort is made to ensure that services to all students at each grade level or grade level cluster are of comparable quality and duration.

Differentiated curriculum offerings are provided for the students in individual GEP's. The group goals for the Calhoun County Gifted Program are as follows:

  • Creative Writing: The student will be involved in creative writing activities including stories, plays, poems, etc.
  • Creativity: The student will be involved in creative activities to stimulate the imagination.
  • Independent Study: The student will research and complete a study or develop a project in an interest area.
  • Multiple Talents: The student will be involved in the areas of productive thinking, forecasting, decision making, planning, and communication.
  • Creative Art and Music: The student will be involved in activities, which will foster the development of a positive attitude toward creative arts and music.
  • Individualized Interests: The student will have opportunities to investigate his/her areas of interest.
  • Leadership: The student will participate in activities that will enhance leadership abilities.
  • Self-image: The student will be provided with opportunities to develop critical thinking skills.
  • Critical Thinking: The student will be involved in the development of critical thinking skills.
  • Computer Science: The student will participate in a variety of computer activities.
  • Field Trips: The student will participate in various trips according to class units of study.
  1. Grievance Procedures

The purpose of this procedure is to provide an avenue whereby a student or employee may complain of harassment, discrimination, or other illegal treatment. This procedure is intended to resolve equitability, at the lowest possible administrative level, claims or complaints relating to discrimination or harassment because of race, sex religion, national origin, age, or disability, or other deprivation of a person’s legal rights, against employees and/or students of the Calhoun County School System.

  1. DEFINITION

A complaint/grievance procedure is a description of the systematic process by which a person may seek to correct what the person considers to be an injustice or deprivation of a right.

NOTE: A COMPLAINT/GRIEVANCE FOR WHICH A REMEDY IS AVAILABLE UNDER THIS PROCEDURE SHALL INVOLVE A CLAIM THAT A LEGAL RIGHT HAS BEEN VIOLATED OR THAT A PERSON HAS BEEN TREATED ILLEGALLY OR UNJUSTLY. THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT INTENDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF AIRING “Gripes” or objections to system policy, which are best handled through other avenues.

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