District Contact Information
Tim Conley, Gifted Intervention Specialist
740-778-2320
School District Policy
for the Identification of and Services for
STudents Who Are Gifted
Information for Parents
Bloom-Vernon Local School District
August 2016
IDENTIFICATION
The District follows the identification eligibility criteria as specified in the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Rule for the Identification and Services for Children Who Are Gifted as specified in the plan.
The District identifies children of the District, in grades kindergarten through 12, who may be gifted in one or more of the following areas:
- superior cognitive ability;
- specific academic ability in one or more of the following content areas:
- Mathematics;
- Science;
- Reading, writing or a combination of these skills;
- and/or Social studies;
- creative thinking ability;
- and/or visual or performing arts ability such as drawing, painting, sculpting, music, dance or drama.
The District uses only those instruments approved by the Ohio Department of Education for screening, assessment and identification of children who are gifted as provided in the Assessment Instruments for the Identification of Children Who Are Gifted. Parents will receive their child’s test results within thirty days of receipt by the district.
The District accepts scores on assessment instruments approved for use by the Ohio Department of Education provided by other school districts and trained personnel outside the school district. The District will review the transcripts of transferred students to determine the placement of students in appropriate programs and services.
The District's plan may provide for the District to contract with any qualified public or private service provider to provide screening or assessment services under the plan.
Copies of the District’s Gifted Education plan are available in the principal/guidance offices of each building.
Disagreements between parents and the District concerning identification should be appealed in writing to the principal. If the disagreement cannot be settled, a written appeal may be submitted to the local Superintendent.
SERVICES
The District uses a three-part approach to screen and assess students who perform or show potential for performing at high levels of accomplishment in the areas of superior cognitive ability, specific academic ability,creativity and visual/performing arts.
The pre-assessment part of the process involves gathering student data from whole group approved assessments and recommendations from teacher, parent and peer nominations, grades, portfolios and outstanding products or performances, proficiency and standardized scores. All students are involved in the pre-assessment pool.
Screening would be the second step of the identification process. At the Kindergarten level a teacher checklist would be used to identify students in the four talent areas mentioned above. A nationally normed achievement battery and/or a cognitive ability test would be administered to every student at least every other year.
The assessment strategies provide additional data necessary for an identification decision. Those students scoring at the 95th percentile or above on the group achievement battery and/or scoring at or above the gifted identification cutoff score provided by the Ohio Department of Education on the ability test will be identified as gifted in the superior cognitive or specific academic areas. Students who score at the 94th percentile or one (1) point below the gifted identification cutoff score provided by the Ohio Department of Education may be offered an alternate ability/achievement test on their request. An acceptable score as outlined above on the second assessment test will identify these students in the area of superior cognitive ability or specific academic areas.
Students will receive further assessment with a creativity checklist approved by the Ohio Department of Education. Students meeting the prescribed cutoff score will be identified as having creative thinking ability.
Students who demonstrate outstanding performance in the visual/performing arts will also be further assessed with a checklist of behaviors related to a specific arts area. Students who meet the prescribed state criteria score will be identified as having talent in the visual/performing arts area.
Any student in any of the four talent areas may be nominated by parent, teacher or peer to participate in the assessment process. Referral forms may be found in the principal and guidance offices.
The sources of assessment data include test instruments and checklists from the approved identification O.D.E. list (for a complete copy of the list see the gifted coordinator or principal). Data may also be gathered from student’s permanent record files, achievement test scores and parent, teacher and peer nominations.
All students will be assured equal access to the screening and assessment process. All students will be considered in the pre-assessment stage. Many students will take the standardized test battery and may be identified or qualify for further testing. In special situations, after a written request, tests from the state-approved list may be used to assess minority students, disadvantaged students, children with disabilities and ESL students. Any student who is identified as gifted will have equal opportunity to receive any service offered by the District.
Students may withdraw from the gifted program at any time. Parents must sign a form indicating their child no longer wishes to participate. Before withdrawal occurs, school officials will meet with the parents and student to try to determine the reason for withdrawal. School officials will try to solve the problem, thus preventing the withdrawal.
Reassessment of students will occur if they meet screening cutoff scores previously mentioned. These reassessments would occur following parent request for further assessment. Whole-group test data would be screened to determine students' eligibility for further testing. Any student transferring into the District may, by written request, enter the assessment process. Upon receipt of a written request, a student will be assessed within 90 days.
The Bloom-Vernon Schools currently serves gifted students through the following educational options:
- Advanced Placement - AP classes are college-level courses taught in high school by trained high school teachers. AP classes provide a greater challenge and college credit.
- Dual Enrollment Opportunities including but not limited to Post Secondary Enrollment Options and online/blended learning opportunities - Students take college courses while they are enrolled in high school in order to receive both high school and college credit.
- Independent Studies with a Gifted Intervention Specialist - Identified gifted students are provided with a special classroom on a regular basis for differentiated instruction provided by a specially trained teacher. Students participate in approved projects in order to enrich their education.
- Grade Acceleration - Allows a qualified student to skip an entire grade level.
- Early Entrance - An acceleration strategy that accommodates gifted children’s high energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, imagination, and intellectual needs to investigate, observe, and examine.
- Early Graduation - A gifted student is permitted, if necessary requirements are met, to enter college on a full-time basis.
- Differentiated Instruction in a regular classroom setting
Disagreements between parents and the District concerning placement should be appealed in writing to the principal. If the disagreement cannot be settled, a written appeal may be submitted to the local Superintendent.
WRITTEN EDUCATION PLANS
Parents will receive a WEP after their child is identified. Each student is to have a WEP identifying the student’s:
- Area of giftedness
- Interests and learning styles (determined from student inventory)
- Present levels of academic and social/emotional functioning (determined by various testing and performance measures)
- Annual goals (determined in conjunction with parent)
Each student’s WEP will also provide the following information:
- Policy for waiver and scheduling of tests (Student Handbook)
- Progress monitoring methods
- Personnel responsible for service
- Signature of parent
- Parents will be given a copy of the District Policy and Assessment Procedures