Francesca DiMaggio

EPSY 5930 Screening, Assessing and Evaluating

Gifted Students
Gifted Handbook
May 2015

Gifted Education Handbook

Table of Contents
1.
Introduction What is giftedness?
2.
State of Missouri definition for gifted
3.
Common signs/behaviors of a gifted
learner
4.
Important dates
5.
Screening process
6.
Nomination process
7.
Gifted Matrix description / Evaluation
process
8.
Formal assessment used
9.
Gifted programming
10. Frequently Asked Questions

1. Introduction - What is giftedness?

Giftedness doesnt have a specific look. It fits the individual that carries the term.
You may not even know that individual has such talents, they may be hidden from

the human eye. When compared to their peers, these young individuals possess
talents that display much higher performances than the average child. These
talents can be seen through their intelligence, artistic abilities, creativity and
achievement in various academics. A gifted student far exceeds those expected
abilities with their regular education peers, which provides evidence that they need
teaching / lessons/ activities and services different from their general education
peers to fully meet their potential. These talents may be hidden, but if these
students arent pushed, if they arent encouraged, if they arent noticed then these
talents cannot manifest. It is important to search from the young Mozart, the young
Monet, the next Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, even the next Beyonc in your group of
students, but without recognizing that these students benefit from more than just
their general education classes can offer, they are held back and not allowed to
blossom into the gifted and talented individuals that they are. These students are
quite unique and their uniqueness needs to be celebrated.

2. State of Missouri definition for giftedness:

Gifted children, children who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity
and learning potential as determined by competent professional evaluation to the
extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could best be served by
an academic environment beyond that offered through a standard grade-level
curriculum. (Missouri Rev. Stat. 162.675)

3. Common signs / behaviors of a gifted learner

(Taken from Identifying Gifted Students: a practical guide by Susan K. Johnsen)

Advanced vocabulary
Advanced communication skills

Learns information quickly

Finds and solves difficult and unusual problems
Wants to learn and is curious
Observes relationships and sees connections
Has hobbies and interests in specific academic fields
Is self-motivated
Examines and recalls details
Reads widely in an academic field
Analyzes problems and considers alternatives
Visualizes images and translates them into other forms
Has good memory
Solves problems quickly
Can reverse steps to problem solving strategies
Organizes their ideas before speaking or writing
Engages in intellectual play
Is original and creative
Likes independent study
Pays attention to details
Is a risk taker
Is confident
Has a sense of humor
Is aware of their own creativity
Is reflective
Practices their artistic talent without being told
Strives to improve artistic skills
Shows interests in others who are artistic
Sets high standards for themselves
Elaborates on detail
Likes storytelling
Likes listening / creating music
Is well-organized
Is highly responsible
Can maintain focus to a task
Influences the behavior of others
Has a cooperative attitude
Becomes bored with routine
Is concerned about whats right and wrong
Is a perfectionist

*Some gifted learners may even display behavioral issues in the general education
classroom, because they are not able to fully use their developed talents and intellect.

4. Screener / Nomination / Evaluation Dates

Screener dates:
Last week of September 2nd grade
First week of October 6th grade
Second week of October 9th grade
Nomination dates:

Students can be nominated bi-yearly during these two nomination windows.

- The month of November
- The month of April
Evaluation dates:
Students will be evaluated twice a year for gifted programming
- Evaluations and gifted eligibility meetings will be administered and held in
late August/early September and in December/January
5. Screening Process

Screening will occur annually during the months of September and

October in grades 2, 6 and 9. The students will be administered the Cog AT.
The screener will take approximately 30 minutes for the student to complete
in their general education classroom. This screener will assess 3 areas:
picture/verbal analogies, number analogies and figure matrices.
Those students scoring in the 85th percentile or better (percentiles between
the 25th and 75th percentile fall within the average range of normative
expectations. Percentiles indicate that your student has performed better than ___
% of students in the comparison group, which is children their age nation-wide),

will receive letters indicating their performance on the screener and the
districts interest in the student for gifted programming. Students who are
not in these three grade levels can also be nominated bi-yearly through the
nomination process and parents will be notified when their child will be
screened.
After initial screeners, parent permission will be obtained and an additional
assessment will be given at this time to indicate if the student meets the
district criteria to qualify for the districts gifted programming (students
scoring 95th percentile or higher). This will be obtained using the Stanford
Binet 5th Edition along with the other criteria listed in the gifted Matrix.

6. Nomination Process
A student can be nominated bi-yearly during the nomination window by
completing a nomination sheet which can be obtained from the districts
gifted coordinator. A parent can do this if there student in not in one of the
grades screened or does not agree with the score their child received on the
screener.

Who can nominate?

Nominations for students can be made by parents, teachers, staff, students
and any member of the community who knows the students abilities well.
Nominations will be accepted twice a year during the designated nomination
times listed on the school calendar. Prior to making nominations however,
the district will provide a snapshot of what a gifted learner looks like (look
above in section 3 of the handbook). This information can also be found
through the districts website. Nominations will be made by completing a
district nomination sheet that details those areas listed where the nominator
sees gifted qualities in their nomination. Parent permission will be required
for any screening or assessment after the nomination.

7. Gifted Matrix / Evaluation Process

If the student meets the criteria from the screener, formal evaluation will
begin. Data will be collected on the student in four areas: IQ (Mental
Abilities), Achievement, Creativity and Motivation. The student needs to
qualify by receiving at least 15 points in the collected four areas to receive
gifted services.
A glimpse at the four areas:
Area

Criteria

IQ Mental Abilities

Achievement

Creativity

Motivation

Stanford Binet Fifth Edition

The student must have a FSIQ
of 120 or higher to meet the
criteria in this area.
The following criteria will be looked at
in the area of achievement:
State testing scores (MAP
/PLAN/ EXPLORE/ ACT)
District tests (STAR / Study
Island / USA Test Prep)
For grades K-3 district tests as
well as district CBMs and
classroom assessments will be
looked at.
Creativity will be assessed through
use of a creativity assessment The
Torrance Test of Creative Thinking
TTCT
Student work can also be presented
in this area that is related to skills
that display creativity (originality,
elaboration, visualization,
storytelling, expressiveness, etc)
-Behavioral rating scales will be
collected from parent, teacher and
student.
-Student grades will also be looked at
for this area.
Student observations will also be
collected and a student interview will
be completed.

The school psychologist for the district will administer the Intelligence
Assessment, while the Gifted Education Coordinator and gifted staff will
collected the other data for the three other areas of criteria needed.

Once all information has been collected, if the student meets the criteria, 15
points (5 points are available in each of four areas), their parents will be
notified and the gifted committee will meet to determine what placement in
the gifted program is deemed necessary for the student. The meeting will be
held during the evaluation period that consists of: the student,
parent/guardian, general education teachers, gifted coordinator, and building
administration.
8. Description of the formal assessment used - Stanford-Binet
Fifth Edition
The SB5 is the newest version of the father of intelligence tests the
Stanford-Binet; it is based on the CHC-Theory (Cattell-Horn-Carroll) thats
based on a hierarchical cognitive model of intellectual abilities. Based on this
theory, the SB5 focuses on 5 cognitive factors: fluid reasoning, knowledge
(crystallized ability), quantitative reasoning, visual-spatial ability and working
memory. All of these factors are measured with both non-verbal and verbal
subtests. The entire assessment gives an equal balance of both nonverbal
and verbal tests items by having each factor contain a subtest for both
verbal and nonverbal, so there is a total of 10 subtests in this assessment.
The assessment then yields three overall scores: Verbal IQ (VIQ) and
Nonverbal IQ (NVIQ), and a Full Scale IQ (FSIQ).
The SB5 has many advantages; this is in fact why this intelligence test
was chosen by our district. Some pros: it covers a wide age range 2-85+
years, it is normed with a diverse population-so it is appropriate for racially
and culturally diverse groups as well as students with disabilities, the nonverbal components do not limit any individuals taking the assessment and
gives them a bigger sense of confidence, the test also includes colorful toys,
blocks and illustrations that are appealing to the test taker and the biggest
pro the test easily identifies gifted learners! Scores for the SB5 fall
between an IQ of 40 to 160. This test will provide the district with an overall
learning profile of our student. We acknowledge that more data needs to be
collected to truly determine an individuals level of intelligence, but this
assessment will stand as the criteria for the intelligence portion in the
districts matrix.

9. Gifted Programming

Ability Grouping inside and between same grade level classes

within the same school building, this will occur across all grade
levels K-12 this occurs in the general education classroom. Gifted
students will be grouped together for various academic area
assignments/projects. They can be able to use advance materials and
perform higher level thinking tasks that challenge and motivate them.
This also promotes social skills with peers in the gifted program. This
programming will work best for the gifted student who feels
comfortable in the general education classroom and would be more
successful completing assignments in the same classroom / on the
same topic as their regular education peers.

Pull out programming district wide - gifted students in grades

1 - 8 will be removed from their classrooms two afternoons
weekly, grade levels can be combined 1-4 and 5-8. During this
period of time, they will work with other gifted students from the
district. In this pull-out program, students will be working with specific
gifted curriculum and taught/lead by a gifted education specialist. This
allows gifted students throughout the district to work together and
create friendships that may not occur naturally because they are not in
the same classrooms. The gifted education specialist will work with the
general education teacher to determine appropriate times for gifted
pull-out.

High School Students Dual Enrollment / AP Classes High

school students in the gifted program will be allowed to seek dual
enrollment with the local university that partners with the district so
students can work on college credits after their required high school
credits are acquired in core academic areas. Students in high school
are also given the opportunity to choose electives of interest that may
reflect the areas that the students qualified as gifted in.

*** Based on the students performance in the general education setting, the level of gifted
instruction will be determined following an RTI model. Those students that benefit from more
intensive one-on-one instruction will be placed in smaller groups in the pull-out program,
while those that excel in the general education setting and enjoy working on

advanced/higher-level/more creative assignments based on curriculum in the class will get

more specialized gifted support in the general education setting.

10.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is done for students who are ELLs or diverse learners or students
with disabilities?

Students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), diverse learners and those
who may have disabilities also are considered for gifted programming. Those who
are ELL, through information from both their general education and ELL teachers,
along with their parents, additional information can be gathered to help see if the
criteria are present for the student to qualify for gifted education.
It is best to know how proficient that student is with the English language, and then
the appropriate test measures can be in place. If a student has limited English
proficiency, the verbal portions of the IQ test should not be considered. Student
work, parent/student interviews and the students performance and abilities in their
own culture should be considered.
Teachers will also be presented with information that can identify criteria to look for
in diverse learners that may reflect gifted abilities in those students. This
information can also be obtained through the district office so parents can also be
aware of some examples of the observed behaviors.
For students with disabilities, IQ information can immediately be obtained through
their special education evaluation records, if this information seems invalid, more
testing can be completed. Both general education and special education teachers
will be consulted for the students abilities in the areas assessed. Teachers will also
be provided with examples of behaviors that a special education student may
display that could classify them as having gifted abilities in a certain area.

How many times can my child be assessed for gifted education?

Your child has the opportunity to complete the gifted assessment screener
during their 2nd, 6th and 9th grade year. A parent can also nominate their child yearly.
If they nominate their child yearly and they have previously been formally assessed
in the past two years, that IQ testing will be used for the criteria in the IQ portion of
the matrix. A district will not test a student more than once, every two years of their
schooling. The other criteria may/may not increase in matrix points; however the
intelligence information will remain the same for two school years.

Do you accept outside agencies IQ testing?

The parent or guardian has the option of seeking private testing outside of the
school district. The school district has recommendations for private testing, which
can be obtained through The Student Support Services Office or the Gifted
Education Coordinator. If a parent/guardian has had private testing completed and
wants to provide that for the IQ criteria in the matrix, the IQ testing must have been
completed in the past year. It will not be accepted if it was completed before one
year ago.

Does the district offer grade-skipping as a form of gifted programming?

The district will consider grade skipping if your child is performing two or
more grade levels higher than their age-assigned grade. However, the district often
discourages this idea due to the disadvantages the child may face socially. In this
case, your child will socially be behind their general education peers, which may
cause behavioral issues for the student. If the idea of grade skipping is presented, it
will be a team decision which would include: the parent/guardian, student, general
education teachers, gifted coordinator and school administration.

How many students qualify for gifted education?

The district qualifies 5-10% of the student population for gifted education.

What is the typical class size for the gifted pull out program?

The typical pull-out class will range in size, from as little as 5 students to a
maximum of 15 students.

Sources:

Becker, K.A. (2003). History of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence scales: Content and
psychometrics. (Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition Assessment Service
Bulletin No.1). Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.
Intelligence and Aptitude: Stanford-Binet Intelligence ScalesFifth Edition (SB-5)
Complete Test Kit with Carrying Case. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from
http://www.proedinc.com/customer/ProductView.aspx?ID=4615
Johnsen, S. (2004). Chapter 4: Technical Information Regarding Assessment.
Identifying gifted students: A practical guide. Waco, Texas: Prufrock Press.
Riverside Publishing - Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5). (n.d.). Retrieved April
21, 2015, from http://www.riverpub.com/products/sb5/details.html
Roid, G., Shaughnessy, M., & Greathouse, D. (2005). Interview - Intelligence Tests.
North American Journal of Psychology, 7(3).
Ruf, D. L. (2003). Use of the SB5 in the Assessment of High Abilities. (Stanford-Binet
Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition Assessment Service Bulletin No. 3). Itasca, IL:
Riverside Publishing
STOCKDALE ISD GIFTED & TALENTED EDUCATION PLAN III. (2011, May 9). Retrieved
March 30, 2015, from
http://www.stockdaleisd.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/48f762c272927/GT PLAN
Board Approved 5-9-11.pdf
Smith, F. (n.d.). The Advantages of Using the Stanford-Binet Version 5 When
Assessing Gifted Individuals. Retrieved April 21, 2015, from
http://nswagtc.org.au/images/stories/infocentre/smith_stanfordbinet5.pdf
Webster Groves Gifted and Talented Program. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.webster.k12.mo.us/pages/WGSD/Departments/Curriculum/Gifted