Identification

Identification is an on-going process and students may be recommended for the program at any grade level and at any time during the school year.  The goal of identification is to recognize students with unusual talents and abilities for the purpose of including them in programs that will meet their unique educational needs.  Multiple identification measures will be used in each of the categories of Standard (t).  The general procedure follows:

1.   Members of the gifted education department will provide school personnel with an overview of identification procedures for the gifted education program.

2.   Gifted education brochures are available to any community member.  This brochure includes characteristics, brief explanation, and identification procedures at the beginning of each school year.

3.   A child can be recommended by any of the following methods:

a.   Nominations (Teachers, parents, students)
b.   Checklists (Teachers, parents, students)
c.   Products
d.  Test Data
e.  Performance
f.   Developmental Data
g.  Portfolios
h.  Other

4.   Students recognized as possessing unique talents will be part of the Gifted Education Talent Pool.

5.   School personnel will then review and evaluate the recommended student's data and analyze the student's gifted characteristics to determine the most appropriate instructional response.

6.   If necessary, a member of the professional staff will administer additional tests or questionnaires, request completion of checklists and, in general, gather as much data as possible regarding the student's abilities, skills, motivation, learning styles and interests.  A letter may be sent to parents when appropriate regarding additional testing.

7.   After the assessment is complete, gifted education personnel will make appropriate recommendations regarding gifted education programming needs for the student in the regular school program and, if necessary, in experiences beyond the regular program.  Identification and programming are necessarily linked.

8.   At this point in the process the gifted education personnel will send a letter to parents informing them of their child's need for gifted education programming in school.  This letter will state the child's area(s) of giftedness and resulting needs for educational programming modifications.

9.   When a student is offered the option of participating in an activity, unit, course, team, or other opportunity beyond the regular school program; members of the professional staff will communicate this information to the student's parents.

10.  After a student has been assessed and his/her talent and needs identified, a Gifted Education Student Assessment form outlining the data will be placed in the student's cumulative folder.

11.  At the beginning of each school year, classroom teachers will receive a listing of their students who have been recognized as possessing special gifts or talents, their area/s of particular strength.

12.  A record of participation for each recommended child will be kept, indicating specific area of giftedness and types of   programming interventions that were provided.

Programming
State Standard (t)

Each school board shall provide access to an appropriate program for pupils identified as gifted and talented in each of the following categories:

Intellectual Ability
Specific Academic Ability
Creative Ability
Artistic Ability
Leadership Ability

Multiple criteria for the identification of gifted and talented pupils shall be used including intelligence, achievement, leadership, creativity product, evaluations, and nominations. A pupil may be identified as gifted and talented in one or more of the categories. The school board shall provide access, without charge for tuition, to appropriate, systematic, and continuous K-12 programs that expand the development of pupils identified as gifted and talented as required by state statute.  The school board shall provide an opportunity for parental participation in the planning of the proposed program.

The Gifted Education Program
The Gifted Education Program is a district-wide program which provides for a variety of learning experiences designed to extend and enrich the development of K-12 students who show evidence of high potential in the artistic, creative, leadership, intellectual or academic areas. The majority of opportunities are offered during the regular school day. At times, students will be encouraged to participate in voluntary enrichment activities outside the regular school day.

Programming Offered to Meet the Educational 
Needs of Gifted Students

The regular classroom: Teachers make modification of lessons, activities and content to provide gifted learners with challenging educational opportunities. This may be done through curriculum compacting, flexible grouping, teaching thinking skills, or through flexible pacing.

Beyond the regular classroom:                      

·    Advanced placement or enrichment courses designed to meet the needs of gifted learners.

·    Pull-out extension units, seminars or enrichment lessons.

·    Classes and opportunities outside regular school hours.

·    Individualized programs for highly gifted students.