Kindergarten Selection Process for the DISD Gifted Program

State Requirements Students in grades K-12 shall be assessed and if identified, provided services. Students are assessed in languages they understand or with nonverbal tests.

State Requirements At the Kindergarten level, as many criteria as possible, and at least three are used to assess students who perform at remarkably high levels of accomplishment relative to age peers.

State Requirements Data and procedures assure that all populations of the district have access to assessment and if identified, services offered as part of the program for gifted students.

State Requirements Final selection of students for services designed for gifted students is made by a committee of at least three local district or campus educators who have received training in the nature and needs of gifted students.

DISD G/T Program Design All identified Kindergarten students are served in the regular classroom with acceleration provided. All DISD Kindergarten teachers are certified with 30-hours of training in education of the gifted.

DISD G/T Program Design G/T students in grades 1-5 are clustered in classrooms with other G/T students and served with acceleration by teachers who are certified with 30-hours of training in education of gifted students.

DISD G/T Program Design Students in grades 6-12 are served in the Pre-AP and Advanced Placement program by teachers who are G/T certified.

Kindergarten G/T Selection Curriculum Specialists on each elementary campus meet with Kindergarten teachers to discuss the nomination and selection process.

Kindergarten G/T Selection Begin the Kindergarten screening process. All Kindergarten students in DISD are administered critical thinking and analytical thinking activities in their regular classrooms.

Kindergarten G/T Selection Screening Committee meets to select students for second level of testing. Consider screening instruments. Consider mid-year math and reading benchmark scores. Consider teacher observations and parent nomination forms.

Kindergarten G/T Selection Parent letters are sent after the screening process is completed. Students who pass the screening are tested in small groups with the Cognitive Abilities Test. Cognitive Abilities Tests are sent for scoring.

Kindergarten G/T Selection District selection committee meets in February to select new Kindergarten G/T students. Parents letters are sent after the identification process is completed.

Kindergarten G/T Selection Identified Kindergarten students are served beginning March 1, (3-5% of the Kindergarten students in DISD)

Kindergarten G/T Selection Considerations Critical thinking and analytical thinking screening instruments Teacher observation forms Parent nomination forms Mid-year math and reading benchmark scores TPRI results from January testing Cognitive Abilities Test scores

Questions