Identification and Assessment of Gifted and Talented Students Hope Pierce Gifted and Talented Coordinator Ashdown School District Fall 2014 Adapted from a presentation created by Terilyn Moore, GT Program Coodinator, Comal ISD; November 2012

According to the Program Approval Standards for the Gifted and Talented, the Arkansas Department of Education defines a gifted/talented student as… …“those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services. …will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability, task commitment and /or motivation, and creative ability.”

…between 3% and 5% of the student population is gifted/talented. Statistically… …between 3% and 5% of the student population is gifted/talented.

Purpose of Identification To diagnose educational needs To correlate educational services to a student’s individual needs NOT to label STUDENT’S NEEDS DISTRICT’S SERVICES

Success isn’t about labels; it’s about learning. Dr. Carole S Success isn’t about labels; it’s about learning! Dr. Carole S. Dweck - Mindset

Identification Procedures Referral Teacher, Parent, Self, Community G/T Testing Achievement Assessment Selection Committee (Blind Identification) Notification of Placement in Services

Parent Permission to Screen Assessment / Screening Parent Permission to Screen Qualitative Quantitative Student placement decisions are based on multiple criteria. Subjective Sources Objective Sources

Assessment / Screening Quantitative Test of Cognitive Skills Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test (NNAT 2) Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) **As of 2014, we only use the Test of Cognitive Skills, but I am looking to add a second assessment. Qualitative KOI Portfolio Assessment HOPE Scale Grade Point Average No single criterion or cut-off score is used to include or exclude a student. ARGT Rule 7.05

Average Range: 85 – 115 Roughly 70% of scores Mildly Gifted: 115 – 130 Roughly 25% of scores Moderately Gifted: 130 – 145 Roughly 3% of scores Highly Gifted: 145 – 160 Roughly 1% of scores Exceptionally Gifted: 160 – 180 Profoundly Gifted: 180+

Parent Permission to Participate Placement Placement is made by committee. GT Placement Committee member must be comprised of at least five members, chaired by a trained specialist in gifted education. The Placement Committee makes a decision for placement based on the DATA collected. (Matrix, profiles, test scores, portfolio, etc.) NOT PLACED at this time PLACED Option to Appeal Parent Permission to Participate

Pre-AP / AP / Dual Credit Participation Elementary Middle School High School Differentiation Differentiation Differentiation Pull-out Pre-AP Pre-AP / AP / Dual Credit GT Seminar GT Seminar

Examples of Assessment Items 3rd Grade CogAT Verbal analogy: ring  finger : watch  ____ time b. gold c. hands d. clock e. wrist Quantitative Relations: The number of sides of a triangle The number of sides of a square I is greater than II I is less than II I is equal to II

Examples of Assessment Items 3rd Grade CogAT Sentence Completion: The town kept its special records at the library in acid-free folders that ______ the paper from rotting. covered prevented removed contained maintained

Examples of Assessment Items 3rd Grade CogAT Number Series: 2 3 5 6 8  7 b. 8 c. 9 d. 10 e. 11 Equation Building: 1 2 3 + - a. 1 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5 e. 7

Examples of Assessment Items 3rd Grade CogAT Figure Classification: a. b. c. d. e.

Who Are the Gifted? What Do they Look Like?

Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 1: The Successful Student Successful Students are most often identified early. Liked by adults and peers School is easy Know how to “work the system” May secretly crave challenge, but seldom seek it Grade conscious At risk for not achieving potential

Six Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 2: The Challenging Student Challenging Students tend to appear in middle school. Not typically identified in elementary The system doesn’t meet their needs Often frustrated, even resentful Think divergently Often use intelligence as a weapon Can be the teacher’s worst nightmare Openly challenge assumptions and processes Don’t‘ care about grades, but enjoy learning AT RISK FOR DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL!!

Six Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 3: The Underground Student Underground Students hide their gifts and talents. Tend to be girls Tend to be insecure Need to “fit in” and have friends See their intelligence as a liability Choose popularity over academic success

Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 4: The Dropout Student Dropout Students were probably Type 2 students in middle school. Their gifts/talents exist outside the system Didn’t receive support within the system See school as irrelevant and a waste of time

Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 5: The Double-Labeled Student Double-Labeled Students may be camouflaged by learning disabilities. Their difficulty with auditory processing may hide their extraordinary ability to visualize systems May become frustrated Exhibit Type 2 behavior and/or drop out

Profiles of Giftedness from G. Betts & M. Neihart Type 6: The Autonomous Student Autonomous Students understand how the system works. Don’t use the system Work within the system to create opportunities for themselves Intrinsically motivated Independent and self-directed Demonstrated leadership Often succeed at extraordinary levels in adult life

Important Info We will accept REFERRALS for Gifted / Talented placement Testing throughout the year, Grades K – 12. However, our major push for identification testing will be in the Spring.

Gifted / Talented Coordinator Gifted / Talented Webpage: Contact Information Hope Pierce Gifted / Talented Coordinator 870-898-4445 hpierce@ashdownschools.org Gifted / Talented Webpage: www.ata-targets.wikispaces.org