1. Hillside Elementary School
CISS-ES
Hillside Elementary School

2. What is CISS?
CISS is the acronym for Characteristics Identification for Screening Students. Students are screened twice per year… Fall-Automatic Screening (test scores) Winter-CISS (teacher referral) Let’s Get Started!

3. What do you do as a homeroom teacher?
The Ciss Process
What do you do as a homeroom teacher?
Check your homeroom list on the excel spread sheet
Sign and return the form stating you have checked to make sure your homeroom students are on there.
Observe your non-TAG students over a period of two weeks
Check off any areas that you have observed the child consistently displaying in a superior way.
Collect lists from all teachers who teach your HR students and compile them on one sheet (specials, math, reading, STEAM, speech, EIP, ESOL, etc).

4. What do you do as a non-homeroom teacher?
Follow the same process as the classroom teacher
You do not need double check a box. If a descriptor is already checked, just leave it alone.

5. This form is confidential.
The Ciss Process
After all certified teachers have had the opportunity to check off indicators:
Homeroom Teachers:
Collect Supporting Information for each student. (Are they advanced, accelerated, ITBS scores, previous testing information).
Return your CISS form to your Eligibility Grade Rep (even if no checks have been marked).
This form is confidential.

6. PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY
CISS Descriptors
MOTIVATION
INTERESTS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITY
MEMORY
Evidences an intense desire to achieve
Strives to satisfy a need or attain set goals
Intense(unusual interests)
Activities, avocations, objects, etc. have special worth or significance
Highly expressive and effective use of words, numbers, or symbols
Effective, inventive strategies for recognizing and solving problems
Large storehouse of information
Innate ability to retain and retrieve information
Student may
be persistent in pursuing/completing self-selected tasks
be a self-starter
be an enthusiastic learner
aspire to be somebody/do something
demonstrate unusual or advanced interests in a topic or activity
be beyond age-group
pursue an activity unceasingly
demonstrate perseverance in pursuit of an interest
demonstrate unusual ability to communicate (verbally, physically, artistically, symbolically)
use particularly clever examples, illustrations or elaborations
devise or adapt a systematic strategy for solving problems or change the strategy if it is not working
create a new design, invent
understand what questions to ask to solve the problem
need only 1-2 repetitions for mastery
have a wealth of information
pay attention to details
manipulate information
remember experiences from the past (e.g., “When I was one…”)

7. Ciss Descriptors INQUIRY INSIGHT REASONING CREATIVITY HUMOR
Questions, experiments, explores
Seeks in-depth knowledge, understanding , or information
Quickly grasps new concepts and makes connections
Sudden discovery of the correct solution following incorrect attempts
Logical approaches to figuring out solutions
Forward-looking, goal oriented thought.
Inventiveness
Problem-solving through non-traditional patterns of thinking
Conveys and picks up on humor
Ability to synthesize key ideas or problems in complex situations in humorous ways
Student may
ask unusual questions for age
play around with ideas
demonstrate extensive exploratory behaviors
demonstrate exceptional ability to draw inferences
appear to be a good guesser
be keen observer
possess capacity for seeing unusual and diverse relationships
integrate ideas and disciplines
make generalizations
use metaphors and analogies
think things through logically
think critically
be an excellent planner
show ingenuity in using everyday materials
exhibit wild, seemingly silly ideas
produces ideas fluently/flexibly
be curious
exhibit keen sense of humor—gentle or hostile
see relationships and create jokes or puns
extreme sense of fairness
sensitive to feelings of others
use inappropriate humor (class clown)

8. Both students are displaying a descriptor.
Let’s look at some
students together.
Both students are displaying a descriptor.
But – Which student is displaying it in a superior way?

9. Which Child is Superior in this area?
Student A
Student B
Myles loves Star Wars. He is always reading Star Wars books and relating core subject matter to Star Wars characters or scenes.
Ashley likes horses. She is always drawing them on her paper and reading books about them.
Which CISS descriptor is shown?

10. Interests

11. Which Child is Superior in this area?
Student A
Student B
When deciding which dog would be better for her family, Virginia makes a list of good/bad things for each dog (too big to be around baby sister, eats more food, etc.)
When deciding which dog would be best for his family, Arlun picks the cutest one that licks his hand.
Which CISS descriptor is shown?

12. Reasoning

13. Which Child is Superior in this area?
Student A
Student B
Student A often relates information between subject areas. She often finds relationships between items that are unusual and diverse. Sometimes these relationships can be a bit irrational!
Student B can easily catch on to relational skills taught in class. He gets all of the inference questions right on reading comprehension tests.
Which CISS descriptor is shown?

14. Insight

15. Which Child is Superior in this area?
Student A
Student B
Student A often asks questions when she doesn’t understand the material presented in class or steps to complete an activity. She will ask until she completely understands.
Student B often interrupts teaching activities to ask questions that don’t relate directly to the material being taught. His questions are not always age appropriate and if given the chance he may try to find out the answers on his own.
Which CISS descriptor is shown?

16. Inquiry

17. Let’s practice with Candy!
Look at your handout. Can you match each characteristic with a candy bar? (A few might be able to go with more than one, so be ready to explain your reasoning)
Use your CISS descriptions to help you

18. Classroom Referral Flow Chart
Identify CISS characteristics and gather supporting data for students with 5 or more characteristics (2 weeks)
Eligibility team decides students to refer and sends parental consent form to parents
Test referred students with permission
Students who qualify in 3 out of 4 areas (mental ability, achievement, creativity, motivation) will receive gifted services
Score and analyze data using TAG Requirements

19. Last Reminders….
Parents can see the CISS form, but don’t let this pressure you. When in doubt, don’t give a check. If you are in doubt, they do not demonstrate superior/exceptional abilities in that area. Thank you!!