pasadena isd home page

Gifted and Talented: How to Qualify

The purpose of the on-going identification process is to determine those students who will most likely benefit from an academic program that is accelerated, enriched and focused on the application and development of advanced level materials and products. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade will be identified from general intellectual ability. The following identification process meets The Texas State Plan and Guidelines for the Education of the Gifted/Talented. This program is inclusive rather than exclusive. Its purpose is to recognize the "giftedness" and potential "giftedness" of students.

Students identified for the program for the gifted represent all of the special populations in a district. This would include students such as the culturally or linguistically different, the economically disadvantaged, and the handicapped who can be overlooked. As much as possible, the population of the program for the gifted reflects the total district population (The Texas State Plan and Guidelines... 1990, p. 14).

Approximately 5% of Pasadena ISD students will be identified as gifted with the number varying at each campus.

A. Nomination

    1. Students may be nominated, using the appropriate district form, for the
        program by: teachers, parents, counselors, librarians, administrators, peers,
        community members or the students themselves.

2. Nominations may occur at any time and any grade level throughout the
school year.

3. Notification of open nomination must be communicated to parents at the
beginning of the each school year.

B. Screening

    1. All students not yet identified will be screened for the program. Screening
        will be conducted by the Building Screening and Selection Committee having
        at least three members including the campus Gifted/Talented Liaison(s) and
        any or all of the following persons:

        * campus administrator
        * teacher
        * counselor/diagnostician
        * peer facilitator

        All members of the committee will be trained in the nature and needs of
        gifted/talented students. A majority of the committee members must have
        completed thirty clock hours of training in gifted education and are current
        with the six-hour update requirement.

    2. The Building Screening and Selection Committee will be responsible for
        compiling and organizing data and displaying the data on the district profile
        in order to facilitate decision-making for the selection of students.

3. The person responsible for nomination of the student will be notified of the
results of the screening.

4. Written parental consent must be secured prior to any specialized testing
that is part of the identification process.

C. CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFICATION

All students will be screened using at least three different types of data including both qualitative and quantitative measures. The following categories are used to identify students for the Gifted/Talented Program:

* Student Products/Performance
* Teacher Ratings
* Parent/Student Ratings
* Achievement/Performance Test
* Ability/Intelligence Test

These categories include the following types of measures:

Student Products/Performance
- Student Portfolio
* Products
* Writing Sample
- Planned Experiences

Teacher Ratings
- Teacher Perception Inventory

Parent/Student Ratings
- Parent/Adult Inventory
- Student Interview

Achievement Tests
- MRT (Metropolitan Readiness Test)
- DSC (Developing Skills Checklist
- ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills)
- Aprenda

Ability/Intelligence Abilities
- CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test)
- Raven's Progressive Matrices
- Other individual IQ or ability test as approved by the Gifted/Talented
Instructional Specialist

Additional data may be needed to form a more complete picture of a student's abilities. The Building Screening and Selection Committee has the responsibility
for making this determination and requesting additional data.

D. SELECTION

    1. All data collected will be examined by the Building Screening and Selection
        Committee. At least three different types of data, including both qualitative
        and quantitative measures, must be used to determine eligibility. Students
        performing at or above the district line on the majority of the available
        measures involving at least 3 categories having at least one qualitative and
        one quantitative indicator at or above the district line qualify for placement
        into the Gifted/Talented Program.

    2. At the discretion of the Gifted/Talented Instructional Specialist, the Building
        Screening and Selection Committee is authorized to use additional evaluation
        methods when more information is needed to determine appropriate
        placement of individual students.

    3. The Building Screening and Selection Committee is authorized to use their
         professional judgment in placing students that do not meet the district
         identification requirements. Document specific reasons for placement in the
         COMMENTS section on the reverse side of the Profile.

    4. Selection for placement in the Gifted/Talented Program will be determined
        by the Building Screening and Selection Committee. Once the committee has
        determined that a student is eligible to participate in the Gifted/Talented
        Program, written permission from the student's parent/guardian will be
        secured, and the student will be placed into the program.

5. The selection process for kindergarten students must be complete and
services begin by February 28 to meet state requirements.

6. The selection process for fifth grade students must be complete prior to
intermediate school registration (usually late January or early February).

II. Selection Appeals

When appeals arise as to the out come of the selection process, or if more information is requested, the following procedure will be used:

Step 1 - A written appeal will be made to the school principal.

Step 2 - If the problem is not resolved, a written appeal will be made to the
Gifted/Talented Instructional Specialists.

Step 3 - If the problem is not resolved, a written appeal will be made to the Area
Superintendent.

Step 4 - If the problem is not resolved, a written appeal will be made to the
Superintendent.

Step 5 - If the problem is not resolved, a written appeal will be made to the Board.

III. Furlough

A. A student may elect not to participate in the Gifted/Talented Program for up
to one year without exiting the program.

B. Parent(s)/Guardian(s) and student will be required to sign a permission form
prior to the student's receiving furlough status within the district.

C. The Building Screening and Selection Committee will grant the furlough.
Normally, students will be granted only one furlough.

D. The original copy of the signed furlough will be attached to the student's
Identification Profile and a copy sent to the Gifted/Talented Office.

E. At the end of the school year during which a furlough is granted, the student
will automatically be returned to active status to begin the next school year.

IV. Exit

A. Exiting a student from the Gifted/Talented Program is a serious consideration.
Educators and parent(s)/guardian(s) should use care and sensitivity when
considering exiting a student.

B. To exit a student because his/her grades drop or because the student is the
recipient of disciplinary action is NOT appropriate.

C. All requests for exit must be in writing.

D. The Building Screening and Selection committee will make the formal
    determination regarding the exiting of students for educational, psychological,
    or personal reasons after consultation with both student and
    parent(s)/guardian(s), and Gifted/Talented Instructional Specialist. Such
    decisions will be based on any combination of the following data:

     * recommendation from teachers of the gifted/talented based on observation
        of student behavior, performance and products
     * request from the student with parent permission
     * request from parent(s)/guardian(s)
     * recommendation from counselor or other educator with documentation
       based on interviews and observations

E. The parent(s)/guardian(s) and student will be given the opportunity to meet
with the Building Screening and Selection Committee or a representative of
the committee before the student is exited.

F. Prior to formal exit from the program, these steps will be followed by the
Building Screening and Selection Committee:

    Step 1 - Document and review student progress in the Gifted/Talented Program.
    Step 2 - Conference(s) with the student, parent(s), and other appropriate
                  professional educator(s).
    Step 3 - Complete the appropriate Exit Form.
    Step 4 - Notify parent(s)/guardian(s) and student using the appropriate Exit
                  Notification Form

G. A student who is exited from the program may be nominated again following
established procedures after two years.

V. Exit Appeals

When appeals arise as to the outcome of the exit process, the same procedure outlined under selection appeals will be used.

VI. Transfer

Transfer students from another district will be served in the Pasadena ISD Gifted/Talented Program upon documented confirmation of being served in a gifted/talented program that identifies students scoring at or above the 95th percentile for services in a program designed for general intellectual ability. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will be required to give written permission prior to their child's placement into the Pasadena ISD Gifted/Talented Program. If documentation of previous identification and participation is not provided, screening and selection will begin upon parent request and nomination.

Note: Please fill out a district Profile, transfer all available data to the Profile, and provide written documentation in the Comments section on the back of the Profile. Attach out-of-district identification forms to the district forms and complete the identification process as usual.

VII. Reassessment

Students are not reassessed once identified.