Gifted IdentificationJanice Estabrook, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13

Group Activity: Defining “Gifted”• What does it mean to be gifted?• How would you define a gifted student?

There is No Right Answer…• Comparing Definitions• Is It a Cheetah? • See Wiki for documents on gifted characteristics

“Definitions” Handout

Gagné’s Theory

• Gifts• Innate ability or capacity

in some domain of ability

• Something a child is born with

• Comparatively greater degree than others

• Potential can be very general or very specific in nature

• Talents• Extraordinary

performance• Skill based

Karen Rogers on Gifts and Talents• Re-Forming Gifted Education

Great Potential Press

• Research-Based Behaviors of Five Major Domain Profiles• Characteristics and Behaviors of Gifts and Talents• Objective and Subjective Measures of Gifts and Talents

Tables 2.1, 2.2, 2.3-Re-Forming Gifted Education

Essential Questions• Why does the definition of gifted matter?• What are our responsibilities to students in Pennsylvania in the

area of Gifted Education?• What are the steps in the referral and identification process

according to Chapter 16?

• Activity • What students are easily identified as gifted? List their traits.• What groups of students are often overlooked?• Share your thoughts.

Why does the definition of gifted matter?

Groups Often Overlooked When Identifying Gifted Students• Students who perform poorly on tests• Troublemakers• Students with disabilities• Young children• Girls• Boys• Borderline cases• Largest group: students from minority or nonmainstream

populations• Range of cultural, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds

Jim Delisle and Barbara A. Lewis, The Survival Guide for Teachers of Gifted Kids

Underrepresentation of Culturally Diverse Students

“The underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education is meaningful and statistically significant. For example, as of 2006, the most recent data for which federal statistics are available, Black students are underrepresented by 48%; more specifically, 253,000 more Black students should be identified as gifted (Ford, Grantham, & Whiting, 2008). Likewise, Hispanic students are underrepresented by 38%, resulting in another large number of students who are not accessing gifted education curriculum, programs, and services.”

~ Donna Y. Ford, Ph. D.

Core Attributes• Communication Skills• Humor• Imagination/Creativity• Inquiry• Insight• Interest• Memory• Motivation• Problem Solving• Reasoning Mary Frasier recommends these for all

children in any social or economic group: Survival Guide for Teachers of Gifted Kids, Delisle and Lewis

• Identification • Individualization• Differentiation

What are our responsibilities to students in Pennsylvania in the area of Gifted Education?

• School Districts must adopt and use a system for identifying all students within the district who are thought to be gifted and in need of specially designed instruction.

• Public awareness activities must be designed to reach parents of students in the public schools and the parents of school-age children not enrolled in the public schools.• Local newspapers and other media• Student handbooks• District website

Chapter 16.21

Identification:Screening and Evaluation

Referral Process: Screening• District derived process – systematic review of universal

screening data• Does not require parent permission, but it is a good practice• Possible Examples: Teacher Information Form, K-BIT, Data

Review, Naglieri, OLSAT• How does your school treat the universal screening process?

Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation (GMDE)

• When does the process continue to a gifted evaluation?• Following the district’s screening process, the student is

thought to be gifted and in need of specially designed instruction

• If a parent requests an evaluation• Permission to Evaluate – Sent to parent within 10

calendar days of oral or email request to any profession in the school.

• Only one evaluation is permitted per year.• A hearing officer requests an evaluation

Gifted Multidisciplinary Team (GMDT)

Team Includes: •Parent(s) •Current teacher(s) •School psychologist •Persons familiar with student’s educational performance and/or cultural background•Persons familiar with evaluation techniques

GMDT Considerations• Student should be notified prior to testing in order to reduce

anxiety—make them comfortable, try to lessen stress.• Gifted identification is a team process• Decision must NOT be made by the psychologist alone.• Communication (even email, if necessary) must take place

among all team members.• Equal vote by all members of the team regarding eligibility.

Identifying the Gifted in PA• IQ of 130 or higher or when multiple criteria indicate gifted

ability. Determination of gifted ability will not be based on IQ score alone.• Deficits in memory or processing speed cannot be the sole

basis upon which a student is determined to be ineligible for gifted special education

• Assessment by a certified school psychologist is required• If a student is both gifted and eligible for special education,

the procedures in Chapter 14 shall take precedence

Multiple Criteria for Gifted Identification

• Achievement• A year or more above grade achievement level for the normal

age group in one or more subjects as measured by nationally normed and validated achievement tests able to accurately reflect gifted performance. (22 Pa. Code §16.21(e)(1))

• Assessments should have high enough ceiling to reflect academic performance

Multiple Criteria (continued)• Rate of Acquisition, Rate of Retention

• An observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability. (22 Pa. Code §16.21(e)(2))

• Demonstrated Achievement• Demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one

or more academic areas as evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio or research, as well as criterion-referenced team judgment. (22 Pa. Code §16.21(e)(3))

Multiple Criteria (continued)• Early Skill Development

• Early and measured use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communications skills, foreign language aptitude or technology expertise. (22 Pa.Code §16.21(e)(4))

• Intervening Factors Masking Giftedness• Documented, observed, validated or assessed evidence that

intervening factors such as English as a second language, learning disability, physical impairment, emotional disability, gender or race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation are masking gifted abilities. (22 Pa. Code §16.21(e)(5))

• Must be shared with parents in writing within 60 calendar days of the signed Permission to Evaluate

Gifted Written Report (GWR)

• IF…the student is not gifted and therefore is NOT ELIGIBLE for gifted placement and programming

• Then…Report is shared with current teacher(s) and NORA is completed checking #5

GWR

• IF… the student is gifted but does not need specially designed instruction, and therefore is NOT ELIGIBLE for gifted placement and programming.

• Then…Report is shared with current teacher(s) and NORA is completed checking #5

GWR

• IF… the student is gifted AND is in need of specially designed instruction, and therefore IS ELIGIBLE for gifted placement and programming.

• Then…Report is shared with current teacher(s)• GIEP must be developed within 30 calendar days after issuance

of the GWR

GWR

Essential Questions• Why does the definition of gifted matter?• What are our responsibilities to students in Pennsylvania in

the area of Gifted Education?• What are the steps in the referral and identification process

according to Chapter 16?

• QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Janice EstabrookGifted Education and Enrichment CoordinatorLancaster-Lebanon IU 13janice_estabrook@iu13.org(717) 606-1732

Thank You!