Is My Child Gifted?
DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY
As a parent, you are uniquely qualified to know your child's learning strengths and weaknesses. School professionals will utilize your knowledge in designing a gifted education program for your child's benefit.
Mentally gifted is defined as "outstanding intellectual and creative ability the development of which requires specially designed programs or support services, or both, not ordinarily provided in the regular education program." Your child may be eligible for gifted education if your child:
1) Is a year or more above grade achievement level for the normal age group in one or more subjects
2) Demonstrates an observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability
3) Demonstrates achievement, performance, or expertise in one or more academic areas
4) Shows early and measured use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude, or technology expertise
5) Has documented, observed, validated, or assessed evidence that intervening factors are masking gifted ability.
SCREENING AND EVALUATION
Your child's school district must have a system to locate and identify all students within the district who are thought to be gifted and in need of specially designed instruction. Each school district's responsibilities include:
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Conducting awareness activities to inform the public of gifted education services and programs
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Informing the public how to request gifted programs and services
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Determining student needs through a screening and evaluation process
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Establishing procedures to determine whether a student is mentally gifted
The term mentally gifted includes a person who has an IQ of 130 or higher and other factors (listed below) that indicate gifted ability. Gifted ability cannot be based on IQ score alone. If the IQ score is lower than 130, your child may be admitted to gifted programs when other conditions strongly indicate gifted ability.
The other factors to be considered include:
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Achievement test scores that are a year or more above level
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Observed or measured acquisition/retention rates that reflect gifted ability (i.e., how quickly your child learns new concepts or information, and how long he or she remembers it)
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Achievement, performance, or expertise in one or more academic areas that demonstrates a high level of accomplishment
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Higher level thinking skills
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Documented evidence that intervening factors are masking gifted ability
THE GIFTED MULTIDISCIPLINARY EVALUATION (GMDE)
The Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation (GMDE) is a process to gather the information that will be used to find out if your child qualifies for gifted education and, if so, the types of programs and services needed. Part of this process includes an evaluation by a certified school psychologist.
A child may be referred for the first GMDE in several ways:
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You may ask your school to give you child a GMDE at any time, but there is a limit of one request per term. You may ask for this evaluation by sending a letter to the principal of your child's school. If you make an oral request, the school will give you a form to complete. The school must have your written permission to evaluate your child, even if you asked for the evaluation. School officials cannot proceed without your written permission. Under certain circumstances the district may request a hearing to get approval from an impartial hearing officer to conduct an evaluation.
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Your child's teachers my also ask to have your child evaluated. Again, they must get your written permission before conducting the GMDE.
All evaluations needed to determine your child's eligibility for gifted programs and services will be provided by your child's school district at no charge to you. You may, at your own expense, obtain an independent evaluation by a qualified professional that the school district must consider in ay decision regarding the provision of gifted education. the evaluations must look at all information relevant to your child's suspected giftedness. This includes academic functioning, learning strengths, and educational needs. The process must also include information from you or others who know your child. Information provided by your child may also be used.
PROTECTION-IN-EVALUATION
No one test or type of test may be used as the only measure to determine giftedness. IQ scores may not be the only measure for students with limited English proficiency, or for students with racial-, linguistic-, or ethnic-minority background. This ensures that testing and evaluation will be fair to children of different races and cultures.
THE GIFTED WRITTEN REPORT (GWR)
The Gifted Multidisciplinary Team (GMDT) reviews all materials and prepares a Gifted Written Report (GWR) that recommends whether your child is gifted and needs specially designed instruction. As a member of the GMDT, you may present written information for consideration. The GWR must include the reasons for the recommendations and list the names and positions of everyone who was part of the GMDT.
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The entire GMDE process must be completed within 60 school days.
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The GWR must be written within 10 school days after the GMDE is completed.
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A copy of of the GWR must be given to you within five school days after its completion.
DUAL EXCEPTIONALITIES
It is not necessary to conduct a separate screening and evaluation, develop separate Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), or use separate procedural safeguards processes to provide for a student who is identified as gifted and eligible for special education. For students with dual exceptionalities, the needs established under gifted status must be addressed in the procedures required for special education.
Additional information can be obtained in the booklet Parent Guide to Special Education for the Gifted. Contact the Blacklick Valley School District Special Education Office using the email links below for a copy, or the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.
The Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education is pleased to announce its new toll-free Helpline number, 1-888-penngifted (1-888-736-6443).
Renee Williamson, Administrative Assistant
