G/T Identification Parent Information Session January, 2013

1. G/T Identification Parent Information Session January, 2013 WELCOME

2. State of Texas G/T Definition: Children and youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and /or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields. They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools.

3. State Goal for services for gifted students Students who participate in services designed for gifted students will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or environment. High school graduates who have participated in services for gifted students will have produced products and performances of professional quality as part of their program services.

4. G/T PROGRAM DESIGN Project THINK (K-1) talent pool QUEST (G/T students, grades K-1) GEM (G/T students, grades 2 – 6) Secondary G/T Services (G/T students (grades 7-12)

5. G/T Program Design G/T students must qualify for placement through criteria approved by the District to ensure consistency of processes, to comply with state regulations and national standards for G/T students. Services begin on the first day of the fall semester except for Kindergarten services which begin no later than March 1.

6. G/T NOMINATION: Students may be nominated only once per year In January By any person who is aware of the student’s talents and By obtaining the required signatures on the nomination form.

7. G/T NOMINATION: G/T applications serve as the nomination form and are available annually on all MISD campuses during the month of January except for Kindergarten which occurs in the fall semester so that services may begin by March 1, within two weeks of enrollment in MISD, or during the courtesy enrollment opportunity to all private, charter, home or other school students

8. Progressive Assessment • The student’s scores throughout the identification process shall present a continuum of evidence that the student’s complete performance can be reasonably expected to match the performances of students already identified beginning with the • Top 10% of grade performance ( Grades 3-11) • Advanced level performance on state assessments • (grades 3 – 11)

9. G/T SELECTION CRITERIA: The District Selection Committees determine from the assessment profile that the applicant may be reasonably expected to match the performances of the students identified by the placement criteria: All grade levels: 90th Percentile: Applicable School Abilities Tests 90th Percentile: Applicable Achievement Test Scores 95 average in current grades 3 - 11 Top 10% of grade level in performance on other evaluation documents for grades K – 2 (parent and teacher observation documents).

10. G/T SELECTION CRITERIAcontinued: Students must have a preponderance of scores (a majority of the grade level’s criteria) in the ranges listed in the bullets on the prior slide to be placed in a G/T service. Additionally, all other scores must be in the “above average” range, which includes at least 80th percentiles on standardized assessments and an average of 90.

11. G/T SELECTION CRITERIAcontinued: GEM students (placement in grades 2-6) will be identified based upon an overall performance in all content areas. Secondary students shall be identified for each content area service using the content area criteria established for the year of nomination.

12. Secondary Applicable Assessment by Content Area

13. G/T SELECTION: The Department of G/T Services will present the data collected for each student to the respective district selection committee. G/T Services will include recommendations for placement to the selection committees; however, the final determination of placement rests with the committees.

14. G/T ASSESSMENTS: Will be administered by G/T staff Are administered in accordance with publishers protocols Will be reported and interpreted using chronological age scores Will provide accommodations that are acceptable to the publisher without invalidating the data

15. APPEALS A parent/guardian wishing to appeal submits an original copy of the G/T Appeal Form TO THE G/T SERVICES OFFICE at Carver Center no later than the stated deadline of fifteen (15) school business days from the date of the G/T notification document. Areas in which appeals may be made include a placement decision, the submission of an application after a stated deadline, an exit from a program service, or a furlough decision

16. APPEALS Generally, appeals shall be based upon procedural error as outlined on the G/T Appeal Form. The G/T director’s designee (Mrs. Rhodes) will confer with parents/guardians who request a conference, inform the parents/guardians of all procedures and review all appeals initially.

17. Who needs to turn in an application for G/T services? Any grade 1 – 11 student who is not currently enrolled in QUEST in grade 1, in Carver Center in grades 2 – 6, or in a Secondary G/T Services content area course should obtain applications from their MISD campus for the G/T courses for which they wish to qualify. PLEASE NOTE: Grade K has completed screening for this year. Grade 6 students will be screened for all Secondary G/T Services.

18. PARENT/ STUDENT IMPORTANT DATES January 9-31: Applications on Campuses January 31: Deadline for Applications: ALL STUDENTS RESIDING IN MIDLAND COUNTY May 15: Target Date for Initial Notification

19. G/T Contacts Director of G/T Services and Principal of Carver Center Judy Bridges (689-1420 ) Assistant Director of G/T Services and Assistant Principal of Carver Center Jan Rhodes (689-1420)

20. THANK YOU