Gifted Services Teacher Screening Check List

1. CISS Gifted Services Teacher Screening Check List

2. What is CISS? • CISS stands for: Characteristics Instrument for Screening Students

3. What is CISS used for? • CISS is a SCREENING tool used to identify characteristics that may identify a student for Talented and Gifted services.

4. What does it mean to be Talented and Gifted?

5. Gifted or Bright? • In small groups, please try to put the labels into the category Bright or Gifted student.

8. CISS Check List • Look around the room and you will see 10 posters • Each poster has a word on it that can be a characteristic of giftedness • In your own words try to write the definition and some positive and negative possible behaviors for that characteristic. • Ready, set, go!

19. Now it’s your turn! • Think about positive and negative behaviors • Look at your CISS sheet • Watch the video and try to identify any of the CISS characteristics in this classroom of students • Don’t worry you-may not see any or you might find different characteristics than your peers • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZMWgbkQa6A

20. CISS Form

21. CISS Form

22. CISS: What is it? • CISS stands for Characteristics Instrument for Screening Students. • CISS is one of two forms of screening completed throughout the school year to screen for Talented and Gifted (TAG) characteristics so that appropriate services may be provided for those students. • This is a SCREENING and does NOT admit a student into the TAG program.

23. CISS: When is it? • Training will take place now, during the beginning of the school year, with a refresher on our teacher workday in January. • The CISS screening will take place during the two weeks of January 28-February 8, 2012.

24. CISS: Who? • Every certified teacher will complete the CISS form for their students. • Teachers will more than likely see characteristics in the same students, BUT teachers may not agree on the characteristics seen. • All students not already being served by the TAG program should be considered during the 2 weeks. • This is not limited to certain students and ALL students should be considered. • Remember, characteristics can be seen both positively and negatively.

25. CISS: How? • During the two weeks of the CISS process, you will place a check mark next to each characteristic that a student consistently exhibits superior ability in. • What if a student doesn't exhibit the characteristic during those two weeks but I have seen them do it previously? • By all means, check it! • Students are required to have 5 categories check off in order to continue the process. So if you have 4 check marks, carefully consider if there is a 5th.

26. CISS: What Next? • After the two weeks CISS process and you have turned in your forms, you are done. • Students that receive 5 or more check marks in different characteristics will then be required to have a piece of supporting information. (This will be provided by the eligibility team at school and may include grades, achievement tests, etc.) • If students meet this requirement, then students will be tested for TAG services with parental consent. • Tests are valid for two calendar years. • Additionally, if students meet the criteria in TAG testing, then TAG services will begin to be provided the next school year.

27. CISS: I have questions? • If you have questions, please contact the TAG contact at our school, Jane Doe. She will be able to give you all of the information you are searching for. • What if the parents have questions about the process? • Refer the parents to a TAG teacher or the TAG contact at school.

28. Q & A • Give trainees a true/false sign. Use this tool as a fast formative assessment to make sure teachers understand misconceptions about gifted students and the CISS process. Ask the questions and discuss any that are necessary.

29. Q & A: Gifted Misconceptions • T/F Gifted Children are usually gifted in all academic areas • False, students can be gifted in only one area and not in others • T/F Children become gifted because parents push them - False

30. Q & A: Gifted Misconceptions • T/F Gifted children can have learning handicaps. • True • T/F Students earning poor or average grades cannot be gifted. • False • T/F Gifted students are happy, well-adjusted, motivated and organized. • False

31. Q & A CISS • T/F If a student has been tested before, I shouldn’t bother putting checkmarks for him/her on CISS because they won’t be tested again. • FALSE : We can use multiple criteria testing and can use different tests. Each test can be administers once every two years • T/F We use CISS to determine gifted eligibility. • FALSE: only to refer for testing if there is another piece of supporting data. • T/F Once the student has been CISSed then he/she will be tested for TAG. • FALSE: There must be a supporting piece of data

32. Q & A CISS • T/F Special Ed, ESOL, and students with behavior concerns won’t be served in TAG, and therefore should not be considered during the CISS process. • False!!!

33. Q & A CISS • T/F Positive examples of communication skills are the only way a student may demonstrate the characteristic in order to be recorded according to the CISS process. • False • T/F It is ok to check every student (or almost every student) in your class in the area of creativity or motivation. • False , only check if you observe the characteristic • T/F It is ok to turn in the CISS checklist with no checkmarks at all for your entire class. • False, it is highly unlikely that NONE of your students exhibit the CISS characteristics