Gifted and Talented
Who are the gifted and talented?
According to the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students, a gifted and talented (G/T) student is “a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience or environment and who: (1) exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative or artistic area; (2) possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or (3) excels in a specific academic field.”
All students at Diboll ISD will have equal access to be identified under this definition. Students served in the district’s gifted and talented program are identified and served in the areas of intellectual and specific academic fields.
How are G/T students identified at Diboll ISD?
Referrals
Referrals for the Gifted and Talented Program will be taken from teachers, parents and other interested persons. Students may also be automatically referred for the program by superior performance on standardized measures. The referral period for the program will be opened yearly, but students may be referred at any time if the student’s needs warrant such screening. A referred student will then proceed through the entire screening process.
Teacher and parent referral forms will also be used to solicit information for students. Teachers and parents will be informed of the parent informational meeting that is held in October of each school year. This is an informational meeting that gives an overview of the GT program as well as testing procedures.
In November of each year, kindergarten students are given an initial screening using the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT). Students who score within the acceptable level will be further screen for the G/T program, with permission from their parents/guardians.
Screening
All students will be screened using multiple measures, both qualitative and quantitative, to determine their aptitude, performance and productive thinking abilities.
Selection
A selection committee on each campus will be used to make all placement, exit, transfer and appeals decisions. The committee will consist of at least three (3) campus educators who have received training in the nature and needs of gifted students.
Appeals
Parents who wish to appeal the selection committee’s decision should write a letter requesting review of the process. The student will be asked to present additional data not previously evaluated to the committee for review during an interview. The parents will be notified of the committee’s decision.
Transfer Students
Students who transfer into Diboll ISD who have formerly been identified as gifted will have an assessment completed within six (6) weeks of their enrollment. Students must have written records from their previous school confirming the student’s acceptance into their district’s gifted and talented program.
Comparable tests administered in other districts may be accepted in place of Diboll ISD’s measures. However, Diboll ISD reserves the right to administer all its own tests.
Exit Procedures
Parents may withdraw students from the program at any time by contacting the G/T Coordinator and submitting written notification. If a child has difficulty in the program, the teacher, student, parent or school administrator may request that a conference be held to discuss the problems in an effort to provide intervention strategies.
Furlough
Students who wish to be withdrawn for a temporary period of one year may request “furlough status.” They or their parents should present to the campus selection committee their reasons for wishing to be furloughed and their educational plans for the intervening period.
The campus selection committee will then make arrangements to monitor that student’s progress in the regular program and make him/her aware of activities appropriate to his/her needs.
Students who do not reenter the program at the end of the furlough period may reenter at a later date through the standard identification process.
Reassessment
Identified students may be reassessed as needed. This reassessment is based on their performance in the program.
PROGRAM MODEL
In grades kindergarten through five, students will be provided services through a pull out program with a gifted and talented trained teacher who will provide differentiated instruction in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies to identified students.
Students in grades 6 through 12 will be served in clusters within Pre-AP, AP and Honors classrooms for Math, Science, Social Studies and/or English/Language Arts with a gifted and talented trained teacher providing differentiated instruction.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you’d like to receive a copy of DISD’s Gifted and Talented District Plan or if you’d like more information about our program, please contact Amber Price, G/T Coordinator, at 829-6900 or by email at [email protected]
Web links:
https://www.dibollisd.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=157141&type=d&pREC_ID=670639