Level 1 – Universal Screening

Teacher / Data Team Input

(Grades K-3)

• aimswebPlus benchmark score above the 95th percentile based on national norms in one Reading or Math measure: Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), Letter Word Sounds Fluency (LWSF), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Vocabulary (VOC), Reading Comprehension (RC), Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), Silent Reading Fluency (SRF), Number Naming Fluency (NNF), Quantity Total Fluency (QTF), Number Comparison Fluency – Pairs (NCF-P), Math Facts Fluency – One Digit (MFF-1D), Mental Computation Fluency (MCF), and Concepts & Applications (CA)

• Grade 95% or above in all major subjects

• Teacher completed Chuska Scale

(Grades 4-12)

• Most recent PSSA Assessment data in ELA or Math advanced

• Grades 95% or above in all major subjects

• Teacher completed Chuska Scale

* If a teacher/team suspects that a student is demonstrating giftedness based on the above universal screening, the teacher/team completes the “Gifted Screening Referral Form” and submits it to the special education office.

Level 2 – Individual Screening

PTE issued to administer the KBIT – Student is administered the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test – Second Edition (KBIT 2).

• If the student scores 125 or higher on Verbal, Nonverbal and/or Overall Composite they are referred for full gifted evaluation. Permission to evaluate will be issued to the parents.

• If the student scores below 125 a letter to parents will be issued stating that full gifted evaluation is not recommended, however they still have the right to formally request this evaluation with the special education office.

Level 3 – Full Gifted Evaluation

• If the student meets all the criteria of the universal and individual screening process a “Gifted Permission to Evaluate” is sent from the special education office to the parents.

• Upon receipt of the signed permission, the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team completes the evaluation within 60 calendar days.

• Parents and teachers complete rating scales and input forms to be used in this evaluation.

• A certified school psychologist administers comprehensive assessments of cognitive/intellectual functioning and academic achievement.

• Results are summarized in the Gifted Written Report.

• Determination for Eligibility is based on the “Wellsboro Area School District Gifted Eligibility Matrix” and team determination of “Need” for gifted services.

Wellsboro Area School District Gifted Guidelines

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. (22 Pa. Code §16.1)

Each school district shall establish procedures to determine whether a student is mentally gifted. This term includes a person who has an IQ of 130 or higher. No one test or measure is sufficient to determine giftedness, and the evaluation and testing literature recognizes that there is a margin for error in any standardized testing. The standard error of measurement also applies when reporting IQ.

A person with an IQ score lower than 130 may be admitted to gifted programs when other educational criteria in the profile if the person strongly indicates gifted ability as indicated by the gifted eligibility matrix.

WASD gifted evaluation data includes:

• Cognitive Abilities, as measured by an individually administered IQ test (WJ-IV, WISC-V)

• Academic abilities in reading, as measured by an individually administered achievement test (WJ-IV, WIAT-IV)

• Academic abilities in reading, as measured by benchmark assessments or group achievement test (most recent aimswebPlus benchmark data in grades K-3 or PSSA data in grades 4-8)

• Academic abilities in reading, as measured by teacher grades (most recent quarter report card grade)

• Academic abilities in math, as measured by an individually administered achievement test (WJ-IV, WIAT-IV)

• Academic abilities in math, as measured by benchmark assessments or group achievement test (most recent aimswebPlus benchmark data in grades K-3 or PSSA Data in grades 4-8)

• Academic abilities in math, as measured by teacher grades (most recent quarter report card grade)

• Teacher observations of leadership, specific academic aptitude, creativity, and intellectual abilities. (Teacher Recommendation).

• Completion of Chuska Rating Scale by the teacher to determine rate of acquisition and retention

• Completion of parent input form

Kindergarten – Grade Three Criteria

A student that meets the following criteria is eligible for gifted support if the team determines their educational needs cannot be met within the general education setting.

Either:

1. Student demonstrates cognitive/intellectual abilities equal to or above the 98th percentile (FSIQ, GIA, GAI or Gf-Gc = 130+) with criteria other than IQ (achievement, rate of acquisition/retention, early skill development) also indicating giftedness.

OR

A. Student demonstrates cognitive/intellectual abilities equal to or above the 90th percentile (FSIQ, GIA, GAI, or Gf-Gc = 120) AND multiple criteria score minimum of 48

COGNITIVE / INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING SCORE: _____________________

MULTIPLE CRITERIA MATRIX

When a teacher refers a student or a parent suspects their child is gifted and requests an evaluation in writing, the District will initiate a Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation (GMDE) as specified in Title 22 Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 16 to be conducted by the Gifted Multi-Disciplinary Team (GMDT).

A. The Gifted Multi-Disciplinary Team (GMDT)

The Gifted Multi-Disciplinary Team (GMDT) includes a certified school psychologist, the supervisor of special education, principal or District representative, the gifted and regular education teachers, and the parent(s)/guardian(s).  The GMDT conducts a comprehensive evaluation that is sufficient in scope to investigate information relevant to the student’s suspected giftedness, including academic functioning, learning strengths, rates of acquisition and retention, intervening factors that may mask giftedness, and educational needs.  If at any time, the parent(s) decides to rescind permission to evaluate, the evaluation process will be stopped as long as the parent’s request is in writing.

“The GMDT has the responsibility of contributing information to the GMDE that:

Assures that comprehensive data has been collected on the student to indicate academic instructional levels, thinking skills and other learning skill levels, rate of acquisition/retention for mastery of new content/skills, academic interests/strengths, and, as appropriate, developmental levels (young students) and career goals.

Provides clarifying information about the ability of children who score below IQ 130 (within the standard of measurement for the test) and have strong indications of gifted performance.

Determines if additional assessment, such as out-of-level academic testing, is needed. When normed and validated individualized standardized testing is used, a clear explanation of subtest results should be part of the Gifted Written Report. Such explanation may include:

§  Mastery level

§  Functional/instructional level and frustration level

§ Grade level equivalencies

§ District performance criteria for competency

§  Mastery and excellence of output

§  Comprehensive developmental levels in subtests

§ Implications in the learning process of the student

Recommends whether a student is gifted and in need of specially designed instruction.

Recommends appropriate integrated programming for a student if there is more than one area of exceptionality.

Provides information about the student’s adaptive and social behavior if this is appropriate.

The Gifted Written Report should be compiled based on a complete evaluation and carry the recommendations of all individuals participating, whether or not the individuals are in concurrence. The determination of giftedness, i.e., eligibility under Chapter 16, resides with the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team, which includes the parents.” (Pennsylvania Department of Education Gifted Guidelines May 2014, page 17.)

The evaluation process must take into consideration any 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))