Socorro Independent School District

Identification and Assessment of

Gifted and Talented Learners

Presented by

Department of Advanced Academics

Rosario Rojas, M.Ed.

Phone: 937-0118

Email: rrojas06@sisd.net

Format for Online Courses

Dear Participant,

Thank you for choosing to take this course online. We

appreciate your time and encourage you to do this course over

several weeks at your own pace. In this course, you will need to

access your student’s GT Red folders located in their CUM.

These courses are designed for independent study and should

reflect your own work and reflections. Group work and/or

assignments will not be accepted.

Please submit your coursework via Email by the

DUE DATE listed on the staff development website.

In addition to this power point, please download the matching

assignment document. All written “Try This” pieces in this power

point should be answered on your word document and be sent

via email as an attachment along with any lessons developed,

to:

Rosario RojasPhone: 937-0118

Email: rrojas06@sisd.net

If you have any questions regarding your assignments, please do

not hesitate to call us.

Directions for Online Course

Gifted/Talented Identification &

Assessment Course Objectives

Core Knowledge Areas and Teacher Competencies Uses broad-based, multi-faceted identification procedures, including

varied sources of information and qualitative and quantitative

measures that match specific areas of ability

Interprets assessment results from both qualitative and quantitative

measures to other professionals and parents for their use in determining

placement and in planning specific program activities for each gifted

and talented student

Understands the characteristics of under-represented groups of

gifted and talented students, such as lower socio-economic status,

physically challenged, African-American, Hispanic, and limited-English

proficient and/or learning disabled. Understands how to provide equal

access to programs for gifted and talented students.

Source: http://txgifted.org/filed/pdf/CoreKnowledgeAreas.pdf

STATE DEFINITION FOR GIFTED STUDENT

§ 29.121. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "gifted and talented

student" means 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.

http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/gted/tec29-121.html

STATE DEFINITION FOR GIFTED STUDENT

Try ThisAssignment #1•After reading the definition for a gifted and

talented student, answer the following question:

•What can you do in your classroom to provide

opportunities for unidentified gifted students to show

or develop their talents?

SISD Identification Procedures

PARTICIPATION – EXIT - FURLOUGHS

SELECTION PROCESS

GT Placement Committee Notification to Parents

SCREENING PROCESS

Quantitative Data Qualitative Data

NOMINATION PROCESS

Teacher or Parent Middle or High School Student

All SISD students can be nominated by either

a parent or teacher.

Middle School or High School students can also

nominate themselves or be nominated by a parent

or teacher.

GT Nomination forms are available in both English or

Spanish versions and are located on the district

website under Departments; Gifted & Talented;

GT Nomination Process.

SISD Nomination Process

Once a student is

nominated, the form is

turned into the GT

Campus Coordinator

(GTCC). Before any

testing can begin, the

GTCC must obtain the

parent’s permission. If

the parent declines, the

process ends.

SISD Nomination Process

If the parent accepts,

they return the signed

permission form along

with the parent Kingore

Observation Inventory

form to the GTCC.

Once the parent permission to test has been

received, the GT Campus Coordinator sends the

Slocumb Payne Teacher Inventory Form to the

student’s teacher(s) to complete. This instrument

allows teachers to rate their perceptions of a student

on a scale of 1 to 4 and includes both positive and

negative attributes of the gifted, allowing the

teacher to rate the attributes that more

closely describe the student's learning behaviors.

SISD Nomination Process

Try This

Assignment #2

• Go to Staff Net; Departments; Instructional

Services; Gifted & Talented; Resources and then

Teacher Resources. On the Teacher Resources

tab, open and read the questions on the

Slocumb Payne Teacher Inventory Sample

• Why would our district want to consider both

positive and negative attributes of the gifted?

SISD Nomination Process

Screening Process

QUALITATIVE DATA

Projects – Portfolios – Science Fairs – Essays - Interviews

RAVENS PROGRESSIVE MATRICES

Abstract Abilities Non-Verbal; Quantitative Data

TERRA NOVA (English) OR SUPERA (Spanish)

Academic Abilities Verbal; Quantitative Data

TORRANCE TEST FOR CREATIVING THINKING

Creativity Test Non-verbal; Quantitative Data

Torrance Test of Creative ThinkingThis instrument has been used for identification of the

creatively gifted and as a part of gifted matrices in states

and districts in the USA, especially in multicultural settings,

and for special populations around the world. The Figural

TTCT: Thinking Creatively with Pictures is appropriate at all

levels, kindergarten through adult. It uses three picture-

based exercises to assess five mental characteristics:

Fluency

Resistance to premature closure

Elaboration

Abstractness of titles

Originality

Source: http://ststesting.com/2005giftttct.html

Torrance Test of Creative Thinking

Try This

Assignment #3Go to Staff Net; Departments; Instructional Services;

Gifted & Talented; Resources and then Teacher

Resources. On the Teacher Resources tab, open

and print the Sample Creativity Test

Give this test to at least one class period. What did the students draw in activities 1-4? What

student response surprised you the most and why?

Terra Nova/Supera – Academic AbilitiesPurpose: Academic Achievement

The Terra Nova/SUPERA, are nationally-normed standardized tests

that assess student achievement in reading, language, math,

and science. The Supera is the Spanish version of the Terra

Nova/Supera and is administered to students in Spanish bilingual

programs. This instrument assesses important learning goals while

addressing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),

Title I and other special programs.

Grades: K-12

Score: Percentile ranks

Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Source: http://www.ctb.com/ctb.com/control/childNodesViewAction?categoryId=634&p=store&adjBrd=Y

Ravens Progressive Matrices

Purpose: Non-verbal test designed to measure a person’s ability

to form perceptual relations and reason by analogy in research

settings. SISD uses the Coloured Progressive Matrices for K-3rd and

the Standard Progressive Matrices for 4th – 12th grade. The

nonverbal aspect of each test minimizes the impact of cultural or

language bias.

Population: Ages 6 to adult.

Score: Percentile ranks.

Author: J.C. Raven

Publisher: Pearson Assessments

Internal Subjective DataThe qualitative data used for the identification of a gifted and

talented student is internal subjective data such as:

Student Projects

Writing/Journal Sample

Interview

Portfolio Sample

Other Data – A student can also provide examples from extra-

curricular activities such as hobbies, volunteer work in the

community or any other event that shows the student is

performing above his/her grade level.

Selection Process

GT STUDENTS ARE CODED IN PEIMS

PARENT NOTIFICATION

Permission to Participate Does not qualify at this time.

GT PLACEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING

GT Administrator, GT Campus Coordinator, and Teacher(s)

QUALIFYING MATRIX

Kindergarten Qualifying Matrix 1st – 12th Qualifying Matrix

Selection Process

As noted on the previous slide, the selection process consists of four

parts:

Qualifying Matrix – the GT campus coordinator completes this forms and makes a recommendation to the committee

GT Placement Committee Meeting – a campus administrator, the GT campus coordinator and at least one teacher review the assessments

and student work to determine whether the student should be

placed in the gifted program

Parent Notification – the GT campus coordinator is responsible for notifying the parents that their student was or was not recommended

for placement in the gifted program. Students that do not qualify

may be nominated the next calendar year

PEIMS Coding – once the parent permission to participate has been received, the student is coded by the PEIMS clerk as a gifted student

Qualifying MatrixTry This

Assignment #4• Go to Staff Net; Departments; Instructional Services; Gifted &

Talented; Resources and then Teacher Resources. On the

Teacher Resources tab, open and print out the Kindergarten

Qualifying Matrix or the Qualifying Matrix for 1st – 12th. Review the

form and then answer the following questions:

• What minimum percentile (80% or 90%) is needed to qualify a

student for abstract abilities on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices?

•At what grade level do we begin using the Standard Progressive

Matrices instead of the Coloured Progressive Matrices?

• How many items do we need for the internal subject data and

what is considered for student work?

• To qualify for the gifted program, the student must meet how

many criteria (2 out of 4, 3 out of 4, or 4 out of 4)?

GT STUDENT FOLDER

Where is the documentation located

for an identified GT Student?

GT STUDENT FOLDER

Where is the documentation located

for an identified GT Student?

Try ThisAssignment #5• Go to your Online Student Profile and identify all

students who are coded “GT”

•Make a list of your GT Students and access their GT

Red Folder in their CUM

•Read the folder and identify their strengths using the

qualifying matrix (Kindergarten or 1st – 12th)

•Complete the table in Assignment #5

GT STUDENT FOLDER

Meeting the needs of Gifted Students

Try ThisAssignment #6• After reviewing the GT folders for your students,

please answer the following questions:

• What did you discover in reviewing the folders of

your gifted students?

• Given the strengths of your gifted students, how

can you meet their needs in your classroom?

Good to know…DISTRICT POLICY ON TRANSFER STUDENTS

• Honor PEIMS coding on any student identified gifted from

another district or state

• GT campus coordinator will seek parent permission to participate

in our gifted program

• After parent permission is received, student is coded as “gifted”

in PEIMS and placed in our gifted program

• GT campus coordinator will request parent permission to

“Reassess” student with SISD tests. This is not to qualify them for

our program but is done to identify their current strengths

• GT campus coordinator will create the GT Student Red folder

with SISD assessments and provide copy to teacher

• GT campus coordinator works with teacher on developing

gifted student’s talents and strengths

Furloughs, Exits, and Re-entry

Our district policy allows for

furloughs, exits and re-entry into

our gifted program. Please click

on the link below and read our

local policy.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS

(LOCAL)

GT STUDENT FOLDER

SISD Local Policy on

Gifted and Talented Students

Try ThisAssignment #7• After reading the local policy, please answer the

following questions:

• When is a student furlough considered?

• What are the exit provisions for a gifted student?

• How often should the district program be

evaluated?

• What did you learn after reading the local policy?

• Creativity

• Core Knowledge Areas

• Organization Skills

• Flexibility

• Enthusiasm

• Resourcefulness

• Warmth & Sincerity

What can we do as educators?

Course Evaluation

Try This

Assignment #8

• Please provide your feedback on this course.

• How long did it take you to complete?

• Do you feel it met the state competencies that

were stated earlier in the power point? Why or Why

not?

INTERNET RESOURCES

• Texas State Plan http://www.tea.state.tx.us/gted/GTStatePlanEnglishAug05.pdf

• Texas Performance Standards Projects http://www.texaspsp.org/

• G/T Teacher Tool Kit II http://www.texaspsp.org/toolkit2/Toolkit2.html

• Texas Association for Gifted/Talented http://txgifted.org/

• National Association of Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org

• Middle and High School - http://www.tealighthouse.org/

• Hoagies – http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

End of Course

Please remember to email your word document

by the due date. Once you receive an email from the instructional specialist, you should be

able to do your evaluation of this course and print

out your certificate.

Thank you!