Identifying Gifted Students
Teachers and parents can request that a child be screened for giftedness. Susquenita utilizes a three level screening process for students up to the eighth grade. If a request is made for a high school student, a file review is completed to determine whether or not a permission to evaluate will be issued. All screening levels require parent/guardian permission and letters are sent home letting parents/guardians know if the student passed the Level I and Level II screenings. Level I consists of the Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS) - Teacher/School Version which is completed by the teacher, and the Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary and Middle School Students (SAGES) which is administered to the student by the Gifted Teacher. Level II consists of the Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS) - Parent/Home Version completed by the parent, and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (KBIT 2) which is administered to the student by the school psychologist.
A Gifted Eligibility matrix of these data sources is used to determine if parents will be asked for permission to complete a multidisciplinary evaluation for giftedness (Level III evaluation). The school psychologist completes a full scale standardized intelligence test and achievement test to add to the data that was collected in the screening process. Teachers are asked to document a student's rate of acquisition and retention. Teachers and parents are also asked about the child's specialized interests and skills, and any intervening factors are documented as part of the process. The school psychologist uses these multiple factors to determine if the child should be identified as gifted. A matrix is used to organize the multiple criteria information as part of the final decision and recommendations.
Gifted Programming
The gifted support program in grades kindergarten through sixth grade at Susquenita Elementary and Middle School utilizes a combination of push-in and pull-out services in order to provide a variety of programming options to identified gifted students. The gifted multi-disciplinarian team meets on an annual basis to determine what services are required to meet a student's individual needs. Once a student's needs are identified the gifted support teacher works closely with the student's regular education teacher to provide differentiated and accelerated assignments in the student's area of giftedness. Students are also encouraged to complete an independent study project which focuses on an area of interest. These projects provide an opportunity for complex, in-depth studies that develop critical thinking, communication, research, and technology skills.
Gifted programming in grades 7-12 continues to serve the needs of each individual student. The Gifted multi-disciplinarian team convenes yearly to develop an individualized plan that meets the specific needs of the student. Student input becomes more valuable in advanced grade levels, and individual interests are incorporated into Gifted IEP's to encourage high levels of enthusiasm. The Gifted teacher works closely with students to ensure that programming is appropriate and needs continue to be met as student's progress through their secondary career. Some Gifted programming options include, but are not limited to: acceleration, enrichment, compaction, student-teacher developed contracts, independent projects, dual enrollment, alternative assignments, and other activities that encourage higher-level thinking outcomes. In addition, several extra-curricular activities and competitions are held through the Gifted program.
Gifted Goals
- Monitor and support for both the emotional and social needs of gifted students.
- Meet the cognitive and academic needs of gifted students through collaboration with general education teachers and the gifted education teacher.
- Provide opportunities for students to develop and share their natural talents through the pursuit of individual interests.
- Differentiate, enrich, or accelerate instruction to students in their area of strength through complex, in-depth studies that develop critical thinking, communication, research, and technology skills.
- Provide opportunities to interact with peers who possess the same cognitive abilities and interests.