Gifted / Enrichment Program
- Overview
- Beliefs
- Service Overview
- Program Resources
- Curriculum
- Identification
- Matrix
- Timelines
- Appeal Process
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Transfer Students
- Parent Resources
- Additional Assessment Information
Overview
District 34 recognizes that learning occurs at a different pace, depth and style for some students. Knowing this need exists, District 34 offers an identified English Language Arts Gifted Program for students in third through eighth grade.
In 2009-2010 a Gifted Task Force came together to design the Board Approved District 34 Gifted Program. This committee of district, community and parent stakeholders crafted District 34’s Definition of Gifted and Belief Statements that guide our programming.
Definition of Gifted: In District 34, giftedness refers to a small percentage of the population having natural abilities that significantly exceed district-defined norms in one or more areas of learning. Gifted students think in abstract and creative ways, more broadly and deeply than their like-aged peers.
District 34’s Gifted Program is an English Language Arts (ELA) replacement program for identified students in third through eighth grade. Placement in the ELA Gifted Program involves multi-tiered levels of identification and assessments, including an abbreviated IQ assessment.
Beliefs
Adapted 10-13-09
Characteristics:
- Gifted children have unique needs.
- Gifted children have distinct thinking and learning styles; they think differently (more deeply and more abstractly) and see the world differently than their peers.
Student Needs:
- Gifted students should be considered in the same way that all learned with other special needs are considered.
- The unique social and emotional needs of gifted children should be addressed, as should the social and emotional needs of all children, by our school district in collaboration with families and the community.
Identification:
- There should be consistent and continuous standards for identification of students across the district and from year to year.
- The process for identifying gifted students should be transparent and public.
Services:
- Gifted students require appropriately challenging curriculum and instruction.
- Gifted students should be challenged and supported through multi-faceted programs that are student centered.
- Gifted students need to be with their academic peers in groups of appropriate size, for an appropriate length of time, and with appropriate challenges to meet their education and social/emotional needs.
- Delivery of services for gifted students should be flexible in curriculum and strategies; it should be open-minded, holistic, and differentiated with needs of the individual student in mind.
Professional Development and Support:
- It is the responsibility of the district to provide resources (staff, materials, programs, etc) for the gifted students that meet their academic, social and emotional needs.
- In order to support gifted students and deliver appropriate services, opportunities for professional development, training and resources must be provided to our staff.
Service Overview
- Intermediate Gifted Programming Structure, Grades 3-5
- Middle School Gifted Programming Structure, Grades 6-8
Intermediate Gifted Programming Structure, Grades 3-5
The gifted program for third grade is a pull-out program for reading and writing instruction. In third grade, students will be pulled for reading instruction by the gifted teacher two hours per week beginning in late January. This time will be used to set expectations, procedures and create a classroom culture revolving around identity and inclusion as well as begin work in the Wordly Wise vocabulary program.
In fourth and fifth grade, students will be in a replacement reading and writing classroom taught by the Gifted Enrichment teacher for two hours daily. Beginning in fourth grade, Depth and Complexity is used as a foundational framework for units of study. Critical thinking and stamina are developed through in class learning and homework.
Middle School Gifted Programming Structure, Grades 6-8
Program Resources
Units are the foundation in which 3-8 Common Core State Standards are taught with specific instructional strategies being tailored to a gifted learner. Some of these strategies include, but are not limited to, curriculum compacting, tiered tasks, project-based learning, extension, product choice, higher-order thinking activities and assessments, and open-ended questioning.
In addition to District 34 provided ELA curricular resources, supplemental gifted resources include:
| Intermediate Gifted Program | Middle School Gifted Program |
|---|---|
Curriculum
- Reading Instruction; Grades 3-8
- Writing Instruction; Grades 3-8
- Speaking and Listening Instruction; Grades 3-8
- Social and Emotional Learning; Grades 3-8
Reading Instruction; Grades 3-8
Teachers engage students in several units within a year to focus on higher-level literary skills and analysis of literature, going beyond the traditional literal comprehension of texts. Middle school gifted students are introduced to classical literature of the genres of novels, short stories, poetry, Shakespeare text and theater within their units of study.
All units created by the gifted teacher are centered around an essential question. These questions frame the unit being taught, stimulate thought, and provoke inquiry. Units are supplemented with one or several mentor texts as well as a writing component. Formative and summative assessments are embedded in the units organically. When possible, units can be interdisciplinary, collaborating with Social Sciences to give students a common theme and understanding between classrooms.
Independent reading is a key component in a balanced literacy program and is an important pillar in the ELA gifted classroom as well. Independent reading is a time to focus on genre studies with the goal of providing students several different interactions with different genres.
Writing Instruction; Grades 3-8
Students are pushed to go beyond the grade-level expectations of writing and are challenged to gain sophistication in their writing skill set. Within a Writer’s Workshop setting, students are instructed on argumentative, narrative, informational and literary analysis. Students will also experience creative writing opportunities to help foster originality, flexibility, and fluency in out of the box thinking.
Speaking and Listening Instruction; Grades 3-8
Woven into the subjects of reading and writing are several opportunities to focus on speaking and listening standards.
7th and 8th grade students engage in an independent research study which provides opportunity for real-world and organic argumentative and/or informational writing and public speaking opportunities.
Classroom debates are often led by a Socratic seminar in the gifted classroom. Through this type of discussion, students practice how to listen to one another, make meaning and find common ground when participating in a conversation.
The use of Junior Great books also allows students to engage in a shared inquiry experience giving students the opportunity to develop social and emotional intelligence through respectful dialogue and collaboration.
Social and Emotional Learning; Grades 3-8
Knowing that gifted learners have unique characteristics and traits, the ELA Gifted Program has an underlying curriculum of meeting social and emotional needs of its students. Skills like metacognition, executive functioning, time management, independence, and organization are all embedded into units and core instruction.
Identification
District 34 identifies students for gifted programming in third and sixth grade, yet initiation of the identification process begins in winter for fifth grade students and spring for all second grade students.
District 34 uses a two-tiered model of identification, beginning with a universal screening process for all students. Universal screening provides far more opportunities for all students to get into advanced academic programs that may not have been within reach based solely on referral programs or achievement testing. The group-administered CogAT assessment as well as parent teacher input forms provided to all students allows us to consider all students for the gifted identification process.
Third Grade Identification Process
Screening Step Process:
In the spring of second grade, the identification process for the ELA Gifted Program for third grade begins. The screening process includes the collection of data from the CogAT ability assessment, NWEA MAP achievement assessment, and parent and teacher input.
Second grade parents will receive an online parent input form in March to evaluate their child’s creativity and motivation attributes. Teachers will also do the same, assessing the students’ learning and communication habits. This form is optional to fill out; parents only should fill out an input form if they notice their child displaying some of the traits listed on the form.
In April of second grade, all second grade students will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). The CogAT is an aptitude assessment which measures children’s learned reasoning abilities in the three areas most linked to academic success in school: Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal.
In September of third grade, students will take the NWEA MAP assessment for reading and math.
Students who score a 7 or higher on the Gifted Screening Matrix criteria will move onto the Selection Step Process. A letter will be sent home in early October of third grade to parents explaining the selection process.
Selection Step Process:
In the fall of third grade, selected students from the screening process will take three additional assessments to help determine placement into the ELA Gifted Program:
- Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI)
- AIMSWeb Plus Reading Comprehension Battery
- Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)
The WASI will be given to students individually with a school psychologist. The WASI assessment typically takes 90 minutes to complete and needs to be given outside of the school day. This will be scheduled with the school psychologist.
AIMSWeb Plus Reading Comprehension and the TTCT are group-administered assessments that are administered by the three intermediate gifted teachers during the school day. These assessments will typically take around two hours to complete and are completed in late October/early November.
To qualify for the ELA Gifted Program students must score between a 7-14 on the Gifted Identification Matrix. Parents will be notified in December or early January of their child’s placement. Parents of students who do not need the minimum criteria will be given the opportunity to appeal. Third grade students who do qualify for the ELA Gifted Program will begin gifted services in January.
FIFTH GRADE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS
Screening Step Process:
In the fall of fifth grade, the screening process for the ELA Gifted Program for sixth grade begins. The screening process includes a collection of data from the CogAT ability assessment, NWEA MAP achievement assessment and parent and teacher input. All students, regardless of their participation in the 3-5th grade ELA Gifted Program will be re-evaluated for gifted services for middle school.
All fifth grade students will take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in October of fifth grade. Any student who has been in the district has taken this same assessment in second grade as well.
Fifth grade parents will receive an online parent input form in November to evaluate their child’s creativity and motivation attributes. Teachers will do the same; assessing the students’ learning and communication habits. This form is optional to fill out; parents only should fill out an input form if they notice their child displaying some of the traits listed on the form.
In January all fifth grade students will take the NWEA MAP assessment. When looking at students who will qualify for additional testing, the last five NWEA administrations will be looked at, the lowest score dropped and the remaining four scores will be averaged for reading and math assessments.
Averaged NWEA scores, the fifth grade CogAT score and updated parent and teacher input forms will be considered for identification. Students who receive 7 points or more on the matrix will move onto the selection step process. A communication will be emailed home in February explaining the selection step process.
Selection Step Process:
In February, selected students from the screening process will take three additional assessments to help determine placement into the ELA Gifted Program:
- Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI)
- AIMSWeb Plus Reading Comprehension Battery
- Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)
The WASI will be given to students individually with a school psychologist. The WASI assessment typically takes 90 minutes to complete and needs to be given outside of the school day. This will be scheduled with the school psychologist.
An IQ score is a stable score, meaning that this score will not change drastically, if at all, after the age of six or seven. The WASI is believed to be a reliable measure of intelligence meaning that if the assessment is given twice, scores will remain within a specified range consistently. For these reasons, the WASI is only given to students once while in District 34. If your child has already taken the WASI, their original score will be used.
AIMSWeb Plus Reading Comprehension and the TTCT are group-administered assessments that are administered by the three intermediate gifted teachers during the school day. These assessments will typically take around two hours to complete and are completed in late October/early November.
To qualify for the ELA Gifted Program students must score between a 7-14 on the Gifted Identification Matrix. Parents will be notified in March or early April of their child’s placement. Parents of students who do not need the minimum criteria will be given the opportunity to appeal.
Fifth grade students who do qualify for the ELA Gifted Program will begin gifted services at the beginning of their sixth grade year.
Matrix
Timelines
Third Grade Identification
September: Administration of NWEA MAP, identification of students who have moved from the Screening to the Selection Step
October/November: Administration of the WASI, TTCT and AIMSWeb assessments
January: Results sent home, Appeal Committee meets to determine final rosters
February: Students begin third grade gifted programming
Fifth Grade Identification
November: Collect Parent and Teacher input
January: Administration of NWEA MAP, identification of students who have moved from the Screening to the Selection Step
February: Administration of the WASI, TTCT and AIMSWeb assessments
March/April: Results sent home, Appeal Committee meets to determine final rosters
August: Students begin middle school gifted programming
Appeal Process
Should a student not qualify for the gifted program after completing the screening and selection process of the identification program, parents will be given an opportunity to appeal if desired. (We offer no appeal for parents of students who did not advance to the selection process.)
If a parent decides to appeal, they will be responsible for filing out a Parent Narrative on behalf of their child. The classroom teacher will also fill out a Teacher Narrative. These narratives will provide the appeals committee with detailed information on the different qualities the student may have to make them a strong candidate for gifted programming.
An Appeals Committee will gather twice a year, in January and May, to review appeals. The Appeals Committee is made up of a general education classroom teacher, two gifted teachers, one school psychologist and the Gifted Coordinator. The committee members take time prior to the meeting to individually look at each student's data and read over parent and teacher narratives, and then a group discussion regarding each student will occur during the appeals meeting.
During an appeals meeting the committee will review the following:
- Screening and selection assessment data along with historical testing data
- Breakdown of WASI and CogAT ability assessment sub scores
- A current and strong writing sample provided by the teacher
- Parent and Teacher Appeal Narratives
Each decision is made with a tremendous amount of discussion and we have confidence in our decisions to set students up in the best possible academic setting for their needs. The Appeal Committee’s decision will be shared with parents in a communication via email in January (third grade) and May (fifth grade). Decisions that the Appeals Committee makes are final and there are no further opportunities for review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Does my student have to be identified as gifted in order to be placed in honors classes at Glenbrook South High School?
No. There is absolutely no bearing on a student’s high school placement based on whether or not a student was in the gifted program in District 34. High school courses are determined by the P-SAT that students will take in the fall of their eighth grade year as well as articulations between middle school teachers and the high school.
Q) Who can I reach out to to ensure that my child is appropriately challenged?
Your child’s teacher is going to be the first contact for making sure that your child is getting the challenge that they need in the classroom. They will know how your child is growing and their learning needs better than anyone else in the district!
Q) Who can test for the ELA Gifted Program?
All third grade students are considered for placement in the fall, for programming beginning in January. All 5th students are considered for placement in the spring of fifth grade (for placement for the following year).
When the Board of Education approved the gifted program in 2010-2011 they approved a process in our identification called “Rolling Admissions”. This means that a student who did not qualify in the universal screening process in third grade or fifth grade will be looked at in the spring of the “off-testing” years, or 4th, 6th or 7th grades.
Q) My child did not get enough points to move them from the Screening Process to the Selection Step Process. Can I submit an appeal?
No, not at this time. The appeals process was put into place for students who have tested in the selection step process and did not qualify. Utilizing multiple measures in the screening matrix allows us to have several data points on a student in a current moment of time.
Students who do not qualify during a 3rd or 5th grade universal screening window will still have the opportunity in off testing years through the rolling admissions process.
Q) If my child tested but did not qualify for gifted services, do I have to appeal right away or can I wait a year to see how they are doing in the general education placement?
If you choose to appeal for the gifted program, you do not need to do it in the current window that your child was tested in. You may choose to appeal in the spring of any year for consideration for the next academic year. However, you will only be given the opportunity to appeal once for your child in the intermediate grades and once in middle school.
Q) If my child has taken an IQ test outside of the district, can I share that with the district to use in gifted identification?
No. In order to create a fair and equitable identification process, we will only accept the WASI scores that were administered by a District 34 school psychologist.
Q) What if my child was identified as a gifted learner in another district or out of state before we transferred to District 34?
There is no reciprocity between states or school districts for gifted education. Prior to testing in District 34, students’ current test scores will be reviewed to determine if any may be utilized in our screening matrix.
Q) Do you have a cap for students who are admitted into the program?
No. Every cohort and year is unique. We never cap our classrooms and gladly and willingly accept all students who qualify.
Transfer Students
A student’s gifted participation in another school district does not automatically qualify the student for gifted services in District 34 due to criteria varying from district to district and state to state. Students transferring in from another state or school district must qualify using the District 34 identification process.
Once new students have registered in District 34, we can begin to determine if a student would be appropriately placed in the ELA Gifted Program.
The ELA Gifted Program requires students to qualify for programming based on several different criteria, including academic achievement assessments, a group-administered ability assessment and an individually administered abbreviated IQ assessment. Due to the multiple criteria used to determine placement, the process to place a student in our ELA Gifted Program may take up to 90 instructional days.
More information for placing transfer students in the Gifted Enrichment program can be found on the Transfer Student Placement page.
Parent Resources
Quick Links to District 34 Forms
Parent Resources for Gifted Education
- National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
- Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC)
- Northwestern Center for Talent and Development
- SENG-Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted
- 2E News: A Twice-Exceptional Newsletter
- The Davidson Institute for Talent Development
- Bright Child vs. Gifted Learner
- Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
Additional Assessment Information
- CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test)
- AIMSWeb Reading Comprehension
- TTCT (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking)
- WASI (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence)
CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test)
Administered to 2nd grade students in spring and 5th grade students in fall.
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a standardized test designed to measure learned reasoning and problem solving skills. These abilities, acquired both in and out of school, are important because children use them on a daily basis to learn and solve problems. Students take CogAT on their iPads on the Data Manager app.
CogAT is used to aid in placement for advanced math and reading programming.
AIMSWeb Reading Comprehension
The AimsWeb Reading Comprehension assessment was chosen to serve as the group administered achievement assessment for the Gifted Program selection phase. This is another measure in the identification process to assess a student’s understanding of language and reading comprehension, as the Gifted Program is reading and writing based.
TTCT (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking)
The TTCT was chosen as a way to align the district’s belief that gifted children have an innate ability to see the world more deeply and abstractly than their peers. This assessment is a measure of creativity which uses six word-based exercises to assess the three mental characteristics of creativity: fluency, flexibility, and originality.
WASI (Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence)
The WASI was the chosen individually administered ability test for gifted identification. The WASI measures a child’s verbal, nonverbal, and general cognitive functioning yielding three scores: verbal, performance, and full scale. The full-scale score translates into an IQ which is used in the selection process of the district’s gifted identification.
An IQ score is a stable score, meaning that this score will not change drastically, if at all, after the age of six or seven. The WASI is believed to be a reliable measure of intelligence meaning that if the assessment is given twice, scores will remain within a specified range consistently. For these reasons, the WASI is only given to students once while in District 34. If your child has already taken the WASI, their original score will be used.
