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Instruction » Gifted & Talented

Gifted & Talented

 
The South Carolina State Board of Education recognizes the need to provide gifted education services to identified students in grades 1-12. The purpose of the gifted and talented program is to provide appropriate educational services to students from all cultural and ethnic groups across all economic strata who perform or show the potential for performing at high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their same age, experience, and environment. Emphasis is placed on equity of access for all students. 
 
Districts are required to provide services for all gifted and talented students at the elementary and secondary levels. The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) provides an aptitude and an achievement assessment for this purpose.
 
In providing services to meet the needs of the gifted students, the district ensures compliance with all South Carolina state regulations governing the identification procedures of potentially gifted students. Curriculum and instruction is consistent with that defined by current South Carolina regulations governing the operation of state-funded gifted and talented programs and the South Carolina Best Practices Manual.
 
The description of gifted and talented from the National Excellence Report (1995) is as follows:
 
Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment.
 
The mission of gifted education is to maximize the potential of gifted and talented students by providing programs and services that match the unique characteristics and needs of these students.

 

Gifted and talented students are those who are identified as demonstrating high performance ability or potential in academic and/or artistic areas and therefore require educational programming beyond that normally provided by the general school programming in order to achieve their potential.  (From State Regulations, R43-220, 06/28/13)

Gifted and talented students may be found within any racial, ethnic, or socio-economic group; within any nationality, gender; and within populations with disabilities.

The identification of academically gifted and talented students is a multi-step process which consists of screening and referral, assessment of eligibility, and placement. The objective of the grade 2 testing program is to evaluate each student for the purpose of placement into a district gifted and talented program.

The identification of artistically gifted and talented students is a multi-step process which consists of  recommendation by arts teachers, parent notification, audition and screening. This process begins in the winter with identified students enrolled during the following school year.

 
 
Districts are required to provide services for all gifted and talented students at the elementary and secondary levels.  Students are identified for this program by demonstrating high performance ability or potential in academic and/or artistic areas. The South Carolina Department of Education provides an aptitude (CogAT) and an achievement assessment (Iowa) for this purpose. 
 
  • A nationally-normed achievement test (MAP) will be administered in grades 2-8 three times per year.  
 
  • A nationally-normed aptitude (CogAT) and nationally-normed achievement test (Iowa) will be administered in grade 2 during October/November.
 
  • Qualifying 3-5 students will participate in a nationally-normed aptitude (CogAT) test during October/November.
 
  • Students that qualify will participate in Performance Task Assessments (PTA) during February/March.
 
  • State mandated assessment (SC READY) will be administered in grades 3-8 at the end of the school year.
 
 
 
 
In order to qualify for placement in gifted/talented programs, a student must meet the eligibility criteria in TWO out of the following three dimensions:
 
  • Dimension A - Reasoning Ability: Requires students to demonstrate high aptitude (93rd national age percentile or higher) in one or more of these areas: verbal/linguistic, quantitative/mathematical, nonverbal, and/or a composite on a nationally normed aptitude or intelligence test. Scores on the second grade CogAT may be used for this purpose.
 
  • Dimension B - High Achievement in Reading and/or Mathematical Areas: Requires that students demonstrate high achievement in reading and/or mathematical areas (94th national percentile or higher) as measured by a nationally normed or statewide assessment. Scores on the second grade Iowa Assessment may be used for this purpose. 
 
  • Dimension C - Intellectual/Academic Performance: is only applied if student has already met Dimension A or B.
    For placement in grades 3-6, a student must achieve a performance standard set on verbal or non-verbal Performance Task Assessments.     A 3.75 grade point average in the academic disciplines may also be used starting as a rising 6th grader. 
 

Automatic Eligibility for Placement in Grades 3-12: Requires a composite score of 96th percentile or higher on a nationally normed aptitude/reasoning ability test.

Private test results cannot be used for determining student eligibility, although they may be considered for referral purposes (24 S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 43-220.2 (B) (7) (b).

 

Students in grades 3-5 will be placed during the 1st-3rd nine weeks. Students in 2nd grade will be placed during second semester. Middle school students will be placed during first nine weeks.  High school students will be placed upon qualifying.  Parents and schools will be notified in writing when students qualify for gifted and talented services.  Students that qualify for services during the fourth nine weeks will begin the next school year.

In elementary school we deliver gifted and talented services through a pull-out program model with a focus on critical thinking in the content areas of English Language Arts and mathematics.  At middle school and high school, students are served through a special class model in the core content areas of English Language Arts and mathematics based on their area of giftedness.  Prior to entering 6th grade, all state approved data for fifth grade GT qualifiers, who initially qualified in only one area of giftedness, will be reviewed for additional areas of giftedness.  Placement will not change for students who initially qualified in both English Language Arts and mathematics.  

Effective curriculum and instruction for gifted and talented students incorporates the following components: 
 
  • Goals that support mastery of core areas of learning
 
  • Scope and sequence that provide meaningful organization and structure
 
  • Learning experiences organized around complex concepts, themes, and issues
 
  • Challenging, meaningful content that exceeds state and district grade-level standards
 
  • Instruction in the processes of communicating, problem solving, and critical thinking that exceeds state and district grade-level standards
 
  • Instruction in independent learning skills
 
  • Opportunities for worldwide communication and research
 
  • Combination of acceleration and enrichment
 
  • Integrated, relevant assessment of student performance
 
 
 
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