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Gifted and Talented

Click Here for the Gifted and Talented Program Guide

 

Supervisor:

Jennifer Pontarelli

856-783-4763

jpontarelli@magnoliaschools.org

 

A. Identification Procedure
A district-wide assessment of all students in grades K - 8 will begin at the end of each school year and be completed in the beginning of the new school year to determine potential candidates for the Gifted & Talented Program. The criteria used in the district-wide assessment includes, but is not limited to the following:

Grades K-8
Students will be evaluated for identification as candidates for the program using multiple measures: Edmentum Diagnostics, Fastbridge ELA and Math Scores, Classroom Performance, and teacher recommendations. 

B. Transfer Students
Students who transfer into the Magnolia Public School will be screened for eligibility of participation in the Gifted & Talented Program. In order to be eligible for the program, transfer students must meet the established criteria. The data used to determine eligibility will be taken from the cumulative records of the student as well as the current testing results using the district or state standardized tests. If teacher recommendations are needed, the student will not be eligible for the program until one full marking period has been completed, at which time recommendations must be provided by the classroom teacher. Also, the transfer student must meet the requirements cited above.

C. Acceptance into the Program
Grades K-2 will be instructed through differentiation in the classroom in core content areas as appropriate.

Nominated students in grades 3-8 who satisfy the requisite qualifications for entry into the program must successfully complete the following additional requirements to secure acceptance into the program: Teacher recommendation, parent permission.

D. Admission to the Program through Re-evaluation
Students who have demonstrated unusually high performance but have not successfully met the requirements may qualify for retest or further screenings if requested by the administration or the parent.

E. Requirements for Continued Eligibility
Students admitted to the Gifted & Talented Program at any grade level, shall remain active participants through grade 8 unless they fail to perform appropriately. All reasonable efforts will be made to avoid such an event. Reasons for suspending or dismissing a student are: academic drop in performance 

F. Appeal Procedure

A legal guardian may appeal a decision by requesting in writing that the student be re-evaluated for the program in writing stating how the child meets the requirements outlined above.

Upon receipt of the appeal, a meeting will be scheduled with the parent, the program teacher, the homeroom teacher, other teachers, as applicable, and the principal.

The parent shall receive written notification of the outcome of the appeal. The Appeal Committee shall make such a notification.

  1. Performance level in one or more content areas as compared to a chronological level.

  2. Reading/Math Levels

  3. Classroom teacher or parent recommendation.

  4. Attain a score of Advanced Proficient in Math and/or Language Arts on the state standardized tests or district benchmark assessments.

  5. Receive teacher recommendation from the classroom teachers who have instructed the candidate during the current or prior school year.

  6. Report card grades.

  7. Parent recommendation/survey.

  8. Additional benchmark or Data collection test (Grades 1-8 Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3) or OLSAT-8  )

  9. Student interview
    The Gifted & Talented teacher will interview the student individually in order to determine the level of interest and motivation in regard to the participation in the program.

  10. Classroom observation
    The Gifted & Talented teacher will conduct classroom observations.

  11. Parental Permission
    Written parental permission for the student to participate in the program must be provided.

  12. Low achievement in the regular classroom (i.e. D or F in any subject on the report card, or a major subject grade dropping two letter grades in one marking period). Homeroom teachers have the right to hold a student from attending the program due to too many missing assignments, if agreed upon by the Gifted & Talented teacher.

  13. Disruptive behavior.

  14. Continued inability to emotionally handle the challenges of the program.