How are Students Identified for the Gifted Program?
HOW ARE STUDENTS IDENTIFIED FOR THE GIFTED PROGRAM?
Most students are referred by a teacher, but parents and others may also refer learners for gifted program screening.
Referred students are screened at the school by completing a standardized paper and pencil group intelligence test. Those students who score at a high level on the group test are scheduled for a lengthier and in-depth evaluation by a school psychologist.
A school psychologist administers an individualized test of intelligence to determine a student’s intellectual ability. In Florida, a student must score two standard deviations above the mean or higher in order to meet the intellectual criterion for the gifted program.
In conjunction with the psychologist’s testing, a checklist of gifted student behavioral characteristics is completed by one or more teachers familiar with the student. All information is then reviewed by an eligibility staffing committee at the school to determine if the student has a need for the gifted program and meets eligibility criteria.
Parents may also choose to contract with a private psychologist for their child's evaluation. The private psychologist must be licensed. When a licensed private psychologist is used, the child’s school psychologist will review copies of the evaluation. The staffing committee will then determine eligibility according to the same criteria mentioned above.