The following procedures are used in the identification of gifted students.

Screening

The district will provide preliminary screening for all students to ensure that all potentially gifted students have an opportunity for consideration.  Date to be considered during the initial screening process may include, but are not limited to:

1. Information contained in the permanent record.
2. Norm-referenced and criterion-referenced achievement test results.
3. Grades.
4. Group administered intelligence tests.
5. Recommendations from teachers, parents and other personnel.
6. Anecdotal records demonstrating creativity or problem solving skills.
7. Other district developed criteria.

The district will use a variety of screening methods that reduce the chance of bias and provide an opportunity to identify the strengths of all students, including those traditionally under-represented such as students with limited English proficiency, students from culturally diverse backgrounds and students with learning disabilities.

Further evaluation

The district will target approximately 10-20 percent of the students initially screened for further evaluation.  Students in the targeted group will be further evaluated by a more expansive application of the criteria above.

Individual evaluation

Approximately 10 percent of the remaining group will be targeted for individual evaluation.  Students will be individually evaluated in at least three of the following four areas:

1. General Mental Ability—including a full-scale score on an individualized intelligence test at or above the 95^th percentile.
2. Academic Ability—including a norm-referenced test with a cut-off score at the 95^th percentile or higher.
3. Creativity, Reasoning and Problem Solving Ability—including a minimum score of 30 on the WINGS Reasoning/Problem Solving Assessment and a score of 14 or above on the Gifted Evaluation Scale.
4. District-developed criteria—including Performance Nominations supported by documented performance by persons from two or more of the following groups: teachers, parents, peers, counselors or other school personnel whose evaluations are recognized by school officials.  Outstanding performance in a general academic area can be used as a basis for nominations.  A grade point average of B or above and/or a score of 36 or above on the Student Behavior Checklist may be used as a basis for nomination.

Selection and Placement

Students who meet at least three of the four evaluation criteria may be enrolled in the district’s gifted program.  However, no more than five percent of the enrollment in the school(s) or grade level(s) to be served shall be placed in any state-assisted program unless the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has granted prior permission.  If more than five percent of the total population meet at least three of the four evaluation criteria, those students who are most in need of services will be placed in the gifted program.