Gifted Screening Process
I think my child may be gifted, what should I do?
If you believe your child is gifted, the very first thing you should do is talk to the teacher. The teacher is always the first step, and a great resource of information about how your child learns. As a parent, you are the best expert on your child... but the teacher is the second best. Your child's classroom teacher watches as they learn new concepts, masters understanding and extends that new knowledge into other areas. When talking to your child's teacher, compare how you see your child at home to the performance within the classroom. If the classroom teacher and parent agree, a written request by the parent or a completed gifted referral form by the teacher should be submitted to the school counselor.
What will the school do?
When a parent or teacher feels that a child may be gifted, the School Counselor will "screen" the child using the Kauffman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT). The results of this screening are discussed with the parent and the teacher. Teachers and parents may also be asked to complete checklists that look for observed traits common to gifted children. All of the information gathered is reviewed and it is determined if the child should have a psychoeducational evaluation. Parents will be notified by letter of their child's screening results. If the child qualifies for further psychoeducational evaluation, the parent is asked to sign permission for the School Counselor to perform a gifted multidisciplinary evaluation.
As part of the GMDE, the School Psychologist will set-up a time to administer the WISC-IV or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th Edition. This is a widely used IQ test to determine a child's overall ability level. The School Psychologist will contact parents after the evaluation to explain the results and determine how to proceed.