SBISD Elementary
G/T Screening
Grades Kindergarten - 5
Fall Identification on All Campuses
Created by Karen M. Fitzgerald, G/T Specialist
Core Beliefs
We believe there are gifted and talented individuals in
every ethnic population and socioeconomic group in
our school district.
We believe there are methods of identifying our underrepresented populations that need to be explored and
piloted.
We believe that by identifying and serving our gifted and
talented students early, we help pave the road to
academic success for them in middle school, high
school, and college.
G/T Education in Texas
Subchapter D. Educational Programs for Gifted and
Talented Students
Section 29.121. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, “gifted
and talented student” means a child or youth who
performs at or shows the potential for performing at a
remarkably high level of accomplishment when
compared to others of the same age, experience or
environment and who:
(1) exhibits high performance capability in an
intellectual, creative, or artistic area;
(2) possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or
(3) excels in a specific academic field.
Who Are The Gifted?
 They are intellectually curious,
innovative, and playful with ideas.
 They enjoy the challenge and
involvement of intellectual and
creative tasks.
 They prefer complex tasks and process
information in complex ways.
 They generate many ideas and multiple
solutions to problems.
Who Are The Gifted?
 They seek out challenge.
 They develop basic learning
skills earlier.
 They have a keen and sometimes
unique sense of humor.
 Frequently they are single-minded
in pursuit of that which captures
their interest and are sometimes
difficult to redirect into other
activities.
Bright Child vs. Gifted Learner
 Knows the answers
 Asks the questions
 Top group
 Beyond the group
 Enjoys peers
 Prefers adults
 Enjoys school
 Enjoys learning
 Is receptive
 Is intense
 Learns with ease
 Already knows
 6-8 repetitions for
mastery
 1-2 repetitions for
mastery
How Do We Find Them?
 Nomination by teacher or parent
 Cognitive abilities tests are given.
 Teacher surveys are completed.
 Parent surveys are completed.
 Small portfolio of work samples is
gathered by teacher and/or parent.
 A matrix of the G/T information is
completed with both objective and
subjective data.
How Do We Find Them?
 Test scores for children may
fluctuate according to such varied
factors as:
– Fatigue
– Emotional State
– Test motivation
– Richness of living environment
– Age…the younger the child, the
more difficult it can be to get a
reliable test score.
G/T Committee Meetings
 G/T committees meet on
each elementary campus.
 G/T trained educators select
top candidates.
 G/T Committee decides: “Does this child
need services that the schools don’t
normally provide?”
 Students with highest scores, both
objective and subjective, are top
candidates for G/T services.
 There are no quotas.
How Do We Serve Them?
 First, we need to formally
identify them for a
“General Intellectual Ability
(GIA)” program.
 Next, we provide a nurturing
and challenging environment
within the elementary classroom setting.
 Our advanced curriculum reflects the best
practices in G/T education.
 We strive to serve a representative G/T
population within SBISD.
How Do We Serve Them?
 G/T students in grades K-5 are clustergrouped in a classroom with a G/T trained
teacher.
 G/T students in grades 3, 4, and 5, attend
enrichment classes at Bendwood SPIRAL one
day each week.
 Some Primary Gifted Program (PGP) students
participating in our pilot have a campus pullout program for K-2.
 Other PGP students receive G/T instruction in
the regular classroom with a G/T teacher.
Cluster Grouping
Purpose:
 Provide for nurturing,
challenging environment
every day for G/T students
 Meet special needs of G/T student
 Meet TEA requirements-placement with
G/T certified teacher
 Enhance home campus program
Note: We found extensive support for this in best practices
research, literature, and from our experts
Cluster Grouping
Guidelines:
 5-8 G/T students in same classroom
 Recognize and provide for variations in
student abilities
 G/T certified teacher who works effectively
with G/T students
 Teacher who will consistently differentiate
the curriculum
 Presented to SBISD elementary principals
with excellent response
Gifted children come in
countless varieties…
 Gifted children, due to unique
characteristics, have needs which
must be met by educators, parents,
and the community.
 Gifted children will not “make it on
their own.”
How do I nominate a child?
Talk to the child’s teacher about what he or she
is seeing in the classroom that might
indicate giftedness in your child.
Contact the counselor by phone or email to
make a referral before the deadline.
Begin to gather a small portfolio of work
samples which demonstrate academic
performance above grade level.
What the teacher will do…
 May nominate a few students
for G/T screening
 Completes teacher survey for nominated
candidates in his or her classroom
 May suggest portfolio items to include
 Conferences with parent regarding gifted
nomination
What the parents will do…
 May nominate a child
 Completes the parent
survey
 Gathers items for the
small portfolio of
sample work
 Conferences with teacher regarding
characteristics of gifted the teacher
sees in the child
Elementary Counselors
 Your contact for all information about G/T
screening and identification
 Coordinate all G/T testing on campus
 Gather completed portfolios for nominated
students
 Distribute and collect teacher and parent
surveys
 Chair campus G/T committee to score
portfolios, choose nominees, and finalize
all details of the G/T screening process
Further Contact
Information
 Karen Fitzgerald, G/T District Representative,
713-365- 4820
karen.fitzgerald@springbranchisd.com
 Helen Wehring, Advanced Academic Services
Administrative Assistant, 713-365-4820
helen.wehring@springbranchisd.com
 Lynne Luberger, HCE Counselor, 713-365-4930
lynne.luberger@springbranchisd.com
 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented
(TAGT), 512-499-8248
 Texas Education Association (TEA), Austin,
TX, 512-463-9581
Questions?