Gifted Support

Notice of Parental Rights for Gifted Students:

This notice describes parent/guardian rights and the procedures that safeguard your rights as outlined in Chapter 16 of the State Board of Education's Regulations (22 Pa Code). These regulations require school districts to provide gifted education services to students who have been identified as gifted and in need of specially designed instruction. These services must be described in a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP).

Gifted Identification Process:

The Instructional Support Team identifies school age children in need of specially designed instruction through screenings of group-based data, school health records, cumulative achievement records, and hearing/vision/speech screenings. If screening results suggest a student is in need of special services, the district seeks parental consent to conduct a professional evaluation to begin services.

Parents may also request an evaluation to determine if their child is exceptional and in need of gifted education services by contacting their child's teacher or school counselor. Pennsylvania regulations state that a child is mentally gifted if the child has an IQ of 130 or higher. Students with IQ's lower than 130 may also be eligible for gifted services when multiple criteria strongly indicate gifted ability. Pennsylvania's multiple criteria include the following:

• The student is a year or more above grade achievement level for the normal age group in one or more academic subjects as measured by nationally-normed and validated achievement tests able to accurately reflect gifted performance.
• The student has an observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability
• The student has demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one or more academic areas as evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio or research, as well as criterion-referenced team judgment.
• The student has demonstrated early and measured use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude or technology expertise.
• There are not intervening factors such as English as a second language, disabilities, gender or race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation masking gifted abilities.
When your request is received, it will be referred to the school’s Child Study Team. The school district will provide notice regarding whether it will proceed with an evaluation.

Please utilize the link below to access the Chapter 16 Guidelines of PA Code related to Gifted Programming: http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/022/chapter16/chap16toc.html

If you have questions related to gifted programming please contact the principal of your child's building or Mrs. Murphy, Director of Special Education.