Gifted & Enrichment Education Overview
Identification Process, Plans, Services, & Review Committee
Gifted and enrichment education must first serve the students identified as gifted. The gifted education teacher then provides enrichment opportunities for whole classes as well as for small groups of students. These enrichment groups are formed based on criteria specific to the particular unit of study. Student participation in enrichment groups will vary. In addition, the elementary gifted education teacher offers support to general education classroom teachers regarding differentiation strategies.
The Gifted Identification Process for K-5 students is as follows:
- Students are identified through a Phase I and Phase II process.
- A teacher, parent, administrator, and/or a student may initiate this process.
- Phase I includes observational data, student work samples, direct authentic student assessments, and a parent meeting. If there is not ample evidence to continue, the process can end with Phase I.
- If Phase I yields ample evidence, then Phase II begins. Phase II consists of gathering data through formal social-emotional and intellectual assessments.
- After a team – which includes parents, building principal, general education teacher, social worker, psychologist, and gifted education teacher – thoroughly studies this data, some students are identified as gifted and receive gifted education plans (GEP).
- The gifted education teacher, in collaboration with appropriate staff, is responsible for writing and implementing these gifted education plans.
The identification process for middle school English or Humanities placement is as follows:
- A 5th grade screening process is conducted to determine which students should participate in a formal identification process for middle school Humanities placement.
- A matrix consisting of various test data and professional input helps to identify students for the identification process. Students with special and unique circumstances may be identified to participate in the identification process through professional judgment and classroom performance rather than a matrix.
- Students participating in the formal identification process for Humanities participate in a fifth grade literature unit at their home school.
- Students participating in the Humanities identification process will provide an authentic writing sample and will take a test with other 5th graders in the process for the opportunity to display higher level thinking.
- A matrix combining and totaling test data, authentic writing, and professional input determine final placement for middle school English or Humanities classes. Placement notification is mailed home by the end of April.
- Placement appeals are made to the District 112 Review Committee. Parental observation forms, student data, student work samples, and authentic writing are considered in reviewing placement appeals. For additional information, contact the Review Committee Facilitator, Learning Coordinator for Curriculum & Instruction, Kathy Gerber. The District 112 Review Committee may meet four to five times per school year.
- Students new to District 112 who request placement need to complete the District 112 Review Process for placement consideration.
The District 112 Review Process:
- The District 112 Review Committee – administrators, teachers, gifted education teachers, psychologists, learning coordinators, and a gifted education consultant, as appropriate – convenes throughout the school year to study very unique student cases that require special considerations.
- These special considerations might include appealing/seeking placement or services, grade acceleration, a gifted education plan, and/or the need to attend another grade or school for part or all of the school day.
- The Review Committee also hears placement and service appeals made by teachers, administrators, parents, or middle school students who may seek placement re-consideration. When new evidence is available, middle school students may apply more than once for Humanities placement throughout grades six through eight.
- Review Committee decisions are shared in writing with parents, teachers, and school administrators.
Questions? Please contact Kathy Gerber, Review Committee Facilitator,
847-432-1720.