Identification Process

Steps for  Gifted Education Identification in Cañon City Schools

Identification gate

 

 

 

 

*Our school district has local control over identification and follows the protocol set forth by the Colorado Department of Education.

Where to begin:

  1. There are two testing windows this year: October 13th, 2022 and February 16th, 2023
  2. Teachers are made aware of testing windows during the first week of school. Teachers, parents, administrators, community members, and/or students may request a candidate for identification testing. At referral, a body of evidence  (BOE) to include all domains of giftedness is considered, to include: STAR scores (consistently in 95th percentile), state assessments (exceptional/distinguished) and sustained high grades inend of unit assessments.  Qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources and multiples years is considered. A KOI can be use to monitor for approximately six weeks, and the student should not have been given a CogAT within the last year as it skews the results. It should be noted that not meeting criteria on a single assessment does not prevent further consideration for identification.
  3. Once a name is given to a GT specialist, a SIGS (Scale for Identifying Gifted Students) is given to parents and teachers to complete. Permission for testing needs to be approved and signed by parents.  All paperwork must be returned before end of the testing window dates (above).
  4. Once the testing window closes, students will be scheduled for testing within two weeks.

NOTE: all second grade students in Cañon City Schools are universally screened in the spring each school year to ensure equal and equitable access for students of all populations.

What happens with the testing results:

  1. Students that have a BOE at or above the 95th percentile and/or an exceptional/distinguished rating will be identified in an area of giftedness:
    • General/Specific Intellectual Ability
    • Academic Aptitude: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, World Language
    • Talent Aptitude: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Musical, Dance, Psychomotor Abilities
    • Creative or Productive Thinking
    • Leadership Abilities
  2. All scores are added to a determination sheet and  the GT determination team reviews each student case by case. Formal identification will be made within 30 days of test occurrence. To ensure portability in Colorado, Cañon City Schools closely follows all state guidelines for identification.
  3. All scores are loaded into the ENRICH platform (online database).
  4. Parents will be notified (letter) as to what determination was made by the GATE department. *A copy of this letter will be added to each student’s permanent file and also given to the referring teacher.
  5. Parent permission for provision of GATE services will be given by signature. Infinite Campus  will be flagged for each newly identified student and a blue GT identification slip added to their cumulative file at each school.
  6. Parents will be invited to attend a Welcome New Families evening to understand the identification results and to learn additional facts about the GATE program in Cañon City Schools.

How an ALP is developed:

  1. Once a student is identified, an Advanced Learning Plan will be written. *If this is at the end of the year then the ALP can be written in the fall before September 30th. An ALP will be written within 30 days of formal determination.
  2. Classroom teachers will be asked to meet with the student and write an academic goal.
  3. Students will be interviewed to determine personal interests as well as academic and social-emotional (affective) goals.
  4. A GT specialist will compile the ALP and host a meeting with all stakeholders to receive input. *The ALP is a living document and can be modified throughout the school year to fit a student’s individual needs.
  5. Discussions around ALP goals with students and teachers will take place frequently throughout the school year.
  6. At the end of the year, students will be asked to reflect on their progress and begin considering new goals for the following year.
  7. If a child moves during the school year, the ALP and necessary documentations will follow him/her to the new school.