Chapter 16 Highlights

A presentation for Octorara School DistrictMarch 30, 2010

Octorara SD

• What is your mission statement?

Top 10 things….

• NAGC reference

Basic Information

• Newest version adopted in January 2008.

• Areas of change• SD strategic plans• Compliance monitoring• Evaluations/reevaluations• GMDT• GIEP• Caseloads of gifted teachers• Due process

School District Strategic Plan

• Process for identifying gifted children and in need of SDI• Multiple criteria important

• Outline of gifted programs offered

• Reports of students, personnel and program elements* to PDE (including costs)

• How student needs are met• Enrichment

• Acceleration

• Both

SD Gifted Program• Required to provide “awareness”

activities• Annually• Inclusive of all parents and children in

school district• Multiple outlets to obtain information• Requirement to “find” gifted children

PDE Supervision• Required to conduct cyclical on-site compliance

monitoring

• Must establish a complaint procedure for parents to file complaints and school districts to respond

• Must develop a BEC to outline compliance monitoring process and schedule for the process**• Evaluation elements and criteria• Procedure• SD response to findings• Resolution of findings

• By October 1 of each year, must file a report to Pa Board of Education • number of complaints and disposition of those

complaints• compliance monitoring schedule and results of

monitoring

Gifted Multidisciplinary

Evaluation (GMDE)• Must be conducted by a gifted multidisciplinary team (GMDT)• Student’s parents• School psychologist*• 1 or more of child’s present teachers• Person(s) familiar with student’s

educational experience and performance• Person(s) trained in appropriate

evaluation techniques• Possibly, person(s) familiar with child’s

cultural background.

GMDE

• Schools must have a form readily available for parents who want their child to be evaluated for gifted services• Parent must be provided with form within

10 days of oral request.

• GMDT must include its recommendations for a student’s educational programming in written form.

GMDE

• Evaluation must be completed within 60 calendar days after school receives written permission for evaluation from parent.• 60 days does not include days off in the

summer.

• SD’s can refuse parent requests for evaluations/reevaluations by issuing a NORA• Documents reason for refusal

Identifying Students/Evaluations• IQ of 130 or higher***

• Memory or processing speed deficiencies cannot be sole basis for ineligibility

• IQ lower than 130 may be admitted• Other criteria strongly indicate gifted

ability• GAI as alternative to FSIQ

Other “gifted” criteria

• 1 year or above grade level achievement for their normal age group in one or more subjects

• Observed or measured rate of acquisition or retention of new material

• Excellence of products, portfolio or research

• Early and measured use of HOTS, creativity, leadership, intense academic interest, communication skills, foreign language skills, or technology skills

Reevaluations

• Similar language as to GMDT team’s initial evaluation process- 60 days.

• Must include:• Review of GIEP• Determination of successful instructional activities• Recommendations for revision of GIEP

GIEP (Gifted Individualized Instructional

Plan)

• Gifted and Disability (Chapter 14)= 1 single IEP

• Teacher of gifted must be on GIEP team.

• Must be based on GMDT’s written report.

• Must include anticipated frequency and location of gifted services.

• School must notify all teachers who are responsible to carry out SDI outlined in GIEP

GIEP• PLEP (Present levels of educational performance)

must be included in initial and all other GIEP revisions.• Will be used to determine gifted student’s needs

• GIEP meeting required to occur at request of:• GIEP team member• Parent• Student• School district

• Written invitation to GIEP meeting must be issued at least 10 days in advance (procedures as with chapter 14)

GIEP team

• Student’s parents

• Student*

• Representative of the district **

• 1 or more of child’s present teachers

• Teacher of the gifted

• Others????

GIEP

• Must be developed within 30 days after GMDT’s written report

• Must be implemented no more than 10 days after signed or at start of next school year*

• Re-written at least annually

GIEP Samples

• Elementary

• Middle school

Teacher Caseload

• Total number of gifted students for individual gifted teacher reduced from 75 to 65 as of July 1, 2010.

• Total number of gifted students for individual gifted teacher’s class roster remains at 20.

Due process hearings

• Eliminates 2 tier hearing process• Direct appeal to Commonwealth Court

instead of appeals panel within 30 days of hearing officer decision

• Student remains in “current” placement until outcome of hearing unless SD and parents decide otherwise.

Due Process Hearings

• SD may request hearings to proceed with evaluations/reevaluations when parent fails to respond to request

• SD may request due process hearing when parent rejects SD changes in placement

• SD may not request due process hearing or mediation if parent refuses/fails to respond to initiation of gifted services.

Acronym Guide

• SD- School district

• SDI- Specially designed instruction

• PDE- Pennsylvania Department of Education

• GMDT- Gifted Multidisciplinary Team

• GIEP- Gifted Individualized Education Program

• BEC- Basic Education Circular

• FSIQ – Full Scale IQ Score

• GAI – General Abilities Index

• NORA- Notice of Recommended Assignment

• PLEP- Present Levels of Educational Performance

References• Andrew Faust. The New Chapter 16: A Summary

of Key Changes in the Regulations Governing Gifted Education in Pennsylvania. March 2008

• Pennsylvania Department of Education. Gifted Education. http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/Gifted_Education/7393/

• Pennsylvania Association for the Gifted- PAGE-http://www.penngifted.org – New PAGE helpline number 888-736-6443