Industrial Independent School District

Gifted and Talented Program

District Handbook

Mr. Tony Williams, Superintendent Revised 6/11/13

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Gifted and Talented Guide for Parents ………………………………………………………… 3 Industrial ISD Gifted and Talented Program ………………………………………………………4-7 *District Policy …………………………………………………………………………...5

*Elementary ………………………………………………………………………………6-7 *Secondary ………………………………………………………………………………..7

G/T Testing Timeline ............................................................. ………………………………8

G/T News Article……………………………………………………………………………9

Teacher Referral…………………………………………………………………………….10

Parent Referral Response Form ............................................. ………………………………11-13

Gifted and Talented Identification Profile K – 5……………………………………………14-16

Gifted and Talented Identification Profile 6-12……………………………………………..16-17

GT acceptance letter………………………………………....................................................18

accompanied by Parent Permission Form………......................................................19

GT “…regret to inform you…” letter………………………….............................................20

Notification of Furlough or Exit from GT…………………..................................................21

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A GIFTED AND TALENTED GUIDE FOR PARENTS This handbook was compiled for the parents of gifted and talented students in Industrial Independent School District to assist in better understanding and supporting unique children. Being parents of a gifted and talented student(s) can be quite a challenge. The District hopes this will be a useful guide to help your child use his/her talents to realize their potential and become healthy, happy contributors to society. Parents are encouraged to contact the campus administrator, campus G/T teacher, or the campus counselor if there are questions regarding the Gifted and Talented Program. Parents' collaboration with the school is extremely important to assist the school in determining an effective and relevant course of study for the gifted students. The program is built on high expectations that provides depth and complexity, which are commensurate with gifted and talented students' vast abilities. Together, parents and the school can effectively achieve a quality education for these remarkable young people. Definition: (from advisory panel on Public Law 91-230, Section § 806, U.S., Texas Education Code Subchapter D. Sec. § 29.121, 122, 123.) "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.

School districts shall provide an array of appropriately challenging learning experiences for Gifted and Talented students in grades 1 through 12 that emphasize content from the four (4) academic areas and shall inform parents of the opportunities. (19 TEC § 89.3)

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INDUSTRIAL ISD G/T PROGRAM

Curriculum and instruction shall meet the needs of gifted students by modifying the depth, complexity, and pacing of the general school program. Goal: To advocate and provide appropriate educational opportunities for Industrial ISD Gifted

and Talented students in a nurturing environment in which their special abilities are recognized, valued, and supported by:

Objectives:

1. Promoting the development of self actualization, and improved assessment procedures to identify potentially Gifted and Talented students,

2. Designing the resources and strategies needed to deliver services to Gifted and Talented students,

3. Seeking a cooperative effort with educators, parents, and community members to understand, accept, and support Gifted and Talented Students and their programs,

4. Developing and implementing differentiated and integrated programs and curricula to

challenge students, and

5. Valuing multiculturalism, multilingualism, and diversity. Outcome: Gifted and Talented students at Industrial ISD reach their potential and become productive, ethical citizens in a global community in order to improve and enrich society. Depth and Complexity: The Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented students (2000) defines depth as follows:

• exploration of content within a discipline;

• analyzing from the concrete to the abstract, familiar to the unfamiliar, known to the unknown;

• exploring the discipline by going past facts and concepts into generalizations, principles,

theories, laws; and

• investigating the layers of experience within a discipline through details, patterns, trends, unanswered questions, ethical considerations (13). The plan defines complexity as follows:

• extending content in, between, and across disciplines through the study of themes, problems, and issues;

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• seeing relationships between and among ideas in/within the topic, discipline, and/or disciplines;

• examining relationships in, between, and across disciplines; and

• examining relationships in, between, and across disciplines over time, and from multiple

points of view.

DISTRICT POLICY

District Nomination Process Students may be nominated in the Fall for the Gifted and Talented program by teachers, parents, counselors, or other interested persons. Contact the campus principal or counselor for a nomination packet. A newspaper article will be placed in a local newspaper(s) in August. Transfers/New Students With proper testing verification from their previous school, transfer students or new students to the district shall qualify for all levels of the district's gifted program. With documentation of qualitative and quantitative testing procedures from the previous school, IISD will serve any student identified G/T in another district. Students not G/T identified may choose to enroll in the Honors/Plus/Pre-AP/AP classes (grades 6 through12), if their GPA/grades and self-motivation suggest they are capable of the depth, complexity, and fast-pace of the advanced classes. Exit Procedures Students' performance in the program will be monitored continually during each school year. A student shall be removed from the program at any time the teacher(s), and/or parent determines it is in the student's best interest, or at such time that an appropriate grade average is not maintained. If a student and/or parent requests removal from the program, the district shall honor that request after a Furlough or Exit Form is completed; it will be filed in the student’s permanent record.

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INDUSTRIAL ELEMENTARY GIFTED/TALENTED PROGRAM Elementary G/T Program Design 1. G/T students will meet weekly for depth/complexity in the curriculum. 2. Themes will be designed by a G/T teacher. Membership will consist of teachers working with the G/T students. 3. Themes will cross all four academic areas in content and provide depth and complexity. 4. A parent or teacher may re-nominate a student for G/T testing after a two year window of time

has lapsed. If tested in the 2011-2012 year, the student is eligible for retesting (at Industrial) in 2013-2014. Allowing time for student’s mental and academic growth is important, since the goal is to

see an increase in scores. 5. All students identified as G/T in 5th grade will be offered the opportunity to enroll in any or all of the Honors/Plus classes at Industrial Junior High. If the student is G/T identified, the student must enroll in at least one Honors class. If once enrolled, the student is not showing academic success, the parent may furlough the student out of the G/T program for one year. After that year, the student may enroll in any one of the Honors classes and remain in the G/T program. However, if in the year after the furlough, the student is taking all regular classes, the parent will sign the exit form G/T letter. Screening will depend upon recommendations from the 5th grade teachers, the student’s average in the subject for his/her 5th grade year, and parent recommendation; additionally, consideration will be given to the student’s scores on his/her STAAR 5th grade tests. Any student wishing to be served in an Honors Social Studies class at the junior high will be served through super-extension activities in the general classroom. Elementary G/T Organization The composition of the G/T committee consists of G/T certified teachers, the Principal, and the campus counselor. Responsibilities of Elementary G/T Teachers 1. Serves the G/T students who have been identified as needing an alternative environment to meet their special needs for differentiated curriculum. 2. Plans themes of study in the areas of depth/complexity (see definition). Elementary G/T Time Frame 1. G/T instruction will begin during the first three weeks of the school year.

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2. Length of themes will be determined by the G/T teacher and the classroom teachers based on developmental level of the students being served. 3. The District G/T Committee (all four campus G/T committees) will meet together within the first six weeks of the second semester with central administrative staff to coordinate district- wide identification, planning, and implementation. Any students identified will begin classes by February 1st. 4. Identified G/T students that transfer into the district will immediately enter the program. Elementary G/T Evaluation 1. Parents will be notified each six weeks as to the G/T activities in which identified students have been involved. 2. G/T program design is periodically reviewed by the Superintendent, Gifted and Talented certified administrators, and Gifted and Talented certified teachers.

INDUSTRIAL SECONDARY GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAM

Secondary G/T Program Design 1. G/T students will be served in English, Math, Science, and/or Social Studies classes. Students in grades 6 through 8 will be served in Honors/Plus classes; students in grades 9 through 12 will be served in Pre-AP/AP (Advanced Placement) classes. Secondary G/T Organization The composition of the G/T Committee consists of G/T certified teachers, the Principal, and the campus counselor. Responsibilities of Secondary G/T Teachers 1. Serves the G/T identified students to meet their needs for differentiated curriculum. 2. Classroom instruction will be driven by depth, complexity, and pacing to challenge students’ needs. Secondary G/T Evaluation Numerical grading will be used in all advanced classes. No additional points will be added at junior high; see the Student Handbook (Grading Policy) for additional-point information at the high school level.

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G/T TESTING TIMELINE ISIP (Grades K, 1, 2) – Consider students for G/T if they max out on the initial administration. Three administrations are required: Beginning of the year window = September 17 – September 28 Middle of the year window = January 3 through January 30 End of the year window = May 12 through May 16 STAR (Grades 1-8) – test to establish a reading level

Fall semester window = 1st six weeks Spring semester window = 6th six weeks

TONI (Grade 1) complete by the end of Sept. (tested by the counselor with parent permission) KOI (Grades K through 8) completed during the 2nd six wks. (completed by classroom teachers) SAGES (only those nominated) tested as nominated (by counselor) PEABODY (6-12) -- as needed tested as nominated (by counselor) Teacher Nomination (K-12)

Renzulli / Hartman Due in Campus Counselor’s office by the end of the 2nd Six Weeks Parent Nomination (K-12) Renzulli / Hartman

Due in Campus Counselor’s office by the end of 2nd Six Weeks Campus G/T teachers will meet by the third week of January each year to discuss placement of students in the Industrial ISD G/T program and to review and update the current G/T list.

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News Article to be run the last week in August

Industrial Independent School District Seeking G/T Students

The Industrial Independent School District is in the process of identifying Kindergarten through twelfth grade students for the district’s Gifted and Talented Program designed to meet the needs of students according to the state’s definition of a “student who, by virtue of outstanding mental abilities, is capable of high performance. The student may demonstrate, singularly or in combination, above-average achievement or potential in such areas as general intellectual ability, specific subject matter aptitude…” The Industrial ISD serves identified students in grades K-5 using a general intellectual approach and in 6-12 in the content areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. After a student is nominated, he/she must meet Board approved district criteria based on screening documents and committee review. Any parent or teacher who chooses to nominate a student in grades K-12 may do so by completing the nomination form. Parents may secure a nomination form and characteristics of a gifted and talented student from the campus principal where their student(s) attends.

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INDUSTRIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT Gifted and Talented

TEACHER REFERRAL FORM

Directions: Consider the students you currently teach in light of the characteristics attached to this form. Complete the following information on each student who, in your opinion, fulfills the IISD definition of a gifted and talented student. Area(s) of Additional Potential Contact Name School Grade Giftedness* Person** ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ ______________ ____________ ______ _____________ _________ *IISD currently serves G/T pupils in only three areas: Insert the number of numbers of the area(s) in which this pupil is gifted:

1. General intellectual ability 2. Specific subject matter aptitude 3. Creative/productive thinking ability

**This should be the name of another educator in your building who knows and works with or has worked with this student. __________________________________ Teacher’s Signature Date __________________________________ School _________________________________ Grade level Subject Matter

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Parent Referral Response Form

Industrial Independent School District

Grades K-12 Student’s Name________________________________Grade ________________ Last First Middle Student SS#________________________________ School ___________________ Teacher ____________________________________________________________ Student Birth date _______________ Sex ______ Student’s Age _____________ Parent’s Name _______________________________________________________ Parent’s Address _________________________________ Phone # ____________ Street City Zip Dear Parent, Your child is being considered for referral to the Industrial ISD Gifted and Talented program. Students who are selected by the district screening committee will be eligible for G/T services beginning ______________________. To assist with this process please complete and sign the form and return to your child’s teacher no later than the end of the second six weeks. Sincerely, Campus Counselor __________ I DO want my child tested for possible identification as a gifted and talented student in Industrial ISD. If my child is identified I do want my child to receive G/T services. ___________ At this time I DO NOT want my child tested for possible identification as a Gifted and Talented student in the Industrial ISD. ______________________________ Parent Signature _______________________________ Date If you do want your child to be tested, please complete the remainder of the form. If you do not, stop here and return the form to your child’s teacher.

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Parent Referral Response Form

Instructions: Circle the appropriate number to reflect your child’s typical performance: 5= Exceptional; 4=More than average; 3=Average; 2=Somewhat; 1=Not at all. UNDERSTANDING SELF 1. This student is able to estimate his/her own strengths and weaknesses realistically. 5 4 3 2 1

2. He/She feels a sense of personal wealth. 5 4 3 2 1

3. To what extent would you describe him/her as “self-accepting”? 5 4 3 2 1

LOVE OF LEARNING 4. Does he/she seem to value learning for its own sake. 5 4 3 2 1

5. He/she seems to have a “need to know.” 5 4 3 2 1

6. Does he/she place too great a value on obtaining high grades for their own sake? 5 4 3 2 1

SOCIAL CONSCIENCE 7. He/she shows regard for less bright, younger, or otherwise “different” children. 5 4 3 2 1

8. He/she treats others with respect regardless of their status, color, or creed. 5 4 3 2 1

9. If he/she sensitive to the feelings and needs of others? 5 4 3 2 1

TOLERANCE FOR AMBIGUITY 10. Does he/she seem to feel comfortable with situation which may not have “right” or “wrong” answers? 5 4 3 2 1

11. He/she is willing to make up his/her own mind. 5 4 3 2 1

12. He/she is willing to consider more than one solution to a problem. 5 4 3 2 1

CREATIVE THINKING 13. Originality is frequently characteristic of his/her ideas. 5 4 3 2 1

14. There is an imaginative quality to his/her work. 5 4 3 2 1

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QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF PRODUCTION 15. Do you consider his/her intellectual productivity adequate in quantity? 5 4 3 2 1

16. Disregarding the amount of work produced, do you consider it adequate in quality? 5 4 3 2 1

RESPONSE TO CHALLENGE 17. He/she seems eager to perform difficult tasks. 5 4 3 2 1

18. He/she is willing to persevere in a problem solution. 5 4 3 2 1

USE OF TEACHER AND PARENT 19. He/she seems to gear his/her responses to what he/she thinks is expected. 5 4 3 2 1

20. He/she seems to feel free to express his/her own opinions. 5 4 3 2 1

21. Does he/she use you as a “sounding board” for his/her own opinions. 5 4 3 2 1 22. Does he/she seek you out for individual inquiry or discussion? 5 4 3 2 1 Parent/Guardian Signature ___________________________ Date ______________ Please return this completed form to your IISD School Counselor BEFORE ______________.

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Gifted and Talented Identification Profile for Grades K through 5

Industrial ISD

Student Name ________________________________ ___________________________ (Last) (First) Campus: IEE IEW ID# ________________________ DOB _________________ Gender: M F Grade _____ Date __________ Ethnicity: African American Hispanic White Nominated by: ____________________________ Other Transferring into IISD and identified in previous district in: ELA SS M Sci Not indicated Receives ESL/Bilingual services? Yes No Receives Resource services: Yes No In order to qualify for the G/T program, the student must meet 3 of the 4 criteria listed below. Score G/T Identification Criteria ______ I. TONI (to each 1st grader) Non-verbal Intelligence -- a minimum score of 115 ______ II. Renzulli-Hartman Parent Survey the average of P + T must equal a score of 4 Renzulli-Hartman Teacher Survey or greater ______ III. Kingore Observation Inventory (K-5) -- a minimum of 7 tallies = 95% which is a superior rating IV. Sages 2 (K-5) The student must score a 115+ on one or more of the 3 tests. ______ a score of 115+ on the Math/Science test &/OR ______ a score of 115+ on the Language Arts/Social Studies test &/OR ______ a score of 115+ on the Reasoning test Placement recommendations: ____ data does not indicate need for GT services ____ data supports GT placement in

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page 2 G/T Identification K – 5 For Further Consideration : TPRI (K-1-2) _______________________________________________ DATE ________ STAR ________________ DATE _____________________

Commended Performance on STAAR date tested = _______________________________ Reading YES NO Score = _________ Writing YES NO Score = _________ Math YES NO Score = _________ Science YES NO Score = _________

G/T Placement/Selection Committee Sign-in Sheet Time: _______________ ; Central Office ; Date ________________

Principal / date ________________________________________________ Counselor / date ________________________________________________ Teacher / date ________________________________________________ Teacher / date ________________________________________________ GT Coordinator / date ________________________________________________ Teacher / date ________________________________________________ Teacher / date ________________________________________________ ______ / date ________________________________________________ ______ / date ________________________________________________ ______ / date ________________________________________________

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Gifted and Talented Identification Profile for Grades 6 through 12

Industrial ISD

Student Name ________________________________ ___________________________ Campus : IJH IHS (Last) (First) ID# ________________________ DOB _________________ Gender: M F Grade _____ Date __________ Ethnicity: African American Hispanic White Nominated by: ______________________________________ Other Transferring into IISD and identified in previous district in: ELA SS M Sci Not indicated Receives ESL/Bilingual services? Yes No Receives Resource services: Yes No In order to qualify for G/T, the student must meet 3 of the 4 (applicable) criteria below. Score G/T Identification Criteria ______ I. Renzulli-Hartman Teacher The average of P & T must equal a score of 4 or greater. Renzulli-Hartman Parent ______ II. Kingore Observation Inventory (6-8) a minimum of 7 tallies, a superior rating _______III. SAGES-2 (4-8) The student must score a 115+ on one or more of the 3 tests. ______ a score of 115+ on the Math/Science test ______ a score of 115+ on the Language Arts/Social Studies test ______ a score of 115+ on the Reasoning test ______ IV. Peabody (K-12) Using the student’s current age in years and months, the raw score must compute to a standard score of 126 or more and therefore fall in stanine #9.

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page 2 G/T Identification 6-12 For Further Consideration : Commended Performance on TAKS date tested = __________________________ Reading YES NO Score = ________ Writing YES NO Score = ________ ELA YES NO Score = ________ Math YES NO Score = ________ Science YES NO Score = ________ Social Studies YES NO Score = ________ Placement recommendations: ____ data does not indicate need for G/T services ____ data supports G/T placement

G/T Placement/Selection Committee Sign-in Sheet

Location: Central Office ; Time: _____________ ; Date: _____________

Principal / date ______________________________________________________ Counselor / date ______________________________________________________ Teacher / date ______________________________________________________ Teacher / date ______________________________________________________ GT Coordinator / date ______________________________________________________ Teacher / date ______________________________________________________ Teacher / date ______________________________________________________ __________ / date ______________________________________________________ __________ / date ______________________________________________________

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Industrial Independent School District P.O. Box 369 167 5th Street

Vanderbilt, Texas 77991-0369 361-284-3226

361-284-3349 (fax)

Shelley Dominguez, Curriculum Director Tony Williams, Superintendent

________________________________________________________________________ Date___________________ To the Parents/Guardians of _________________________________________ : It is with a great deal of pleasure that I inform you that your child has met the district’s general intellect criteria for admittance to the Industrial Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented Program. This program is designed to provide an appropriate instructional curriculum for intellectually gifted students enrolled in Industrial I.S.D. Further defined on the various campuses, the GT program involves a combined approach of regular classroom instruction. Students will meet with a qualified GT teacher for instruction and enrichment in the student-appropriate advanced class(es). This on-going approach to a GT instruction provides challenging opportunities that will vary from the regular classroom instruction in the areas of depth, complexity, and pacing. Before I can officially include your child in the GT Program, I must have your written approval for your child to participate. Please fill out the enclosed Parent Permission Form and return to your child’s principal no later than ____________________________________ . If you have any questions concerning the program, please contact your campus principal, campus counselor, or district curriculum director. Sincerely, Shelley Dominguez Curriculum Director Enclosure: Parent Permission Form

“Because they think they can, they will.”

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INDUSTRIAL INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT P.O. Box 369

Vanderbilt, Texas 77991-0369 1 (361) 284 - 3226

Parent Permission Form

My child, _______________________________________, has my permission to participate in the Industrial Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented Program at the ________________________________ campus during the ______________school year. _________________________________ Parent’s Signature _______________ Date

“Because they think they can, they will.”

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Industrial Independent School District

P. O. Box 369 Vanderbilt, Texas 77991-0369

1 (361) 284-3226 January _______, 20__ Dear Parent/Guardian, I regret to inform you that at this time __________________________ does not meet the district’s criteria for admittance to the IISD Gifted and Talented Program. If you have questions regarding this decision, please feel free to contact your campus counselor or campus principal. I thank you for allowing us to evaluate your child. You are more than welcome to re-nominate for G/T (at Industrial) in two years. To re-nominate, we ask that you skip a year in an effort to allow for academic maturation. In order for there to be a significant increase in testing scores, a student needs time for growth. As you already know, IISD has high academic expectations for all its students. Bear in mind that G/T classes offer a faster paced, TEKS-based curriculum with more depth and complexity than that of the regular classroom. In addition, G/T classes generally call upon students to be self-motivated, so it is important that your child want to be enrolled in the program. In short, whether a student is served as G/T or in the regular classroom, he/she will be challenged in such a way as to help attain his/her academic best. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call. I can be reached at (361) 284-3226 ext. 1183. Sincerely, Shelley Dominguez Curriculum Director

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Industrial Independent School District

P. O. Box 369 Vanderbilt, Texas 77991-0369

1 (361) 284-3226

Notification of Furlough/Exit from Gifted and Talented Program

Student’s Name _________________________________ Date of Exit ______________ Campus _______________________________________ Grade ____________________ The above named student makes the following gifted and talented program request: _____ Removal from ______________________ G/T class but still able to participate in The G/T program due to enrollment in _________________________________ . _____ Requests for furlough from the Gifted and Talented Program for one (1) year. _____ Removal from the IISD Gifted and Talented Program. _____ Leaving IISD to attend another public school. The student may return to IISD Gifted and Talented Program if returning within two years without referral. _____________________________ ___________________________ Student’s Signature Date _____________________________ ___________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature Date _____________________________________________________________________ Parent/Guardian Address _____________________________ ___________________________ Counselor’s Signature Date _____________________________ ___________________________ Principal’s Signature Date