Academically Gifted
Identification of AG Students
The revised Wake County plan for gifted education, adopted by the WCPSS Board of Education in July 2007, recognizes that a single profile for identifying students of high academic and intellectual ability does not address the variety and range of gifted students’ needs.
The Eligibility for the Academically Gifted program is determined using multiple indicators of giftedness, including standardized testing data. At least one current (within 12 months) standardized aptitude or achievement test must be at or above the 90th percentile to warrant further evaluation and data collection. Aptitude tests reveal intellectual ability (the student’s capacity for learning), while achievement tests show acquired knowledge.
In addition to standardized testing, eligibility determinations include assessment of student interest and motivation, observations of the student’s in-class performance, and portfolios of student work products. Not only is the student identified as gifted, but the intensity of need for gifted services (moderate, strong, or very strong) is also determined. Based on the intensity of need, the student is matched to a variety of service options avail-able in the student’s school.
Students can be nominated for consideration for the academically gifted program at any grade level. Nominations are initiated in any of several ways:
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Written nomination by parent.
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Nomination by teacher.
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School-wide standardized testing of all grade 3 students.
At the third grade level, the effort is made to search out and identify students who qualify for AG services. All third graders are administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Students scoring at the 75th percentile or higher on the CogAT (subtest and/or composite score/s) will take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on either assessment will be considered for nomination and further screening to assist in determining their need for differentiation within the Academically Gifted Program.
Nominations received by the school AG contact prior to the annually established screening period may be considered for referral decisions and/or necessary testing during that semester. If a nomination is received after the screening period, the nomination will be considered during the next screening period.
Students identified during a semester will begin service the following semester.
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