The District uses a variety of identification
tools (including tests, rubrics and checklists) to determine giftedness. These
tools ensure equitable identification from all student groups and accurately
identify all students for giftedness.
Shaker identifies students as gifted in the
following four areas:
- Superior Cognitive
- Specific Academic Ability (mathematics,
reading/writing, social studies, and science)
- Creative Thinking
- Visual and Performing Arts
There are three formal pathways to gifted identification:
- Whole-grade screening for Superior Cognitive and Specific Academic Ability in math and reading will occur in winter for Grades 2 and 5.
- Review of student scores whenever students take an assessment approved for gifted identification to ensure students who meet criteria outside of Grades 2 and 5 are identified.
- Individual referrals for students in grades K-12 in any of following areas—Superior Cognitive, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Thinking and Visual and Performing Arts—may be requested.
The families of current students who have been previously identified as gifted for state reporting purposes will be notified.
Whole-Grade
Screening
Whole-grade screenings occur in the winter, during the school day, for students in Grades 2 and 5. The NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) serves as our screening assessment for gifted identification in specific academic ability in reading and math. (Watch Understanding MAP Reports to learn more about your student's score.) Second and fifth graders are also assessed for Superior Cognitive and Creative Thinking Abilities using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test.
Parents/Guardians will be notified if their child’s testing results meet the gifted identification criteria within 30 days of the receipt of the results.
To ensure the identification of all gifted students, the District has established rescreening criteria on the whole-grade screening assessments. Parents/guardians may opt-in for additional identification assessments if their students meet these criteria. Review our gifted identification and screening criteria.
Individual
Referrals
The District understands that not all student
test scores reflect their capabilities. To that end, parents, teachers or other
qualified individuals can refer students for gifted identification in all areas
(Superior Cognitive, Specific Academic Ability, Creative Thinking and Visual
and Performing Arts) in Grades K-12 by submitting a referral form to the building
principal.
A parent, teacher or other qualified individual must begin the referral process by submitting a completed individual referral form to the building principal.
Appeals
Parents/Guardians have an opportunity to appeal any decision about the results of any part of the identification process including screening procedure, the scheduling of students for assessment and the assessment results. Appeals must be made in writing to the building principal within 30 days of notification of results.
Learn more about state requirements for Gifted Screening and Identification from the Ohio Department of Education.