Plainville Community School District

POLICY FOR THE EQUITABLE IDENTIFICATION OF GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS

The Plainville Board of Education (the “Board”) will use equitable methods to identify students enrolled in the Plainville Community Schools (the “District”) that have an extraordinary learning ability and/or outstanding talent in the creative arts, the development of which requires programs or services beyond the level of those ordinarily provided in regular school programs.  Such students will be identified as gifted and/or talented.

I.          Definitions

For purposes of this policy:

“Extraordinary learning ability” means a child identified by the planning and placement team as gifted and talented on the basis of either performance on relevant standardized measuring instruments, or demonstrated or potential achievement or intellectual creativity, or both.

“Gifted and talented” means a child identified by the planning and placement team as (A) possessing demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of very superior intellectual, creative or specific academic capability and (B) needing differentiated instruction or services beyond those being provided in the general education program in order to realize the child’s intellectual, creative or specific academic potential. The term includes children with extraordinary learning ability (“gifted”) and children with outstanding talent in the creative arts (“talented”).

“Outstanding talent in the creative arts” means a child identified by the planning and placement team as gifted and talented on the basis of demonstrated or potential achievement in music, the visual arts or the performing arts.

“Planning and placement team (“PPT”),” for purposes of the evaluation, identification or determination of the specific educational needs of a child who may be gifted or talented, means a group of certified or licensed professionals who represent each of the teaching, administrative, and pupil personnel staffs, and who participate equally in the decision making process.

II.        Referral

Any student enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve, inclusive, in a District school may be referred to the PPT to determine eligibility as gifted and talented. A referral may come from any source, including the student’s teacher, an administrator, the student’s parent/guardian, or the student.

III.      Evaluation and Identification

The PPT shall be responsible for conducting evaluations and identifying whether students are eligible as gifted and talented, and shall meet, as needed during the school year to determine the eligibility of groups of children for whom evaluation and identification as gifted and talented are planned. When a child has been individually referred to the PPT for consideration as a gifted and talented child, the PPT shall provide the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) with written notice of the referral.

The Board requires the use of multiple methods of identification of gifted and talented students. The PPT will use the following methods of evaluation in determining whether a student is eligible as gifted and talented:

Group Assessment.  The PPT will use the State of CT required assessment for English Language Arts and Mathematics, administered to all students in Grade Three.  In administering standardized tests, the PPT will use a locally normed cut score to identify a maximum of 5% of the Grade Three students for consideration of gifted and talented classification.  Parent/guardian consent is not required prior to the administration of a group assessment.  

Individual Evaluation.  Individual evaluations may be recommended by the PPT in appropriate circumstances, such as when there is a possibility of identifying the student as gifted and talented in areas that are not typically addressed by large-scale standardized tests, such as social studies, a technical discipline, music, creative arts, or performing arts. The PPT may also recommend an individual assessment for a student referred to the PPT for an evaluation when the student is in a grade level in which group assessments are not administered.  Before a student is individually evaluated for identification as gifted or talented, the PPT must secure the written consent from a parent/guardian.

After the PPT has determined from an individual or group assessment that a student has potential for or has demonstrated extraordinary learning ability or outstanding talent in the creative arts, the student will be identified as gifted and talented only if the PPT determines that the child requires differentiated instruction or services beyond those provided in the general education program in order to realize the child’s intellectual, creative or specific academic potential.

The results of the PPT meeting concerning a determination of the child's identification as gifted or talented shall be provided to the parent or guardian electronically or, if the District does not have the parent or guardian’s e-mail address on file, in writing.  Such notice shall include, but is not limited to, (1) an explanation of how such student was identified as gifted and talented; and (2) the contact information for (A) the District employee in charge of the provision of services to gifted and talented students, or, if there is no such employee, the District employee in charge of the provision of special education and related services, (B) the employee at the Connecticut State Department of Education who has been designated as responsible for providing information and assistance to boards of education and parents or guardians of students related to gifted and talented students and, (C) any associations in the state that provide support to gifted and talented students. 

If a parent/guardian disagrees with the results of the evaluation conducted by the PPT, the parent/guardian has a right to a hearing.

The District may identify up to ten (10) percent of the total student population for the District as gifted and talented.

IV.      Provision of Services

The provision of services for gifted and talented students by the Board is discretionary, and is influenced by budgetary considerations and other possible constraints. It is not the intent and purpose of this policy to establish a right to enrichment programs.  When feasible, advanced learning opportunities will be afforded to students on an individual and/or group basis in accordance with their specific learning needs.  

Legal Reference:

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-76a

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-76xx

Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-76a-1

Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-76a-2

Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-76d-1

Conn. Agencies Regs. § 10-76d-9(c)