Gifted Education
McDuffie County Schools believes that within the total student population, there are gifted students who show potential for performing at exceptionally high levels compared to others of their age, experience, or environment. These students are found in all ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic groups and need differentiated instruction to achieve at levels commensurate with their abilities. It is expected that a gifted student will acquire higher levels of thinking - to apply and synthesize knowledge to new situations, to organize thoughts, and to give value to new and challenging ideas.
McDuffie County Schools provides service options for the student identified as intellectually gifted and/or talented to provide experiences which help each student develop as an independent learner. The program gives participants an increasing responsibility to set goals, to gain the skills necessary to work systematically toward these goals, to develop and maintain a love of learning, to learn from failure, to persevere through challenges, and to evaluate realistically their own efforts, therefore reaching their maximum potential as responsible, productive citizens and lifelong learners. The successful attainment of this goal is dependent upon the collaborative effort among community, educators, and parents.
For more information, contact your student's assistant principal, school-based gifted specialist, or the district gifted program coordinator.
Gifted Education Staff
The administration of educational services for the gifted within the McDuffie County School District is determined by the school superintendent and is reflected in McDuffie County School System's Gifted Education Administrative Procedures Manual. The identification of gifted students and the administration of educational services for such students are the responsibility of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction as well as gifted specialists and teachers within each school in the district.
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Dr. Lynn Cato, Director & District Gifted Program Coordinator
706-986-4000
School-based Gifted Specialists
Stacee Leslie, Maxwell Elementary School, 706-986-4800
John Edwards, Dearing Elementary School, 706-986-4900
Khrista Henry, Norris Elementary School, 706-986-4400
Kelli Crafton, Thomson-McDuffie Middle School, 706-986-4300
Almeisha Jackson, Thomson High School, 706-986-4200
Gifted Referral Procedures
PHASE ONE: TALENT IDENTIFICATION
- Reported Referral: A student may be referred for consideration for evaluation to determine eligibility for gifted services by teachers, counselors, administrators, parents/guardians, peers, self, or other individuals with knowledge of the student's abilities. Nomination forms are available at each school.
- Automatic Referral: Students who have a composite score at or above the 80th percentile in reading or math on a system-wide achievement test; students who have a composite score at or above the 80th percentile on a mental ability test; and students who score at the Distinguished Learner achievement level on the Georgia Milestones Assessment system and/or a state or local summative end-of-grade/course assessment will be considered for further evaluation for gifted services.
Gifted Review Committee
A gifted review committee will consist of the in-school gifted specialist, another teacher of the gifted, and/or a regular education teacher, counselor, or administrator. The committee will have several purposes which include, but are not limited to, the following:
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- To determine if gifted evaluation is needed (the district tests all referred students);
- To determine if further testing is warranted after testing procedures have been followed and initial testing data are reviewed;
- To determine if probation or withdrawal from the gifted program is necessary;
- To determine re-entry into the program after a period of withdrawal; and
- To determine specific gifted service options for a student.
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McDuffie County School System students may access gifted referral procedures without discrimination with regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, disabilities, or economic background.
PHASE TWO: SCHOOL-LEVEL SCREENING
Once the gifted review committee has received all information and data for a student, a determination will be made on whether to proceed with formal evaluation or to cease consideration at that time.
PHASE THREE: EVALUATION FOR SERVICES
If a decision is made by the gifted review committee to evaluate formally the student, a gifted specialist will then secure proper consent for testing and begin the evaluation process. Using assessment tools that meet the state's standards of validity and reliability, data will be collected in four multiple criteria areas - achievement, mental ability, creativity, and motivation - prior to the determination of a student's eligibility for services. A student can be deemed eligible for gifted services using either Option A or Option B in accordance with State Board Rule 160-4-2-.38 Education Program for Gifted Students, as seen in the chart linked above.
External Evaluation Data
Assessment data gathered and analyzed by an source outside the student's school or district shall be considered as part of the referral and evaluation process. However, external evaluation data shall not be substituted for or used as the sole source of data the school generates during the initial eligibility process.
PHASE FOUR: ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION
The gifted review committee will review data, determine eligibility for services, document status, outline service delivery, and notify parents/guardians. Written consent will be obtained from parents/guardians before providing gifted services to those students found eligible.
Reciprocity
Any student who meets the Georgia eligibility criteria for gifted education services in another Georgia public school or district shall be considered eligible for gifted services. Proper documentation from the student's previous Georgia public school or district verifying eligibility must be received before any type of programming can be established for the student. Scheduling of gifted services must not begin until this evidence is filed with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
There is no reciprocity between another state and Georgia unless the student is a dependent of active military personnel or a Gold Star family as provided in O.C.G.A. 20-2-2140. However, if a transferring student participated in gifted services in another state, the pupil may provide evidence of this eligibility to the gifted review committee to determine if further evaluation is needed to establish Georgia eligibility for gifted services.
Eligibility Requirements
The Georgia Department of Education has established eligibility requirements, which are outlined in the chart attached below.
Instructional Goals
The aim of QUEST is to assist eligible students in reaching their potential through a challenging curriculum and differentiated instruction based on elaborate, complex, and in-depth studies of major themes, ideas, and problems. The instructional goals of QUEST are as follows:
- To meet the individual needs of gifted students with rich and rigorous curricula content and learning experiences;
- To nurture critical and creative thinking and problem-solving opportunities;
- To encourage citizenship and leadership development;
- To provide students with self-directed and small group learning opportunities that involve planning, interpreting, finding, evaluating, and using reference information and technology; and
- To foster student communication of information, ideas, and solutions clearly and accurately.
Curriculum and Instruction
The curriculum provided for gifted students in McDuffie County incorporates the State Board of Education-approved Georgia standards. Questioning the universe, examining and synthesizing tangents (QUEST), the instructional service agent for identified gifted students, provides, enhances, and extends the regular educational curriculum. The objectives focus on developing cognitive, learning, research and reference, and meta-cognitive skills at each grade level, using differentiation principles, creating a scholarly culminating product or performance, and incorporating one or more content areas into their studies. Documentation of differentiated instruction will be present in teacher lesson plans as well as individual and group contracts.
Service Models
McDuffie County Schools employs a variety of instructional service models to meet the needs of gifted and talented students and to augment learning for other high-achieving pupils through its talent development initiatives. Gifted students are provided differentiated instruction for a minimum of five instructional segments per week delivered by teachers who are certified or endorsed in gifted education or in Advanced Placement courses.
Elementary (K-5)
At the elementary level, curriculum is enhanced and extended by a gifted specialist in each of the district's elementary schools through resource, cluster, advanced content, and, in some cases, collaboration. Specialists follow a curriculum that focuses on creativity, problem-solving, vocabulary, communication, and technology, and students participate in local competitions and field trips to augment their learning experiences.
Middle (6-8)
At the middle school level, gifted students receive accelerated instruction and services in advanced content, enrichment, and cluster classes with particular consideration to students' individual interests.
High (9-12)
At the high school level, Advanced Placement, honors, dual enrollment, and gifted collaborative courses provide accelerated learning experiences for gifted students based upon their areas of strength and interest.
Continuation Criteria
A student who has met Georgia eligibility requirements and received gifted education services the previous school year will continue to receive services the following year, provided the student demonstrates satisfactory performance in gifted education classes. In alignment with McDuffie County's local procedures, each gifted student
should maintain a cumulative grade point average of 80 or higher each grading period in each gifted class to continue participation in the gifted program. The school's gifted specialist will check students' grades at the end of each grading period to determine a student's status.
In individual cases where a student does not meet the 80 cumulative average, a review committee, consisting of a gifted specialist, a classroom teacher, and the student's parent(s)/guardian(s), will meet to determine the best course of action to meet the individual student's needs. Gifted students who do not meet the 80 cumulative average may be placed on probation for one grading period but will be allowed to continue gifted services in the class(es) in which the pupil is struggling OR may be placed on an individualized plan for the student.
Parents will be notified and encouraged to attend a review committee meeting when a student is placed on probation in the class(es) in which the student is struggling and in the event of withdrawal from gifted services for the class(es). The progress of all students enrolled in the gifted program and the need for continuation of services are reviewed annually or more frequently based on individual circumstances. Recommendations for continuation or termination of services are based on students' performance in gifted education classes as well as current state eligibility criteria. Students who are performing satisfactorily continue to receive services unless parents/guardians request withdrawal from the gifted program. Such withdrawal requests should be submitted in writing, including the reason for the request.
Probationary Provisions
Parents/Guardians are contacted and offered the opportunity to participate in a review committee conference which may result in revisions to the student's services. A review of services is completed, documenting specific probationary criteria. Students will continue to receive gifted education services while attempting to achieve satisfactory performance. At the end of the designated probationary period (no less than one grading period), a final review of the student's progress is conducted by the review committee. The committee will also review the individual student's situation/circumstance to determine the best course of action for the student.
Withdrawal Provisions
Students who do not meet the established probationary criteria may be subject to the withdrawal of gifted services in the content area(s) in which the student is struggling. Parents/Guardians are notified of their child's withdrawal in writing and are offered the opportunity to participate in a review committee conference regarding their child's eligibility for services. Once withdrawn from the gifted program, the student must remain ineligible for gifted services for one full year from their exit date. Once a student has been withdrawn, the pupil may be referred for re-entry by anyone eligible for making a referral for gifted eligibility. The re-entry form will be completed by the referring party, and the local school gifted review committee will meet and review the form and student's performance. The gifted review committee will determine if the student is eligible for re-entry into the program. Depending on the duration of the withdrawal, the gifted review team may determine that new assessment data are needed. Parents/Guardians will be offered the opportunity to meet with the committee, and the eligibility determination decision will be provided to them in writing.