FAQ

Section 162.675, RSMo, defines gifted children as “those children who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity and learning potential as determined by competent professional evaluation to the extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could best be served by an academic environment beyond that offered through a standard grade level curriculum."

A gifted learner is one who:

• exhibits precocious capacity and learning potential;

• is identified by competent professionals; and

• needs an academic environment beyond standard grade level curriculum.

Gifted and talented students need an academic environment to meet their learning needs so they can make continuous progress in school. They need:

• challenging curriculum;
• meaningful enrichment;
• accelerated learning opportunities; and
• appropriate social and emotional support.

The myth that “gifted students will do fine on their own” is not supported by research. Gifted students need services provided by well-trained teachers, who challenge and support them, in order to fully develop their gifts and talents.

All gifted children are not the same. It is important to note that there are not one or two characteristics that an educator can point to in order to say that a student is G/T. It is a combination of characteristics. Some signs that a student might be gifted include, but are not limited to:

• Extraordinary memory compared to peers
• Highly curious
• Highly creative
• Exhibits abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Draws inferences and grasps underlying principles
• Initiates projects
• Discusses things in detail, elaborates

It is critical to provide appropriate services to students that have been identified as gifted. There will also be instances when high achieving students display some of the same characteristics of a gifted learner but are not identified as gifted based upon the district’s state approved gifted evaluation process. Dr. Bertie Kingore and the Davidson Institute have completed extensive research about the distinct differences between gifted learners and high achievers. Some of these differences are provided in the table below.

Students (grades 2 - 12) may be referred to the Academic Gifted and Talented Program for screening by a teacher, administrator, parent/guardian, or community member familiar with the student. In grades 6-12, students and peers may also refer. Students in grade 1 take the universal assessment in the spring and are able to be referred once they are in grade 2. Students (grades 2 - 7) may be referred to the Gifted Fine Arts Program for screening by a teacher, administrator, parent/guardian, or community member familiar with the student. One parent referral per student will be accepted for the duration of the student’s enrollment in the district. A student is limited to two academic gifted evaluations during their tenure in the district.

Referrals may be submitted any time during the year using the online referral form. An online referral form for the Fine Arts Gifted Program must be completed by the second Monday in January of each year. The deadlines will be honored in order to allow adequate time for the screening and evaluation process to take place.

The Academic Gifted and Talented Program serves academically gifted students. The Gifted Fine Arts Program serves students gifted in the Arts.

Concurrent participation in both the Academic Gifted and Talented Program and the Gifted Fine Arts Program will be made on a case by case decision with the school’s problem solving team including the parent/guardian.

Families will receive notification by mail when the assessment and/or evaluation is complete. The final report may take approximately eight weeks to be completed and mailed. For the Academic Gifted and Talented & Gifted Fine Arts Program, evaluations are completed by the end of the school year in which the referral was submitted.

Students scoring at the 95th percentile on the general mental ability assessment will receive a full evaluation to determine if gifted services are needed. The evaluation process is designed to identify students' strengths vs. need for improvement using a matrix system. This system allows us to evaluate various areas of ability instead of reducing the evaluation to an IQ score as a single criteria. Placement is also determined by district performance percentages, which fluctuate over time.

Once a child qualifies for gifted services, the child always remains eligible for gifted services.

Yes, the Webster Groves School District has four universal assessments in Grades 1, 4, 6 and 8.. Students meeting the criteria on the universal assessment or scoring at the 95th percentile or higher may be considered for a more comprehensive evaluation and/or individual testing for the Academic Gifted and Talented Program. A student is able to have up to two gifted evaluations within their WGSD tenure.

Students in Grade 1 will take a universal assessment in the spring semester. Students in Grade 4 will take the universal assessment in the fall. The NWEA will be used as an internal screening in Grades 6 and 8. The universal assessment used is a nationally-normed test that provides a description of the student’s own cognitive resources for learning by measuring verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities.

The first person of contact should be your child’s teacher to discuss your child’s learning needs. The gifted specialist and curriculum coordinators may also be a resource to your child’s regular classroom teacher with strategies for working with your child's strengths. WGSD also offers additional enrichment opportunities available through after school programs and clubs.

The district employs trained and certified examiners who can administer and interpret various cognitive ability tests. To ensure equitable practices for all students, private testing for gifted services is not accepted. Additionally, it is not the district's intent to subject any child to excessive testing.

The Webster Groves School District serves approximately 7% of the total district population in the Academic Gifted and Talented Program. Approximately 2% of the total district population can be served in the Fine Arts Gifted Program.

Class or group sizes within the gifted program typically range from 5 to 15 students per teacher.

In the Webster Groves Gifted Curriculum, units are assessed using performance assessments, developed to correlate with the National Association of Gifted Children Standards (NAGC). Each performance assessment defines the unit expectations. Performance assessments are based on the students reaching a set of stated standards including a clear statement of expectations, purpose and desired outcomes.

Students take formative and summative assessments. Progress reports are completed throughout the year by the gifted specialists.

Students are required to master the concept/skill presented in their absence, and to make up work that is taken for a grade or a test

Selection criteria includes:

• Student Interviews/ Group Performance Evaluation Day

• Teacher Rating Scale

• Creativity Assessment

In the Academic Gifted and Talented Program, students receive the following approximate minutes of service weekly:

Grade 2: 150 minutes
Grades 3 – 5: 250 minutes
Grades 6 – 8: 250 minutes
Grades 9 – 12: 200 – 300 minutes

In the Gifted Fine Arts Program, students receive the following minutes of service weekly:
Grades 3 – 5: 150 minutes
Grades 6 - 8: 250 minutes

The Gifted Fine Arts screening process includes a full day of group interviews with professional artists. Due to the expense and extensive nature of this process, the screening occurs once a year.

All school staff are made aware of the referral procedures and the nature and needs of gifted students at annual staff meetings. Study groups and professional development opportunities related to differentiated instruction are also offered to all district staff.

Staff understand the issues in definitions, theories, and identification of gifted and talented students, including those from diverse backgrounds. They recognize the learning differences, developmental milestones, and cognitive/affective characteristics of gifted and talented students, including those from diverse backgrounds, and identify their related academic and social-emotional needs. They understand, plan, and implement a range of evidence-based strategies to:

• Assess gifted and talented students.
• Differentiate instruction, content, and assignments for them (including the use of higher order critical and creative-thinking skills).
• Refer them for advanced programs or acceleration as needed.

No. Students enrolled in high school AP and honors classes have met the Webster Groves School District criteria for placement in those classes. For specific criteria for AP and honors classes, please contact your child's guidance counselor or the district Gifted Coordinator.

All gifted specialists are certified in the area of gifted education by the state of Missouri. Throughout the school year and during the summer, professional development opportunities are offered to all K-12 teachers. Expert teachers in the district, as well as outside educational consultants and speakers, offer classes and forums for teachers to learn about and reflect on instructional practices. Teachers may attend local, state, and national conferences on gifted education and other current educational topics related to gifted education.

Our expectation is that children do not practice (study) for this test. The practice effect occurs when past-experience of taking a test or similar problems has an impact on taking that same test again. It usually results in a higher than normal score, and is most pronounced when the interval between the two tests is short. If a student tells the tester that they have practiced the test, we have a protocol that we follow. Testing will be discontinued. We can wait one year and give the same test again or give a different test . Achievement tests are a measure of what you have learned (skill). An IQ test measures an individual's ability to understand (problem solving). Test drill is not best practice for preparation for an IQ test. The practice effect makes it difficult to assess a child’s true ability.

No. Each district has set qualifications that are guided by the state and determined by the district. All students that need to be evaluated for the gifted program must submit a referral form to begin the process.

WGSD chooses to participate in the St. Louis Regional Program for Exceptionally Gifted Students (PEGS) for children in grades one through twelve. The program is a tier three level of support. Students qualifying for PEGS are few in number among the general population. This regional program was established to assist local districts in providing for the unique needs of these exceptionally gifted students. A PEGS application is only provided to families of students that score 138 or higher on an IQ test administered by the district gifted examiners (this score may change based on PEGS). The district employs trained and certified examiners who can administer and interpret various cognitive ability tests. To ensure equitable practices for all students, private testing for gifted services is not accepted. Parents obtain the application from the Gifted Coordinator. If a child’s IQ score warrants PEGS consideration, a family must request a PEGS application from the WGSD Gifted Coordinator before the second Friday in January in order to honor the PEGS application due date. PEGS uses their own criteria to determine placement. Student eligibility for PEGS does not guarantee home-district payment of tuition.

Yes, the testing date or time frame will be communicated to the family/guardian and classroom teacher(s) of the student. Note, the testing schedule must remain flexible due to unexpected occurrences (absence, tests, illness, etc.) in the school setting. The actual testing date is subject to change.

Placement for the current school year is only guaranteed for students that meet the evaluation criteria. Students who are not identified through the district universal assessment may be referred for the program immediately. The child may be tested at any time after the referral is submitted. Based on the child’s placement on the testing log, testing could occur the current school year or the early part of the following school year.

In the past, IQ or intelligence was thought to be static and unchanging. In fact, an IQ score derived when a child is young, is likely not as accurate. From age 3 to age 10, two-thirds of children’s IQ scores will improve, or drop, more than 15 points. This is especially true among bright children – their intelligence is more variable.

The district gifted coordinator, Dr. Pam Washington, can be contacted at 314.918.4366 or by email washington.pam@wgmail.org.

Each school site has a gifted specialist who can provide program information and serve as a support to parents and teachers. The district gifted website also contains detailed information and resources.