Clay County Schools Gifted Program Philosophy

Intellectually gifted children and youth are those who perform at or have demonstrated the potential to perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children and youth require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Children and youth possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of the human endeavor. Gifted students may be found within any race, ethnicity, gender, economic class, or nationality. In addition, some students with disabilities may be gifted, as well.

Clay County Schools' Gifted Program Goals
  1. To provide training for all staff on the procedures for referring and identifying students for gifted services.
  2. Develop training and assemble handouts to include forms, procedures, etc.
  3. Schedule training annually.
  4. Implement training.
  5. Maintain documentation of training.
  6. Evaluate training effectiveness. II. To continue to work towards racial equity in the gifted program.
  7. Provide yearly in-service for all elementary and middle school faculties concerning issues associated with underrepresented groups.
  8. Utilize appropriate assessments to make screening/eligibility decisions.
  9. Strive to allocate gifted teachers for schools with high numbers of minority or low socio-economic students to conduct child find activities and implement enrichment programs to nurture gifted potential. III. To continue conducting Child Find activities.
  10. Implement mandatory Second-Grade Child Find Activity
  11. Review grades in grades 4-12 only, STAR, STI Achievement, etc. and refer any students who have high aptitude or achievement scores.
  12. Provide public notice in the code of conduct.
  13. Schedule gifted teacher and/or counselors in second-grade classrooms to conduct lessons that yield gifted behaviors and products.
  14. Provide yearly staff development for general education teachers concerning referral process. IV. To ensure that there are comparable services throughout the system
  15. Communicate with principals and check teachers’ schedules to make sure that students in the same grade level across the system are receiving the same number of hours of service.
  16. Allocate gifted teachers equitably taking into consideration caseloads and number of schools served.
  17. Strive to find the classroom space for teacher comparable to other programs.
  18. TO work towards a true continuum of services for high-end learners.
  19. Provide pullout services for grades 3-6.
  20. Provide consultation services for grades K-2.
  21. Provide advanced courses and offer dual enrollment in grades 9-12.
  22. Provide guided study administered through consultative services for 7-8 in addition to offering Pre-Algebra and Algebra IA to seventh and eighth grade Gifted students.
  23. Consult with general education teachers across grade level concerning the inclusion of differentiated instruction to meet learning needs of all students. VI. To provide curriculum for gifted learners that is concept and program based
  24. Support gifted teachers in attending professional development in the areas of concept and problem-based learning.
  25. Support gifted teacher in meeting with other gifted specialists to work on units of study.
Clay County Schools Gifted Program Referrals
  1. Informing the Public: The following notice regarding the implementation of the Gifted Program will be included in the Code of Conduct and its website:
  2. Intellectually gifted children and youth are those who perform or who have the potential to perform at high levels in academic or creative fields when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These students require services not ordinarily provided by the regular school program. Students possessing these abilities can be found in all populations, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor. 
      Teachers, counselors, administrators, parents or guardians, peers, self, or any other individuals with knowledge of students’ abilities may refer them.  Additionally, all second-grade students will be observed as potential gifted referrals using a gifted behavior checklist.  
  For each student referred, information is gathered in the areas of Aptitude, Characteristics, and Performance.  The information is entered on a matrix where points are assigned according to established criteria.  The total number of points earned determines if the student qualifies for gifted services.  
  In order to make the referral, please contact the counselor at your child’s school.
  3. Gifted Referrals Screening Team (GRST):
  4. Clay County Schools GRST will consist of three people: the Gifted Specialist, general education teacher, and a counselor, and administrator.
  5. The duties of the team are to do the following:
  6. Receive all referrals. ii. Collect all required information. iii. Schedule meetings in a timely manner to review referrals. iv. Notify parents when a child has been referred, obtain parental consent, and inform them of their rights using the appropriate form.
  7. Base decisions on multiple criteria: Do not exclude any student on the basis of a single test score.

    vi. Exhibit sensitivity to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences. vii. Make arrangements for any further assessments. viii. Deliver the completed assessment information to the Eligibility Determination Team (EDT).

  8. Screening Criteria
  9. Clay County Schools accepts all parent referrals in grades 4, 5, and 6; however, prior to Second-grade Child Find, Clay County uses State Screening/Eligibility Determination Form to screen students to determine if further assessment is necessary. (14 points are required to pass the screening.)
  10. Clay County Schools will also closely monitor those students whose scores and other criterion narrowly missed Gifted qualification in second-grade child find.
Clay County Schools Gifted Program Evaluation Procedures

Clay County Schools will select and administer tests and evaluative materials that are sensitive to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences and that are appropriate for the special populations such as the sensory impaired, LEP, or physically impaired student. Students from underrepresented groups will have both verbal and nonverbal abilities assessed (and creatively when appropriate) before being determined ineligible.

  1. Independent Evaluation Procedures
  2. Tests from qualified independent evaluators will be treated the same as tests administered by the school system or contract personnel. Clay County Schools will select and administer tests and evaluative materials that are sensitive to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences and that are appropriate for the special populations such as the sensory impaired, LEP, or physically impaired student. Students from underrepresented groups will have both verbal and nonverbal abilities assessed (and creatively when appropriate) before being determined ineligible.
  3. Independent Evaluation Procedures
  4. Tests from qualified independent evaluators will be treated the same as tests administered by the school system or contract personnel.
  5. Eligibility The Eligibility Determination Team will be school based and consist of *gifted specialist, classroom teacher, and counselor or administrator, general education teacher, psychometrist.
  6. The duties of the EDT are as follows:
  7. Determine if all assessment information has been gathered by the GRST: vision/hearing screening, aptitude/creativity test scores, product, portfolio, work sample, teacher narrative, or grades from the last semester.
  8. Complete the eligibility determination process.
  9. Inform parents of the decision by sending a Notice of Eligibility Determination Team Decision form.
  10. If eligible, get a signed copy of the Notification of Eligibility Determination Team Decision form.
  11. If eligible, inform the teacher of the eligibility. If ineligible, inform the person who referred the student if other than the parent.
  12. Exhibit sensitivity to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences.
  13. If proven ineligible by a narrow margin, the team will revisit a referral in the next grade level and determine if further testing is needed.
Clay County Schools Gifted Program Eligibility

The Eligibility Determination Team will be school based and consist of *gifted specialist, classroom teacher, and counselor or administrator, general education teacher, psychometrist.

  1. The duties of the EDT are as follows:
  2. Determine if all assessment information has been gathered by the GRST: vision/hearing screening, aptitude/creativity test scores, product, portfolio, work sample, teacher narrative, or grades from the last semester.
  3. Complete the eligibility determination process.
  4. Inform parents of the decision by sending a Notice of Eligibility Determination Team Decision form.
  5. If eligible, get a signed copy of the Notification of Eligibility Determination Team Decision form.
  6. If eligible, inform the teacher of the eligibility. If ineligible, inform the person who referred the student if other than the parent.
  7. Exhibit sensitivity to cultural, economic, and/or linguistic differences.
  8. If proven ineligible by a narrow margin, the team will revisit a referral in the next grade level and determine if further testing is needed.
Clay County Schools Gifted Program Service Delivery Options

Grades K-2 will receive consultative services and cluster grouping with differentiated instruction.

Grades 3-5 will receive traditional pull out services for three hours each week and cluster grouping with differentiated instruction.

Grades 6-8 will receive consultative services, participate in enrichment clusters, and be provided the opportunity to participate in talent specific electives. In addition, Grades 7 and 8 will be provided the opportunity to participate in advanced classes in core content areas.

Grades 9-12 will have the following service delivery options: advanced classes taught by highly qualified, general education teachers; electives in talent or interest areas; and dual enrollment.