Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 3, March 20, 2024
A. Definition.
Gifted children and youth are students who demonstrate abilities that give
evidence of high performance in academic and intellectual aptitude.
B. Procedures for Screening
1. Sensory screening shall be conducted
whenever vision or hearing problems are suspected.
2. Each LEA shall develop and implement
procedures for screening students suspected of being gifted. The screening
criteria shall not exceed the criteria for eligibility.
3. At least two regular school staff members
such as the principal/designee, teachers, counselors, pupil appraisal
personnel, or other professional staff shall conduct a review of the screening
information with the student's teacher. If the student meets the screening
criteria, the student shall be evaluated. If the student does not meet the
screening criteria, he/she should be exposed to activities that enhance skills
and increase knowledge.
C. Criteria for Eligibility
1. Preschool and Kindergarten. Evidence of
criterion listed in Subparagraph a or b must be met:
a. the student shall obtain a score at least
three standard deviations above the mean on an individually administered test
of intellectual abilities appropriately standardized on students of this age
and administered by a certified school psychologist or licensed psychologist;
or
b. the student shall obtain a
combined score of at least 10 when scores are entered into the cells of the
Standard Matrix with at least 4 points earned on a test of intellectual
abilities.
2. Grades
1-12. Evidence of criterion listed in Subparagraph a, b, or c must be met:
a. the student shall obtain a score of at
least two standard deviations above the mean on an individually or group
administered test of intellectual abilities appropriately standardized on
students of this age and administered by a certified school psychologist or
licensed psychologist; or
b. the
student shall obtain a score of at least seven when scores are entered into the
cells of the Standard Matrix, at least two points of which is earned on the
test of intellectual abilities; or
c. the student shall obtain a score of at
least six when scores are entered into the cells of the Standard Matrix, and a
recommendation for classification as gifted is made by pupil appraisal
personnel who conducted the evaluation of the student in accordance with the
evaluation procedures.
D. Procedures for Evaluation. All tests and
other procedures used to evaluate students referred for gifted assessments
shall be standardized, non-discriminatory, and appropriate for the cultural
background of the students being evaluated. Few, if any, standardized
assessment instruments adequately control for the effect of such factors as
environmental impoverishment, cultural differences, or the lack of
opportunities to learn. It is imperative that such factors be closely attended
to in any individual or group assessment of students suspected of being gifted,
and given serious consideration by pupil appraisal and special education
personnel when determining whether a student is gifted. Any significant
discrepancies between formal test results and the student's customary behaviors
and daily activities, or any discrepancies among test results should be
examined closely during the evaluation and addressed in the evaluation report.
The recommendation of the multidisciplinary team either to classify or not to
classify a student as gifted must be based on a thorough evaluation of the
student's abilities.
1. Preschool and
Kindergarten. The individual evaluation shall include at a minimum the
following procedures:
a. an individual
assessment of intellectual abilities administered by a certified or licensed
psychologist using an instrument or instruments appropriately standardized for
students of this age;
b. an
individual assessment of reading and mathematical skills using an achievement
test standardized at the first grade level, conducted by an educational
diagnostician or other qualified pupil appraisal member;
c. an interview with the student's parent(s)
conducted by a school social worker or other qualified examiner;
d. an interview with the teacher(s) of
enrolled students.
2.
Grades 1 through 12. An individual evaluation shall include at a minimum the
following procedures:
a. an assessment of
intellectual abilities, individually or group administered, by a certified or
licensed psychologist using nondiscriminatory assessment procedures;
b. additional assessments in the areas listed
below, individually or group administered, by qualified pupil appraisal
personnel. District-wide test scores and scores obtained from screening
instruments shall not be used in the Standard Matrix as part of the individual
evaluation:
i. total reading;
ii. total mathematics;
c. an interview with the student's parent(s)
by a school social worker or other qualified examiner;
d. an interview with the student's
teacher(s).
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
17:1941 et
seq.
