Gifted and Talented Information

  • Philosophy

    Rockwall Independent School District recognizes the individual differences in abilities, needs, and interests of the school population it serves. A sound instructional program for Rockwall ISD students includes provision for gifted and talented students. Gifted learners benefit from instruction that develops and challenges their unique abilities while fostering creativity and productivity. A quality service provides both cognitive and affective development. Students are challenged to develop their potential and be successful in an appropriate learning environment.

    Goal

    Rockwall ISD aims to deliver quality education for all students and support the needs of gifted learners.

    Objectives

    1. To provide a service where students are encouraged to reach their full potential and become self-directed, life-long learners.
    2. To receive instruction from properly trained educators who understand and respect the unique needs and modalities of the gifted learner.
    3. To encourage and assist students in formulating, analyzing, and solving real-world problems dealing with local, state, and world issues, to become exceptional contributors to society.
    4. To help each student develop and maximize such research skills as collecting, classifying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating data.
    5. To encourage product development using emerging technologies, techniques, materials, and forms.
    6. To seek out and include students who demonstrate the necessary abilities to be successful in a challenging learning environment regardless of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic barriers.
    7. To cultivate each student’s listening, written, and oral communication skills.
    8. To involve students, parents, teachers, and administrators in designing gifted and talented services.

    Gifted Learners are served through

    • SAGE Selected Academically Gauged Education (Grades K-6)
    • Our Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Courses (Grades 6-12) in the core subject areas of Math, Science, English, and History
    • SAGE English Honors (Grades 7-10)
    • Our International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (Grades 11-12) in the core subject areas of Math, Science, English, and History

    Referral and Identification

    Identifying students with unusual potential or high ability in specific academic aptitude and general intellectual ability is paramount to the success of talented and gifted service. Assessment includes qualitative and quantitative measures collected from multiple sources.

    Students referred in grades K-12 shall be assessed and, if identified, provided service. Data and procedures ensure that all district populations have access to assessments. Students are evaluated in languages they understand or with non-verbal tests.

    Students are assessed for gifted and talented services according to the following guidelines.

    • Teachers, counselors, parents, students, or other interested parties may refer students to be assessed for Gifted and Talented services.
    • Written parental consent for assessment is required.

     

  • GATOR Gifted and Talented Organ of Rockwall logo design

      

Gifted and Talented Identification Assessment Opportunities

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    Kindergarten Assessment

    Beginning in Kindergarten, Rockwall ISD considers all students potential candidates for gifted education services.   The campus Gifted and Talented Specialist (SAGE Teacher) will push into Kindergarten classes and work alongside the classroom teacher to deliver planned experiences.  Planned experiences are high-level, open-ended activities explicitly designed to elicit and diagnose gifted behaviors.  Planned experiences consider performance and behaviors that are not able to be assessed through the use of standardized tests.

    In January, district SAGE teachers screen each kindergarten student individually and review data from planned experiences to identify those who meet the initial criteria.  Upon parental approval, the campus SAGE teacher will conduct further evaluations.

    Students who meet the district gifted education service criteria will be recommended to receive SAGE services at their campus.  Services will begin the first week of March.

    If parents do not receive a letter of permission to assess for SAGE services from the campus, parents have the right to request an assessment.  Parent requests should begin by scheduling a conference with the classroom and SAGE teacher.  Testing requests must be made before the first week of March.


    First Grade Assessment

    First-grade students enrolled in Rockwall ISD can request or be referred for testing in April.  Please contact your child’s classroom teacher and request a conference to determine a need for G/T testing.

    The testing window for SAGE services in First Grade will be in April.

    Second Grade Assessment

    All Second Grade students will be administered the CogAT (The Cognitive Abilities Test). CogAT is a multiple-choice K-12 assessment that measures reasoning skills with different types of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal questions given in the Fall Semester. This test will provide data points to determine if G/T testing is needed. 

    If a student has a qualifier in the 97th percentile or above from the CogAT, additional assessment will follow per parent permission.

    The testing window for SAGE services in Second Grade will follow the CogAT results for students with CogAT qualifiers. 

    Third Grade - Sixth Grade Assessment

    All  Fourth Grade students will be administered the CogAT (The Cognitive Abilities Test). CogAT is a multiple-choice K-12 assessment that measures reasoning skills with different types of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal questions given in the Fall Semester. This test will provide data points to determine if G/T testing is needed. 

    All Third through Sixth Grade students will be administered the NWEA (NWEA's assessments are called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP®). The MAP tests will be administered three times during the school year.  This achievement test measures a student’s knowledge of Math and Reading and will provide data points to determine if G/T testing is needed. 


    Secondary Assessment Grades Seven - Twelfth


    Currently Enrolled Rockwall ISD students in grades 7 -12

    Currently, enrolled students may request or be referred for testing in January. Please contact your child’s counselor or Jennifer Leal, the district Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Jennifer.Leal@Rockwallisd.org

    Students Transferring from another School District Previously Identified for Gifted and Talented Services


    When an identified gifted student transfers from another school district, the selection committee shall review the student’s records. It will review the data to determine whether or not the expectations of the previous district are equal or exceeded to determine placement or further assessment.  

    Rockwall ISD will review test results from other districts provided they were nationally normed ability and achievement tests and are not more than two years old.  Rockwall ISD is unable to honor assessments conducted outside of a school environment, such as those conducted by a private counselor or clinician. Students may request or be referred for testing in the summer before school. Otherwise, transfer students will be assessed during the October and April testing windows. Please get in touch with your campus Gifted and Talented Specialist (SAGE) or Jennifer Leal, the district Gifted and Talented Coordinator. Jennifer.Leal@RockwallISD.org

    Students in a Military Family Transferring from another School District Previously Identified for Gifted and Talented Services


    For student placement in Gifted and Talented services, without delay, the Compact requires cooperation in the following education program placement:

    •  A receiving school district must initially honor placement based on the student’s enrollment in the sending state, provided the new school has a similar or equivalent program.
    • The new school may evaluate the student after placement to ensure it is appropriate, but the school may not put children into “holding classes” while they await assessment. 
    • The receiving school may allow the student to attend similar education courses in other schools within the district if the receiving school does not offer such courses.

    The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

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