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Special Education - Gifted

Students Who are Mentally Gifted

All public schools, except charter schools, also offer special education services, in the form of acceleration or enrichment, for students who are identified by a gifted multidisciplinary team ("GMDT") as "mentally gifted." A child is considered mentally gifted when his or her cognitive ability or other factors, as determined by a multidisciplinary team evaluation, indicate that he or she has outstanding intellectual ability the development of which requires special programs and services not ordinarily available in the general education program. The school entity engages in screening activities during regular classroom instruction and uses the data thus generated to determine whether a GMDT evaluation is warranted. In addition, parents may request gifted screening or a GMDT evaluation at any time. Parents are part of the GMDT and, if their child is determined to be mentally gifted, are part of the development and annual review and revision of their child's gifted individualized educational program ("GIEP") as a member of the GIEP team. The GIEP describes the present levels, annual goals and measurable objectives, and specially designed instruction and related services through which the District will provide the enrichment or acceleration, or both, that is needed to develop the outstanding mental ability of the child. Parents of students who are mentally gifted have the right to request a special education due process hearing or to file a compliance complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Education at the above address. Details concerning the procedures governing hearing requests can be found on the Website of the Office for Dispute Resolution at https://odr-pa.org. Other information can be found at the PA State Complaints and Dispute Resolution page at https://www.education.pa.gov/K-12/Special%20Education/Complaints/Pages/default.aspx.

A child can be identified as both a child with a disability and mentally gifted. In such cases, the rights of the child and his or her parents are governed by the rules applicable to children with disabilities and their parents, as described above.

 

PA School Code: Chapters 4, 12, 14, 15, and 16

Chapter 4 - Academic Standards and Assessment

� 4.11. Purpose of public education.

(b) ... prepares students for adult life by attending to their intellectual and developmental needs and challenging them to achieve at their highest level possible. In conjunction with families and other community institutions, ... prepares students to become self-directed, life-long learners and responsible, involved citizens.

(c) ... provides opportunities for students to:

  1. Acquire knowledge and skills.
  2. Develop integrity.
  3. Process information.
  4. Think critically.
  5. Work independently.
  6. Collaborate with others.
  7. Adapt to change.
Chapter 12 - Students and Student Services

� 12.41. Student services.

(b) ... variety of student services ... will differ from school to school depending upon its size and the needs of its students, the following categories of services shall be provided ...:

  1. Developmental services ... that address ... developmental needs ... . ... include guidance counseling, psychological services, health services, home and school visitor services and social work services that support students in addressing their academic, behavioral, health, personal and social development issues.
  2. Diagnostic, intervention and referral services for students who are experiencing problems attaining educational achievement... .
  3. Consultation and coordination services for students who are experiencing chronic problems ... ..
Chapter 14 - Special Education Services and Programs

� 14.125. Criteria for the determination of specific learning disabilities.

  1. ... child does not achieve adequately ... or meet ... standards...
  2. Use one ... :
    1. ... child�s response to scientific, research-based intervention... :
      1. ... received high quality instruction....
      2. Research-based interventions ...
      3. ...progress ... regularly monitored.
    2. A process that examines whether a child exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses, relative to intellectual ability as defined by a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement, or relative to age or grade.
  3. ... findings under this section are not primarily the result of:
    1. A visual, hearing or orthopedic disability.
    2. Mental retardation.
    3. Emotional disturbance.
    4. Cultural factors.
    5. Environmental or economic disadvantage.
    6. Limited English proficiency.
  4. Ensure that underachievement in a child suspected of having a specific learning disability is not due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading or mathematics ... :
Chapter 15 - Protected Handicapped Students

� 15.1. Purpose.

(a) ... comply with the requirements of Section 504 and its implementing regulations at 34 CFR Part 104 (relating to nondiscrimination on the basis of handicap in programs and activities receiving or benefiting from federal financial assistance) and implements the statutory and regulatory requirements of Section 504.

� 15.3. General.

A school district shall provide each protected handicapped student ... related aids, services or accommodations which are needed to afford the student equal opportunity to participate in and obtain the benefits of the school program and extracurricular activities without discrimination and to the maximum extent appropriate to the student�s abilities.

� 15.5. School district initiated evaluation and provision of services.

(8) The school district will not modify or terminate the student�s current service agreement without the parents� written consent, pending completion of the procedures in � 15.8 (relating to procedural safeguards).

Chapter 16 - Special Education for Gifted Students

� 16.2. Purpose.

(a) ... identified gifted students who require gifted education to reach their potential. ...gifted students be provided with quality gifted education services and programs.

(2) ... based on the unique needs of the student, not solely on the student�s classification.

(3) ... gifted students ... participate in acceleration or enrichment programs, or both, as appropriate, and to receive services according to their intellectual and academic abilities and needs.

� 16.33. Support services.

(a) The GIEP team, ... determine whether the gifted student needs one or more support services.

(b) ... conclude that transportation to and from school psychological services, parent counseling and education, or another service is a support service if the GIEP team determines .. criteria has been met:

(1) ... service is an integral part of an educational objective of the student�s GIEP, without which the GIEP cannot be implemented.

(2) ... service is needed to ensure the student benefits from or gains access to a gifted education program.

Gifted Evaluation Protocol:

Teachers or parents/guardians can give an oral or written request for gifted screening/evaluation.
-The School Guidance Counselor completes the pre-screening.
-The Certified School Psychologist completes the evaluation.

*The parents/guardians receive the Permission to Evaluate (PTE) available in parents'/guardians' native languages and the Notice of Parental Rights for Gifted Students within ten calendar days of the oral/written request.

*The parents/guardians sign and return the PTE, and the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team (GMDT) completes the Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation within sixty calendar days.

-The GMDT consists of the student's parents/guardians, an interpreter, Certified School Psychologist, Regular Education Teachers, School Guidance Counselor, and Local Education Agency (LEA) Representative (Administrator/Principal).

1) Administration of individual ability measure is given:
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test II (KBIT-2) or Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT).
*The Regular Education Teachers administer the OLSAT to all studentsin 1st , 3rd, and 7th.

2) Student academic achievement is reviewed:
Wide Range Achievement Test V (WRAT-5) or Pennsylvania System of School Assessment(PSSA) ELA and Math.

3) The Regular Education Teachers complete the Gifted Evaluation Scale-Third Edition (GES-3)-one or more areas in the gifted range and a Chuska Scale for Rate of Achievement (Acquisition and Retention).
*After all three measures are taken, the student must obtain criteria on two of the three measures to be referred for evaluation by the Certified School Psychologist.

The Special Education Office receives a referral package containing the following information:
*The completed Referral for Psycho Educational Evaluation Services including complete information from the results of the three steps in the screening process;
*The Data Collector form;
*The Permission to Evaluate (PTE) form signed by the parents/guardians;
*Input forms completed by Parents/Guardians, Teachers, and Student or student interviews;
*Checklists, that are culturally and linguistically sensitive, completed by the Parents/Guardians
*Multiple criteria is reviewed � 16.21 (e) (1-5).

The Certified School Psychologist administers the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V).

After the evaluation, the Certified School Psychologist completes the Gifted Written Report (GWR).

*If a student is identified as gifted and in need of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI), then the GIEP team develops a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) and determines educational placement.

-The GIEP team consists of the student's parents/guardians, an interpreter if the parents/guardians request one, the student if the parents/guardians choose to have the student present, the LEA, the teacher of the gifted, the regular education teacher, and other individuals at the discretion of either the parents or the district.

Gifted Programming:

*Enrichment

*Acceleration

*Combination of both enrichment and acceleration

Service Delivery Options:

  • Cluster grouping based on instructional level
  • Level, grade and/or subject acceleration with flexible pacing
  • Advanced placement and honors courses
  • Independent study
  • Online courses
  • Opportunities for gifted students to work with their peers in a resource room
  • Enrichment in content areas

Twice-Exceptional (2e)

Dr. James J. Gallagher devised the term, twice-exceptional. This term refers to students who are both gifted and have a learning disability (e.g., auditory processing weaknesses, sensorimotor integration issues, visual perceptual difficulties spatial disorientation, dyslexia and attention deficits).

*gifted/learning disability components may mask one another

*student may...

  • be achieving at grade level and assumed to have average ability
  • show areas of difficulty as curriculum becomes more challenging
  • be viewed as performing within expectations and, therefore, never referred for a special education evaluation
  • have deflated achievement and standardized test scores due to the disability and may not qualify for gifted education services

Notice of Parental Rights Packet

 

Notice of Parental Rights for Gifted Students (pdf)

Chapter 16. Special Education for Gifted Students

The complete text of the Pennsylvania School Code Chapter 16 can be found here.

Overview Age of Eligibility Annual
Notices		 Acronyms Educational
Resources		 Gifted Transition
Resources		 Contact