Student Eligibility for the Gifted and Talented Program
The KIBSD Gifted and Talented Program will be using three criteria to help identify gifted and talented students within the district. The criteria include analyzing gifted characteristics, achievement data, and cognitive data.
- Gifted Characteristics: A parent, teacher, or student may complete a referral based on student observations. The student may then be further evaluated with a cognitive assessment.
- Achievement Data: Students that meet specific national percentiles on the FastBridge Assessment may be further evaluated with a cognitive assessment.
- Cognitive Data: Students that meet one of the criteria above AND meet specific national percentiles on the CogAT assessment may be eligible for gifted services through KIBSD.
KIBSD has two different pathways that a student may be found eligible for the Gifted and Talented Program as outlined below in the table.
| Option A Referral > Cognitive Assessment |
Option B |
|
| Step 1 |
A teacher, student, or parent may refer a student to be further evaluated for gifted services based on student performance, observations, and leadership abilities. A survey, Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS), will be completed by the student’s teachers and parent/guardian. |
Student achievement data from the FastBridge assessments will be analyzed after each testing window. The top performers on the aMath and aReading assessments may be further evaluated for gifted services. |
| Step 2 | A cognitive assessment (CogAT) will be given. The top performers based on national percentiles may be eligible for gifted and talented services. |
A cognitive assessment (CogAT) will be given. The top performers based on national percentiles may be eligible for gifted and talented services. |
Student Referral for Evaluation to KIBSD Gifted and Talented Program
- A parent, teacher, or student may refer a student to be evaluated for the Gifted and Talented Program at KIBSD.
- Referrals should be based on student observation and/or performance.
- See the table below for common gifted traits.
- Remember, no gifted individual is the same or displays the same traits.
- To refer a student, please contact the assigned gifted and talented teacher.
- Elementary referral (K-5) – John Malloy
- Secondary referral (6-12) – Mitchell Davis
Common Traits of Gifted Learners
| Cognitive | Creative | Affective | Behavioral |
| Keen power of abstraction | Creativeness and inventiveness | Unusual emotional depth and intensity | Spontaneity |
| Interest in problem-solving and applying concepts | Keen sense of humor | Sensitivity or empathy to the feelings of others | Boundless enthusiasm |
| Voracious and early reader | Ability for fantasy | High expectations of self and others, often leading to feelings of frustration | Intensely focused on passions—resists changing activities when engrossed in own interests |
| Large vocabulary | Openness to stimuli, wide interests | Heightened self-awareness, accompanied by feelings of being different | Highly energetic—needs little sleep or down time |
| Intellectual curiosity | Intuitiveness | Easily wounded, need for emotional support | Constantly questions |
| Power of critical thinking, skepticism, self-criticism | Flexibility | Need for consistency between abstract values and personal actions | Insatiable curiosity |
| Persistent, goal-directed behavior | Independence in attitude and social behavior | Advanced levels of moral judgment | Impulsive, eager and spirited |
| Independence in work and study | Self-acceptance and unconcern for social norms | Idealism and sense of justice | Perseverance—strong determination in areas of importance |
| Diversity of interests and abilities |
Radicalism Aesthetic and moral commitment to self-selected work |
High levels of frustration—particularly when having difficulty meeting standards of performance (either imposed by self or others) | |
| Volatile temper, especially related to perceptions of failure | |||
| Non-stop talking/chattering |