Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 10, IDENTIFICATION OF ACADEMICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS
NOTE: Throughout the identification process, district personnel shall be careful to select measures that target the student's strengths.
Referral
Students who are rising ninth graders through rising twelfth graders may be referred by a teacher, parent, peer, self, or any other person having reason to believe that the student might be academically gifted. The person initiating the referral shall sign the referral form and date it. District personnel shall collect the data required to satisfy the district's referral criteria. Only the LSC can stop the identification process once a referral has been signed and dated.
Referral Criteria
A student shall satisfy at least two of the following criteria before moving to the assessment process:
1. Grade history of A's and B's in the pertinent academic area,
2. Portfolio of the student's work indicating outstanding capabilities in the pertinent academic area (evaluated using a rubric),
3. Group or individual intelligence test administered within the last twelve months,
4. Group or individual achievement test score(s) in the pertinent academic area (individual achievement test must have been administered within the last twelve months), or
5. Other demonstrated achievement and/or potential abilities (with prior approval of the MDE).
Each district shall establish the local minimal acceptable criteria on each measure used at this stage. Documentation of the measures and minimal acceptable criteria for each shall be maintained in a written document and approved by the local school board. This document shall be distributed to district administrators, school counselors, and teachers, and shall be available to parents at each school site.
LSC Review
Once the referral data has been collected, the LSC shall review all data and make one of the following recommendations:
1. The student has satisfied minimal criteria on at least two of the measures stage, and should move forward to the assessment
2. The student has not satisfied minimal criteria on at least two measures; however, the LSC feels strongly that additional data should be collected and the student reconsidered at that time, or
3. The student has not satisfied minimal criteria on at least two measures, and the identification process should stop.
Parental Permission for Testing
At this time, if parental permission for testing has not been obtained, district personnel shall obtain written parental permission for testing.
Assessment
Once the LSC has determined that the student should move forward to the assessment phase, district personnel shall review all data available before deciding which measures are most appropriate to be used during assessment. After reviewing the information available, district personnel shall collect measures from at least two of the categories of assessment measures. A student shall satisfy minimal state criteria on at least two of the measures.
Assessment Criteria
1. A score at or above the 90th percentile on the total score in the pertinent academic area on a norm-referenced achievement test,
2. A score at or above the 90th percentile in the pertinent academic area on a norm-referenced individual achievement test, or
3. A portfolio of the student's work demonstrating outstanding achievement in the pertinent academic area over a period of at least six months. The portfolio shall be evaluated using a rubric approved by the MDE.
Assessment Report
District personnel shall write an assessment report, which must contain the following components:
1. Student's name,
2. Name of each measure used and date administered or completed,
3. Results of each measure,
4. Test behaviors for any individually administered test(s), 5 . Name and credentials of individual who administered any individual test(s),
6. Interpretation of any individually administered test(s),
7. Name of person responsible for writing the Assessment Report, his/her signature and date, and
8. The date of the Assessment Report.
Eligibility Ruling
Once the Assessment Report is finished, the LSC shall meet to review all data and determine if eligibility criteria has or has not been satisfied. The LSC shall rule that the student is or is not eligible for the academically gifted program.
NOTE: Once a student has been ruled eligible for the academically gifted program, additional eligibilities are not required to provide services in academic areas other than the area that was considered for the original eligibility ruling. However, careful consideration shall be given as to the probability of the student being successful in additional area(s).
A student with an intellectually gifted eligibility ruling does not need to have an academically gifted ruling to be served in an academically gifted program. Since not all intellectually gifted students are also academically gifted, available data shall be reviewed to determine the probability that the student will be successful in the academic placement.
Parental Notification
District personnel shall notify in writing the parents of each student tested for the academically gifted program about the assessment results. District personnel shall offer to explain any of the results that parents have questions about. District shall also notify parents in writing about their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
IDENTIFICATION OF ARTISTICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS Referral
A student may be referred by a teacher, administrator, counselor, parent, peer, self, or any other person having reason to believe that the student may be artistically gifted. The person initiating the referral shall sign the referral form and date it. District personnel shall collect the data required to satisfy the district's referral criteria. Only the LSC can stop the identification process once a referral has been signed and dated.
Referral Criteria
1. A statement from an individual with documented expertise in the visual arts that the student is in the top 10% of age peers in ability in the visual arts and has an exceptionally high degree of creativity, and one of the following:
2. Published checklist of creativity or norm-referenced test of creativity,
3. Published checklist of characteristics for the visual arts or a published test of ability in the visual arts,
4. Demonstrated individual accomplishment in the visual arts such as recognition at the state level or above,
5. Portfolio of the student's work evaluated using a rubric, or
6. Other indicators of an exceptionally high degree of ability in the visual arts (with prior approval of the MDE).
Each district shall establish the local minimal acceptable criteria on each measure used at this stage. Documentation of the measures and minimal acceptable criteria for each shall be maintained in a written document and approved by the local school board. This document shall be distributed to district administrators, school counselors, and teachers, and shall be available to parents at each school site.
LSC Review
Once the referral data has been collected, the LSC shall review all data and make one of the following recommendations:
1. The student has satisfied minimal criteria and should move forward to the assessment stage,
2. The student has not satisfied the minimalcriteria. However, the LSC feels strongly that additional data should be collected and the student reconsidered at that time, or
3. The student has not satisfied minimal criteria, and the identification process should stop.
Parental Permission for Testing
At this time, if parental permission for testing has not been obtained, district personnel shall obtain written parental permission for testing.
Assessment
Once the LSC has determined that the student should move forward to the assessment phase, district personnel shall review all available data before deciding which measures are most appropriate to be used during assessment. District personnel shall collect measures from at least two of the categories of assessment measures. At least one of the measures shall be a measure of creativity. A student shall satisfy minimal acceptable criteria on the measures used.
Assessment Criteria
1. Published checklist of creativity with a score in at least the superior range, or a published test of creativity with a score in at least the superior range,
2. Published checklist of characteristics for the visual arts with a score in at least the superior range, or a published test of ability in the visual arts with a score in at least the superior range, or
3. Portfolio of the student's work (all components of the portfolio shall be the individual efforts of the student and completed during the past twelve months) evaluated using a rubric (with prior approval by the MDE) by an individual who derives his/her main source of income from working in the visual arts area and who certifies in writing that the student has an exceptionally high degree of creativity and ability in the visual arts which places them in the top 5% of their age peers in that visual arts area.
Individual Audition
If the student has satisfied minimal criteria as outlined above, the student shall successfully complete an individual live audition before a Panel of Experts. There must be at least three experts on the panel with no more than one being an employee of the district. The teacher in the program may not be a member of the panel. All members of the panel shall meet at least the following criteria:
1. Possess an advanced degree in the appropriate visual arts area, and/or
2. Derive their main source of income from working in the appropriate visual arts area.
The district shall maintain written documentation confirming the qualifications of each member of the panel.
The members of the panel shall observe the student performing in the appropriate visual arts area. The evaluation of the panel shall be performed simultaneously, independently, and without discussion of the results. Each member of the panel will complete a rubric (with prior approval by the MDE) and sign a statement certifying that they find that the student has an exceptionally high degree of creativity and exceptionally high ability in the visual arts that places them in the top 5% of age peers.
Assessment Report
District personnel shall write an Assessment Report which must contain the following components:
1. Student's name,
2. Names of at least two measures, including the scores on each measure, that were used to determine that the student satisfied minimal acceptable assessment criteria,
3. Individual audition summary,
4. Date that each measure was administered or completed,
5. Completed rubric signed and dated by each member of the panel,
6. Signed statement by each member of the panel certifying the student's creativity and ability in the visual arts,
7. Name of the person responsible for writing the Assessment Report, signature and position, and
8. Date of the Assessment Report.
Eligibility Determination
Once the Assessment Report is finished, the LSC shall meet and review all data and determine if eligibility criteria has or has not been satisfied. The LSC shall rule that the student is or is not eligible for the artistically gifted program.
Parental Notification
District personnel shall notify in writing the parents of each student tested for the artistically gifted program about the assessment results. District personnel shall offer to explain any of the results that parents have questions about. District personnel shall also notify parents in writing about their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
IDENTIFICATION OF CREATIVELY GIFTED STUDENTS
Referral
A student may be referred by a teacher, administrator, counselor, parent, peer, self, or any other person having reason to believe that the student may be creatively gifted. The person initiating the referral shall sign the referral form and date it. District personnel shall collect the data required to satisfy the district's referral criteria. Only the LSC can stop the identification process once a referral has been signed.
Referral Criteria
1. A statement from an individual with documented expertise in the performing arts that the student is in the top 10% of age peers in ability in the performing arts and has an exceptionally high degree of creativity, and one of the following:
2. Published checklist of creativity or a published test of creativity,
3. Published checklist of characteristics in the performing arts or a published test of ability in the performing arts,
4. Demonstrated individual accomplishment in the performing arts such as recognition at the state level or above,
5. Videotape of the student's performance in the performing arts evaluated using a rubric, or
6. Other indicators of an exceptionally high degree of ability in the performing arts (with prior approval of the MDE).
Each district shall establish the local minimal acceptable criteria on each measure used at this stage. Documentation of the measures and minimal acceptable criteria for each shall be maintained in a written document and approved by the local school board. This document shall be distributed to district administrators, school counselors, and teachers, and shall be available to parents at each school site.
LSC Review
Once the referral data has been collected, the LSC shall review all data and make one of the following recommendations:
1. The student has satisfied minimal criteria and should move forward to the assessment stage,
2. The student has not satisfied minimal criteria. However, the LSC feels strongly that additional data should be collected and the student reconsidered at that time, or
3. The student has not satisfied minimal criteria and the identification process should stop.
Parental Permission for Testing
At this time, if parental permission for testing has not been obtained, district personnel shall obtain written parental permission for testing.
Assessment
Once the LSC has determined that the student should move forward to the assessment phase, district personnel shall review all available data before deciding which measures are most appropriate to be used during assessment. District personnel shall collect measures from at least two of the categories of assessment measures. At least one of the measures shall be a measure of creativity. A student shall satisfy minimal acceptable criteria on the measures used.
Assessment Criteria
1. Published checklist of creativity with a score in at least the superior range, or a published test of creativity with a score in at least the superior range,
2. Published checklist of characteristics for performing arts with a score in at least the superior range, or a published test of ability in the performing arts with a score in at least the superior range, or
3. Videotape of the student's performance (must have been taped within the past twelve months) evaluated using a rubric (with prior approval by the MDE) by an individual who derives their main source of income from working in the pertinent performing arts area and who certifies in writing that the student has an exceptionally high degree of creativity and ability in the performing arts which places them in the top 5% of age peers.
Individual Audition
If the student has satisfied the minimal criteria as outlined above, the student shall successfully complete an individual live audition before a Panel of Experts. There must be at least three experts on the panel with no more than one being an employee of the district. The teacher in the program may not be a member of the panel. All members of the panel shall meet at least the following criteria:
1. Possess an advanced degree in the appropriate performing arts area, and/or
2. Derive main source of income from working in the appropriate performing arts area. The district shall maintain written documentation confirming the qualifications of each member of the panel.
The members of the panel shall observe a live performance by the student in the appropriate performing arts area. The evaluation of the panel shall be conducted simultaneously, independently, and without discussion of the results. Each member of the panel will complete a rubric (with prior approval of the MDE) and sign a statement that they find that the student has an exceptionally high degree of creativity and an exceptionally high ability in the performing arts that places them in the top 5% of age peers.
Assessment Report
District personnel shall write an Assessment Report which must contain the following components.
1. Student's name,
2. Name of at least two measures, with the score on each measure, that were used to determine that the student satisfied minimal acceptable assessment criteria,
3. Individual audition summary,
4. Date that each measure was administered or completed,
5. Completed rubric signed and dated by each member of the panel,
6. Signed statement by each member of the panel certifying the student's creativity and ability in the performing arts,
7. Name of person responsible for writing the Assessment Report, signature and position, and
8. Date of the Assessment Report.
Eligibility Determination
Once the Assessment Report is finished, the LSC shall meet and review all data and determine if eligibility criteria has or has not been satisfied. The LSC shall rule that the student is or is not eligible for the creatively gifted program.
Parental Notification
District personnel shall notify in writing the parents of each student tested for the creatively gifted program about the assessment results. District personnel shall offer to explain any of the results that parents have questions about. District personnel shall also notify parents in writing about their rights under the Family Educational and Privacy Act (FERPA).
NOTE: Students who have a valid Mississippi gifted eligibility ruling do not have to be reevaluated. See the annual reassessment statement for information on continued placement in a gifted program. A Mississippi eligibility determination in any of the four areas shall be accepted by all school district's within state provided the district has a program in the particular area for which the student has an eligibility.
Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 10, IDENTIFICATION OF ACADEMICALLY GIFTED STUDENTS