SECONDARY GT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ABILITY ASSESSMENT AND QUALIFYING FOR GIFTED SERVICES Ability Assessment Verbal Ability Assessment Quantitative Ability Assessment Nonverbal Ability Assessment CogAT measures learned reasoning and problem solving skills in three different areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. Reasoning skills develop gradually throughout a person s lifetime and at different rates for different individuals. Reasoning abilities are good predictors of success in school and are important outcomes of good schooling. CogAT does not measure such factors as effort, attention, motivation, and work habits, which also contribute importantly to school achievement. The Verbal Battery measures flexibility, fluency, and adaptability in reasoning with verbal materials and in solving verbal problems. These reasoning abilities play an important role in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and virtually all verbal learning tasks. The Quantitative Battery measures quantitative reasoning skills; flexibility and fluency in working with quantitative symbols and concepts; and the ability to organize, structure, and give meaning to an unordered set of numerals and mathematical symbols. These reasoning skills are significantly related to problem solving in mathematics and other disciplines. The Nonverbal Battery measures reasoning using geometric shapes and figures. To perform successfully, students must invent strategies for solving novel problems. They must be flexible in using these strategies and accurate in implementing them. Composite Results A composite score uses a total number of correct items and then is normed separately. What is the process to qualify for gifted services? All 6th and 7th grade students were universally screened using an ability assessment. Once scores were received, Placement Committees were convened on each campus to determine which students met the district standard to qualify for gifted services and who also demonstrated an instructional need for them.
My child did not receive a 95 percentile or higher. How did they become eligible for gifted services? The Placement Committees used both quantitative (CogAT results) and qualitative (campus input) information to determine if a student has an instructional need for gifted services. Through a body of work creating a bulk of evidence for an instructional need, some students may qualify for gifted services who did not meet the quantitative standard. Can the CogAT be given at any time for new students? New students who enroll in Richardson ISD may not have had the opportunity to be assessed. There will be a testing window for these students prior to the beginning of the school year. Please contact your counselor to find out the date and time. It will also be posted here to the FAQ page. Can CogAT test from outside the district be accepted? We do not accept testing from outside sources. We do accept testing from other districts. Those results should be provided to the counselor upon enrollment or during the referral process. APPEAL What is an appeal? An appeal is a requested reconsideration of a placement decision on a student who was screened for gifted services. In secondary, an appeal may be for general identification or for a specific curricular area in which we serve students. During the appeal process, additional information may be submitted and a committee will consider whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant gifted services. If you would like to file an appeal, please email SecondaryGT@risd.org. Please note the deadline to file an appeal is noon on April 24, 2015. Who attends the appeal meeting? Appeal meeting members include a Placement Committee of qualified personnel from the district which may include, but not be limited to, a campus administrator, district administrator, counselor, and classroom teacher. Additionally, parents are invited to attend. HIGH SCHOOL What GT opportunities are available for my child that attends high school? There will be a GT elective AP Seminar and AP Research, College Board approved courses offered in high school. GT COURSES Do the GT courses take the place of PreAP courses? Yes, the GT versions of the core courses will substitute for the PreAP courses. However, the content will continue to be in preparation for future AP courses.
Are the teachers trained differently? Yes, teachers who are the instructors for GT courses are required to have training in the unique nature of these students, including their social emotional needs. They will each receive 30 hours of gifted training, and they also will add the Gifted Supplemental certification to their teaching certificates. These teachers will receive annual training updates. Are the courses more difficult? The courses will be taught using instructional strategies that best meet the needs of these students and provide for an appropriate level of challenge and engagement. Is there a lot of homework given in these courses? Homework is assigned to provide the student the opportunity to practice a taught skill or extend what has been learned in the class. Therefore, homework will be assigned in alignment with the students needs. If my child doesn t take any GT courses in the 7th grade, will they be offered the opportunity again for the 8th grade? Yes, students who have qualified for gifted services may choose to take those courses each year. Additionally, they may choose to participate in GT Pullout activities even if they are not enrolled in a GT course. Can my student drop the GT course if they would prefer to take the PreAP course OR vice versa? Procedures and timelines are established and communicated to students and parents regarding course selection processes. Students may opt out of PreAP into an on level course, but only after the 1st 6 weeks. I f my child s schedule is completely full with other electives such as band, language, athletics, health, etc., how should we adjust their schedule? Students have numerous course offerings in secondary schools. Parents are encouraged to discuss the options with their student, consult the Program of Studies, and talk to their child s teachers and counselor. CREDIT FOR GT COURSES Will GT courses earn high school credit while in junior high? GT courses will earn the same credits as the PreAP versions. They will receive high school credit for Algebra 1 and the 8th grade science course beginning in the 2016 2017 school year. Are quality points given for GT Courses as similar to the PreAP classes? Quality points are awarded for courses identified in the Program of Studies that allow for points to be received. If the course is a PreAP course it will receive quality points.
How will taking GT courses in junior high school affect students earning high school credit? (Health, PE, Leadership, Speech, Language, etc.) Taking GT courses in junior high will not affect students earning high school credit. Students may take Health and Data Entry this summer for acceleration if they would like to earn high school credit early in their secondary career. Will all of RISD, Texas, and national schools recognize these courses on student transcripts? Yes, all of these courses are part of the state mandated course requirement. The GT sections are no different than a regular PreAP course as far transcripts as concerned. GT INVESTIGATIONS What is GT Investigations? The focus of the GT elective will be to accommodate the special needs, abilities, and interests of the students through a continuation of elementary gifted services. The curriculum will feature opportunities to make cross curricular connections, heuristic cognitive experiences integrated with individual student strengths and interests, and creative problem solving all designed to develop a growth mindset and address the unique social emotional needs of these students. A highlight of the course will be the opportunity to explore personal passions through a facilitated process. Can a student take GT Investigations for only one semester? The GT Investigations class is a year long course. Just as REACH is all year, the course is designed to serve the needs of our gifted students throughout the school year. How will grading for GT Investigations be handled? Grades in the GT Investigations course will be in alignment with district guidelines. Teachers will grade assignments and tests to reflect the student s relative mastery of the content. Is GT Investigations the only GT course that my child has to give up an elective? The GT elective will take the place of another elective for the student. For the 7th grade student, next year, that was identified for services in GT Accelerated Science they too must give up and elective to be in that double blocked class. GT PULLOUT What is GT Pullout? Students who have qualified for any gifted services will be eligible for the GT Pullout activities. Students will be afforded the opportunity several times a year to participate in an enrichment activity. Students do not have to attend; it is an opportunity for different activities, and they may not have an interest in that particular option for that day. For example, students might choose to attend an SMU webcast for two hours during the school day.
Can you take the GT Pullout without taking GT Investigations? GT Pullout services are offered to all students who have qualified for gifted services even if they are not enrolled in a GT course. Will GT Pullout take the place of a class or elective? No, the Tier 2 service will only pull students from their regular courses every 6 9 weeks. Is elective credit given for GT Pullout? No, the Tier 2 service is not a course so no credit will be awarded for participation. Will students miss a whole day of class for the GT Pullout? No, typically students will not miss a full day. How is GT Pullout graded? Tier 2 services are not a course and so no grades will be awarded. GT HUMANITIES What is GT Humanities? The focus of the Humanities class, which meets daily, combines PreAP 7 th grade English with PreAP Texas History. Focusing on these disciplines and the connections between Texas, with art, music, and literature. Students experience frequent divergent instruction; extension of prior learning; advanced critical thinking skills; problem solving; creative interpretation and expression; advanced oral, written and visual presentation skills; self directed study; and advanced research and expository writing skills. Is Humanities a replacement for English and History? Yes, this integrated course will combine the state standards for both courses. Will the class size be larger since there will be two teachers? Yes, the size of the class will potentially reflect that the course is two classes combined utilizing two teachers for flexible grouping, Two classrooms will be provided for this unique framework. Do the students receive high school credit for taking the GT Humanities course in junior high school? No, Humanities is not a high school course. It will reflect the standards of the grade level PreAP courses. ACCELERATED GT MATH What is Accelerated Math? Accelerated Math is Pre AP 7 Mathematics and is an accelerated program designed to prepare the student to study algebra in the 8th grade. The goals and content of the course are the same as Mathematics 8, but with more in depth problem solving experiences. The primary focal points in
Mathematics 8 are proportionality; expressions, equations, relationships and foundations of functions; and measurement and data. Do you recommend taking the PreAP Math Summer Camp for Accelerated GT Math? The PreAP Math Summer Camp is a good opportunity for any student who wants to pursue the accelerated pace of the PreAP 7th grade math class. Please keep in mind that enrollment in the Summer Camp is not required for students if they are taking the PreAP 7 Math course. ACCELERATED GT SCIENCE What is Accelerated Science? The focus of the 7 th grade accelerated science course is designed to prepare the student to study a high school course in the 8 th grade. The goals and content of the 7th grade course will incorporate both 7 th /8 th grade science, but with more in depth problem solving experiences. The primary focal points in the study of science includes conducting field and laboratory investigations using scientific process skills, traditional lab equipment, and current technology including computers, Internet resources, hand held data collectors, and related probes. Students will improve their science skills through inquiry based investigations and experiences; they increase their understandings through integration of biology, geology, astronomy, chemistry, and physics. What is the advantage of taking the Accelerated Science over the PreAP Science? The advantage would be that students that were identified as gifted in Science could accelerate their science courses and begin taking a high school course in the 8th grade. This would open more opportunities for them in high school to take more AP science courses and other electives of interest. What is the GT Science option for 8th graders? This option which will be a high school science course is still being explored and researched at this time. SCHEDULING CONFLICTS Will all GT courses be offered at every junior high? The campus will make every effort to have the GT courses scheduled on their campuses. However, Please keep in mind that these subjects are offered at the campus pending staffing and availability. What happens if my child s GT courses do not fit into their schedule? The campus will make every effort to have the GT courses scheduled at times for students to be enrolled. However, with the wealth of opportunities for courses there may be some situations that are unavoidable and students may not be able to be scheduled into the GT course that chose. Students will still be served with their gifted needs being met, however it may not be in a GT
sheltered course. Please keep in mind that these subjects are offered at the campus pending staffing and availability. HEALTH ELECTIVE Can the Health elective be taken over the summer? Yes, it can be taken over the summer during summer school. See the http://www.risd.org/group/schools/summer_school_main.html for acceleration opportunities.