Gifted Program Facts

Because all students should have the opportunity to develop their intellectual and artistic strengths and talents, programs for the gifted and talented are an essential part of the curriculum of Fayette County Schools. The Gifted Program extends, enhances, and enriches the state curriculum and delivers instruction with an increased pace and rigor in order to encourage gifted learners to promote critical, creative, and practical application of knowledge.

All gifted eligibility test scores must be generated by the school system. No scores from private testing will be used, although such test results will be used to refer a student for assessment. All students transferring from a gifted program in another public school system in Georgia are qualified in Fayette County under the state-mandated reciprocity agreement. These students must present evidence that they qualified for gifted services under Georgia law and that they meet the requirements of Fayette County’s Continuation Policy.

Because Georgia has no reciprocal agreement with other states, all students transferring from out of state must meet Georgia’s state requirements before being registered for gifted classes. Fayette County may accept test results from out of state or private schools if the following requirements are met.

• The sending school is accredited.
• The test results were the result of school, not private testing.
• The tests meet the requirements of Georgia regulations.
• Scores are no older than two years.

Students who are not eligible may be reassessed no sooner than two years from the original testing date.

Children are referred automatically as a result of system-wide or school-wide testing. Children may also be referred by teachers, counselors, parents, administrators, or him or herself. Referral is initiated by completing the Observation Form which requests anecdotal evidence of recognized gifted behavior and evidence of gifted work. No child will be tested on a personal recommendation until the Observation Form is completed and returned to the school’s gifted teacher. To refer a child for screening, please contact the teacher of the gifted, the classroom teacher, or the school counselor in your child’s school.

Window 1: August

This window is for students registering in Fayette County schools from either outside the state of Georgia or from private schools where. To be considered for testing, students must have been served in a gifted program in the previous setting. Students transferring from another county within Georgia will be placed and served upon receipt of the test records by the school gifted coordinator.

Window 2: September

The second window is exclusively for the district wide universal screening assessment for first and fourth grade students.

Window 3: March

This window is for students referred for testing by a parent, teacher, or other knowledgeable person. It also serves as the retest window for students previously tested and not qualified regardless of the former testing window. The goal is to test and place students who qualify in order for the newly identified students to be scheduled and served seamlessly in the new school year. For further clarification - if the student tested and did not qualify in any of the windows and they are approaching the 2-year testing cycle, they should be tested in the Spring. This window is also for students referred by parents, teachers, or others familiar with the student.

Only students enrolled in and attending Fayette County Schools will be evaluated for Gifted Services.

In grades K-5, gifted students are served in a resource model either for a full day or each day for an instructional block. When not receiving resource services, they receive differentiated instruction geared to challenge their specific instructional needs. The resource program features an interdisciplinary exploration built on significant thematic issues and the investigation of complex questions. Student tasks require critical thinking and problem solving, and the development of advanced research and communication skills.

In grades 6—12, gifted students study in specific academic areas of interest and expertise. All gifted classes are taught by teachers who are specialists in their field and have earned additional certification endorsement. These classes require extension of exploration and applied critical thinking skills. In some cases summer reading is also a required part of the program.

A student’s performance in all gifted classes is reviewed at the end of each semester, earlier if difficulties become evident. Continuation requires a student to meet criteria-specific performance requirements in classes for the gifted as evidenced by participation, completion of assignments, and the maintenance of an average of 80 or better in each gifted class and/or a 70 or better in each Advanced Placement or accelerated classes. If a student fails to meet the performance requirements in a gifted class, the student will be placed on gifted probation the following semester for that department’s gifted courses. Failure to meet the performance requirements in the same academic area for two consecutive semesters will result in the student being declared ineligible for gifted courses from that department for the entirety of the following semester and placed in a non-gifted core course in the same academic area. The student may regain gifted placement in that department after meeting all continuation requirements. Reentry may occur only at the beginning of the next 18-week semester. The student is allowed to remain in all other gifted classes as long as all continuation requirements are met.

Parents are notified in writing at the end of each semester of changes in placement status.