GT Testing and Appeals in CISD
CGA membership is available to students and their families regardless of whether they qualify under the standards of the local GT program.
How does CISD define giftedness?
CISD defines giftedness as students who perform at a remarkably high level of accomplishment or show potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment in the following areas:
- General intellectual ability
- Subject specific aptitude in mathematics and science
- Subject specific aptitude in language, literacy, and social studies.
Although not a part of the CISD definition, gifted children may exhibit some of these characteristics:
- advanced verbal abilities, using sophisticated words and complex sentences
- unusually good memory and learn quicker and easier than peers
- unique interests and either hyper-focused or completely scattered
- interest in experimentation
- passionate imagination and creativity
- witty sense of humor
- complex thinking and analysis
- heightened sensitivity/over-excitability
- asynchronous development
CISD Testing:
CISD offers automatic testing in the fall for all Kindergarten and 3rd grade students. Students may be tested up to once a year during other grades at the request of a parent or an educator.
Qualification for GT program:
- Elementary
Level 1: overall performance on cognitive ability testing (98% or higher results in automatic acceptance for K-2; 95% or higher results in automatic acceptance for 3-5).
Level 2: additional academic achievement evaluation conducted for students receiving 88% or above on testing administered in Level 1.
- Secondary
Level 1: performance on cognitive ability testing in language and/or math (95% or higher results in automatic acceptance).
Level 2: additional academic achievement evaluation conducted for students receiving 88% or above on testing administered in Level 1.
Students who achieve the above scores during Level 1 COGAT testing, are automatically accepted into the GT program. One key difference between elementary and secondary assessment is that a student is evaluated for overall giftedness to qualify in elementary school (a student who tests within the high range on math, but not language arts for example, would not be automatically admitted). In secondary, on the other hand, students have the option of taking GT math, science, language arts and/or history. As a result, students may qualify based solely on their math or language arts score starting in middle school.
During Level 2 evaluation, a student is assessed based on portfolio, recommendation, and additional assessments (for example, the ITBS test). A GT Committee of five campus educators, who have been trained on identifying gifted children, reviews all of the information and makes a decision on an individual basis.
CISD Appeals process:
If a parent wishes to appeal the decision made by the GT Committee (discussed above), they have 30 days from receiving the decision to file the appeal paperwork.
The initial appeal goes to the campus GT Committee. The committee will review the appeal paperwork as well as the information gathered during the Level 1 and Level 2 assessments. The committee may decide to:
- request additional information
- determine that they are satisfied with the original decision
- overturn the decision and admit the student to the GT program
After the campus makes their final determination, a parent may file for a secondary appeal. This appeal goes to the Director of Advanced Academics who can decide to request additional information, agree with the committee or overturn the committee’s decision. Deference is given to the campus GT committee’s decision regarding admission and the decision is made on the basis of one primary question:
Does the evidence support the campus decision? In other words, was there an error is collecting data or interpreting results?
Additional considerations for 5th grade students:
5th grade is a unique situation regarding GT testing. Students in 5th grade may be tested in the Fall (for admission to the GT program during the 5th grade year) or in the Spring (for admission to the GT program in middle school). There are 2 guidelines to keep in mind: 1) students may only test one time per school year, and 2) the evaluation criteria is different for elementary vs. secondary. Here are some hypothetical examples of 5th grade students:
- Student A tests in the fall and qualifies based on his math scores, but not his language arts scores. He is denied admission to the 5th grade GT program and cannot re-test until the Fall of her 6th grade year. Without further action, he cannot participate in 6th grade GT classes.
- Student B tests in the spring and qualifies based on her math score, but not her language arts score. She is admitted to the GT program for 6th grade and can enroll in GT math and GT science. She would not have qualified for participation in the 5th grade GT program.
The inside scoop: if your child does not qualify in the fall examination in 5th grade, you may apply for reconsideration by the deadline in the spring. They will likely not seek you out, so keep track of those deadlines.
If you have any additional questions or comments, please post a response below or contact your CGA campus rep or a CGA board member.
For more information on the testing and appeals process, please visit the CISD District website by clicking here.
Carol Smith’s TAGT Experience 2011
Good morning,
We are back from TAGT in Austin.
We need to be vigilant in supporting our gifted program in Coppell. I was amazed at the drop in attendance this year. Districts that have always attended in the past did not send delegates to the conference. Some attended because they were presenters and that is the only way they could attend. The budget crunch is a reality and the gifted programs are already feeling the pressure. This is the time we need to band together and become stronger advocates for our gifted population. We cannot let money dictate our lack of interest or response to conferences and training. As Bertie Kingore, the keynote speaker said, “All children have the right to learn at their highest level of readiness—even the gifted.” How are we going to provide those experiences without our teachers and specialists providing a program of continuous learning for the uniqueness of the gifted population through unconditional encouragement of in-depth study?
Our country is in need of our gifted students for the future jobs in our country that haven’t even been determined. I attended a session on Giftedness, Creativity and Leadership by Dr. Benny Hickerson from SMU. She hooked us in with 3 companies today that need leadership-American Airlines, Congress and the NBA. We agreed that our gifted are the ones that possess the intelligence to make effective decisions that result in something both original and useful that will pull our country into the lead among others. Gifted Leadership Characteristics: Idealism, Refusal to accept the status quo, creative problem solving skills, preference for complexity , depth of understanding and knowledge in areas of interest, extreme sensitivity and passion! Can you see these in your child? I do-everyday that I see the gifted in my classroom. I want to continue to develop these skills in our students in Coppell so they can make a difference in our world.
The Wednesday conference at TAGT that I attended was for the Sandra Kaplan icons for Depth and Complexity in all subject areas presented by Erik Mickelson. I now have more experience of activities to introduce the concepts in my classroom and to connect the learning to the icons. I talked with Dr. Mary Christopher at the conference and she is sending me the information from Abilene Christian Univ. where she is the professor of the gifted department on the summer conference that Sandra Kaplan is presenting. Ms. Kaplan is the creator and developed the Depth and Complexity material I feel that if I attend this conference, I can train our teachers at Wilson on the use of the icons and bring much more depth and complexity to our learning for all students on our campus, especially any ELL. My dream is to train teachers in the use of the icons that have been purchased for our campus and for us to have a common language for students to extend their thinking and learning in all grade levels.
I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity you afforded me to attend the TAGT conference this year. My technology training increased with a twitter workshop, blogging workshop and digital storytelling workshop. This knowledge will be implemented into the classroom immediately. I can’t wait to have students make some digital stories and to share them globally. Isn’t it exciting how we can share information with others around the world these days! Dr. Arnie Abrams of Southern Oregon University shared Web Links for our online resources for planning and organizing digital stories, media files for digital stories and for producing digital stories. The most wonderful information was that he gave us tips on the resources and which were the best and were free. He was a fantastic presenter and shared how a student can create their own digital story that can be used across the curriculum. He also shared a teaching model for teachers that I would like to share with our campus.
I could not have participated in the great experiences at TAGT without the support of the CGA and I thank you for the scholarship. May we continue to work together to support our children in Coppell. You are our voice in a big way in Texas. Please keep advocating for our gifted and make yourself heard now.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Carol Smith
GT Specialist
Wilson Elementary School
Lisa Timmerman’s TAGT Experience 2011
TAGT Conference
November 30- December 2, 2011
Lisa Timmerman
Lakeside
My main “take-away” idea from this year’s conference is that I MUST TWITTER! I’ve been very interested in getting this started, but always move it further down on my to-do list. However, the idea that convinced me came during the general session and was to use Twitter to keep parents informed on a more current basis. Often after a productive learning day, I consider emailing the parents of that grade level a progress update, but never quite follow through since I try to be as sensitive as possible about the amount of email correspondence they already receive from the school. With a Twitter account, they could choose to follow the daily happenings of our lessons. I also am hyper-zealous in uploading pictures of the kids on my class website, but I know as a parent, it’s difficult to remember to check for updated pictures on the teacher’s site.
21st Century Literature Circles:
This session increased my interest for having optional book clubs for my Challenge students. The presenters introduced me to Wikis as a safe mini-website for the kids to use for blogging their reflections on their current reading. They also had a really strong understanding of using technology in authentic ways, rather than just making a cute final project. Technology ideas included Animoto for book trailers and Taxegdo for theme. I have since broached the topic with my Challenge third graders, sharing only the partial idea of a website they can post reflections and discuss books and several of them actually clapped their hands!
Ian Byrd- Inspire Curiosity and Increase Complexity in Math:
This one was my favorite since I’m a current website stalker of Mr. Byrd’s. At least once a week I use something from his website www.byrdseed.com. He’s amazing at creating real-world projects while using popular themes, including holidays. While I was already familiar with many of the ideas he presented, it was invaluable to me to be able to see and hear him speak in person. The idea I will use first is cooperative exploration, which was used in a vocabulary lesson and has the students work backward from the definition to acquire the vocabulary word. I will also utilize his phrase of “hardest five” as a suggestion for my classroom cluster teachers to shorten the task of pre-assessments.
Free Webinars in February
A FREE, expert-led series designed for teachers, administrators, and parents of the gifted!
4th annual webinar conference sponsored by UC Irvine in California
Cluster Grouping: A Paradigm Shift in Gifted Education
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PST
In these times of shrinking budgets, gifted programs are at great risk. The practice of cluster grouping gifted students in otherwise
heterogeneous classes provides full-time academic services for them with almost no budget impact. Positive outcomes of cluster grouping
include highly motivated gifted students, satisfied parents, and rising achievement for all students at the grade levels that use the cluster model. Participants will learn how to form and teach cluster groups. Achievement data for all students in a model program will be shared. Susan Winebrenner, M.S., is a consultant and author who works with school districts to help them translate current educational research into classroom practice. Susan founded Education Consulting Service Inc. in 1986 to provide practical inservice workshops for educators.
Understanding and Supporting the Emotional Aspects of Giftedness
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PST
This webinar focuses on emotional attributes and how they can result in various school difficulties including underperformance, difficulties with peers, and poor behavioral control. An emphasis on strategies useful in working with gifted children to increase student outcomes will be discussed. Christine Fonseca, M.S., PPS, has worked as a school psychologist for more than 15 years. Her areas of specialty include autism, behavior support planning and the social and emotional needs of the gifted. She is a frequent lecturer, parenting coach and author. Her current releases include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children and 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids.
Identifying, Serving, and Enfranchising Our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Gifted Students
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PST
How can educators help CLD gifted students receive and benefit from specialized instruction? Gifted identification should predict scholastic success, yet teachers wonder how CLD gifted students’ test scores relate to potential when scholastic success is commonly determined by communication in English. Learn how to structure services based on general intelligence, develop potential in the content areas, and teach to the intellectual levels of ELL gifted students while they develop skills, such as mastery of the English language.
Dr. Dina Brulles, Ph.D., is the Director of Gifted Education Services in the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona where she has developed a continuum of GATE programs. She is also Coordinator of Gifted Programs at Arizona State University and serves on SENG’s Editorial Board, SENG’s Diversity Committee, and NAGC’s Equity and Diversity Committee.
Technology Tools for (GT) Teachers
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. PST
This webinar will demonstrate the use of technology to differentiate for gifted students. Use iMovie to develop a thematic movie trailer for a piece of literature. Teach students to give quality presentations with slides. Learn how to best use PowerPoint in your instruction of gifted learners. Ian Byrd, B.S., has taught a classroom of gifted 6th graders since 2007 and was a gifted student himself. Before teaching his own classroom, Ian worked with high school students, students with special needs, and earned a degree in computer science. He writes about gifted education at Byrdseed.com.
Academic Decathlon Needs You
Last year, Coppell High School finished in the top ten at the state tournament for Academic Decathlon, our best finish in school history. Only the top 40 high schools advance to state each year, and our CHS team has been advancing to state for the previous five years in a row with our final ranking moving up each year. We are very excited about this year’s team lead by CHS coach Tim Dixon.
In order to compete in Academic Decathlon, each school must provide volunteers to run the meet. Volunteers range from proctors, to judges, to timekeepers. It takes a total of about 270 volunteers to run our regional AcDec meet. Each year we struggle to find enough volunteers, so we need your help. If we cannot provide the number of volunteers needed, our high school will no longer be able to participate in the competition. Our kids work too hard and our success record is too strong for that fate. So please consider volunteering to serve as one of our contest judges this year. Those who have done it in the past attest that it is a rewarding experience to see performances from some of the brightest high school students in North Texas.
Academic Decathlon Regional Meet Details
- Friday, January 20, 2012
- Centennial High School in Frisco, 6901 Coit Rd., Frisco TX 75035 (http://www.friscoisd.org/centennial)
- Volunteer Judges Report at 2:15 at Centennial High School
- Judges are provided all the training and materials needed when they arrive.
- Snacks and light dinner are provided and the contest should conclude by 9:00 p.m.
For questions or to confirm you would like to serve as a volunteer, respond to Todd Kettler, tkettler@coppellisd.com
Secrets to High School Success
Symposium Panel Discussion, Thursday, Feb. 2
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – CHS Lecture Hall, 185 West Parkway Blvd.
(Doors open at 6:45p)
FREE to CGA Members (no registration required)
$5 at the door for Non-Members
“What Worked, What Didn’t: How to Make the Best of the Texas 4 x 4 Core Subjects”
From IB, AP, New Tech and Academies, the educational choices in Coppell are vast. Are you confused? Do you know what is the best fit for your student?
Come and hear first-hand experiences of four academically gifted CISD high school seniors. They will share how they maintained positive and enriching high school experience outside of their core classes by sharing how they successfully took part in extracurricular activities, out of classroom experiences, and jobs. They’ll share what they wish they knew before now!
From 7-8pm, predetermined questions will be provided by our moderator, Todd Kettler, Coppell ISD Director of Advanced Academics. The last ½ hour will be a general question/answer session.This event is ideal for 7th-10th graders and their parents.
For more information, please click the Event/Symposium tab above.
Toys for gifted kids 2011
If you are like me, you are looking for last minute gift ideas for the smart kids on your list.
NAGC has published its 2011 toy recommendations. You can read the entire post by click here: NAGC toys. They also have some great recommendations for preschool kids.
Here are some of the highlights (click on the NAGC link for full reviews and age recommendations):
1. Hexbug Nano
2. Folkmanis® Puppet, Twickety
3. Palette: How Colorful is Your Memory?
4. The Magic Labyrinth
5. Star-Ball
6. Tilt
7. Pirate Versus Pirate
8. Pirate Plan
9. Mirror Mansion
10. Lab Mice Puzzle
CGA Symposium — Saturday events
Saturday, Feb. 4
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Coppell Middle School East (Doors open at 8:15a. Come early to browse the exhibit booths.) FREE to CGA Members (registration is highly recommended) $50 at the door for Non-Members 1/2 and full day Student Enrichment activities for K-5 (registration is required)Keynote by Kathleen Fischer:
“Red, Purple But Never Pastel: The Nature and Needs of Gifted Kids”
Notice your child exhibits intensity, boredom, and is continually seeking equitableness? Ms. Fischer will help you gain insights on the social/emotional traits of giftedness; video clips offering common misconceptions; considerations of how social/emotional traits affect high ability kids; and strategies for working with kids to fulfill their personal needs along with their talents. Kathleen, a longtime resident of Dallas and mother of three, is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in education. She worked in public education and public health settings; presented professional seminars; taught at the university level; and has written two books. You can read more about Ms. Fischer at www.kathleenfischer.com
Your Choice of Breakout Sessions – Presented by industry and CISD experts
- Math Games: What you see is not what you get
- Putting the “Gift” back in giftedness
- Twice Exceptional: Is your Gifted child not performing up to his or her potential
- Increasing motivation in the underachieving student
- Going beyond the walls of the classroom…going global
- Powerful strategies to improve writing and critical thinking
- Tools of the Trade: Writing and illustrating as a parent/child duo
Speakers are FREE to CGA Members & $5 for lunch – $50 for Non-Members & $5 for lunch.
Student enrichment activities will be provided for students K-5. $25 ½ day; $40 full day. Space is limited.
Registration: recommended for sessions; required for student enrichment.
Click the Event/Symposium tab for more information or to register.
Student Enrichment for K-5 students
Student Enrichment during Symposium
click the Events/Symposium tab above for information on the great speakers offered to parents during the Symposium.
Saturday, Feb. 4 8:45-3p, during Symposium (a parent must attend the symposium for the times that the student is participating). Per child: $25 for 1/2 day, $40 for full day (lunch included in morning and full day enrollment). Registration is required, space is limited. Availability of courses depends on enrollment.K-2nd Grade Sessions
Love of Music with Jeremy Phillips
Jeremy currently teaches music at Pinkerton Elementary School in Coppell, Texas. He directs the Rova Marimba and Drum Ensemble. Zimma-Rimba builds a life-long love of music through Zimbabwean-style marimba. This class will focus on the sheer joy, excitement and sense of community that participation in music can bring.
Creative Design Challenges with Stacie Nickols
Stacie currently teaches 3rd grade at Cottonwood Creek Elementary School in Coppell, Texas. She has taught Camp Invention sessions and is also a GT Specialist. Students will spend time designing structures that investigate science and build creations from literature using common objects.
3rd-5th Grade Sessions
“Improv”-A-Lot: A Beginner’s Guide to Improvisation with Amy Yakubovsky
Amy currently teaches theatre arts at Middle School East in Coppell, TX and teaches CGA MOSAIC programs. You’re up – think fast! In this session, participants will learn the basics of improvisation. Students will use quick thinking skills, develop characterization, and speak in front of others and have fun creating new and interesting scenes.
Your Wits versus Nature with Boyd Grayson
Boyd currently teaches 6th grade Science and Science Olympiad at Greenhill School in Dallas, TX and teaches CGA MOSAIC programs. Design and test devices that challenge you to create a way to defy the forces of nature and known scientific principles.
For more information, or to register, please click here.
Creative Writing Competition Update
We received 265 entries in our 4th annual Creative Writing Competition in the categories of Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry. Our biggest year ever! The competition is open to students in grades 3-12. Now is the time for our talented judging panel to review the work of these talented young writers. Results are available now. Click the “competition tab” above and follow the link.
Book release party is April 4.
Good luck to all of the following students (listed in alphabetical order) who entered the CGA Creative Writing Competition 2011-12!
