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Gifted Services FAQs

What is the process for recommending a student to be evaluated for gifted services?
CSD has a three-step process before gifted evaluation: Recommendation, Review, and Referral. The first step is to recommend the student for gifted review. A parent, teacher, staff member, or student can recommend a student for review. If you would like to recommend a student, please click here to print our Recommendation for Review form or ask your school's gifted specialist for a copy. Recommendation forms must be submitted to the school's gifted specialist prior to Wednesday, October 2.  

During Gifted Review, the Gifted Specialist at each school will determine which recommended students do not have CogAT results current within two years. These students will take the CogAT as screening prior to the Gifted Review. If a student already has CogAT results current within two years, then those scores will be used for Gifted Review purposes and an additional CogAT will not be given.

The school Gifted Specialist and the Director of Instructional Programs will review all recommended students to determine which students meet the criteria for further evaluation. The criteria for further gifted evaluation are EITHER a CogAT component or composite score at or above 96th percentile AND/OR three standardized achievement scores (MAP, STAR, etc.) at or above 90th percentile in math or reading (all three scores must be in the same subject) within the last two years. If a student is referred for further gifted evaluation, parents must sign a consent to evaluate before evaluation can take place.

Parents, teachers, staff, and students can recommend students for gifted review. Only one recommendation is required for a student to be reviewed. Please do not ask your student's teacher to recommend your student. If you are unsure of whether your student's teacher is recommending your student, and you would like for your student to be reviewed, then please submit a parent recommendation.

Yes, but a decision-making team consisting of the regular education teacher, gifted specialist, and parents must meet to discuss interventions and modifications in the regular classroom prior to recommending a student in kindergarten for a gifted evaluation. Kindergartners will be referred for gifted evaluation only after all the following have occurred:

  1. Parents/guardians have a discussion with the kindergarten teacher about the student's needs.
  2. Teachers implement interventions/modifications in the regular classroom to address the student's needs, if applicable.
  3. Progress monitoring data is collected on specific skills that have been identified for intervention.
  4. The decision-making team meets to further support the student. The decision-making team will recommend an evaluation if appropriate and needed.

If a student has a current CogAT score (less than two years old) at or above the 96th percentile, and their most recent MAP or STAR reading or math score is at or above the 90th percentile, then they already have evidence of potential in two areas and will automatically be referred for a full gifted evaluation without additional recommendation or review. Parents will be contacted and asked to sign consent for a gifted evaluation prior to starting the evaluation.

If your child was in a Georgia public school last year and/or the year before:

If your child was previously identified as gifted by a Georgia public school, but your child was in a private school or homeschooled for more than one year:

  • Please submit a copy of your child’s State of Georgia gifted eligibility report to Christen Gibbons, District Gifted & Talented Coordinator, at cgibbons@csdecatur.net or 125 Electric Ave., Decatur, GA 30030.
  • The Gifted & Talented Coordinator will confirm your child’s eligibility within our state record system and send you a consent form to place your child in our gifted program. Please send this form back as soon as possible so that we can indicate your child’s gifted status in our school system.
  • If your previous eligibility form or testing data is older than two years, your child will need to be reassessed. Please contact Christen Gibbons, District Gifted & Talented Coordinator, at cgibbons@csdecatur.net or 125 Electric Ave., Decatur, GA 30030.

If you are new to Georgia public schools and your child was identified as gifted by a public school in another state or by a private school (regardless of state):

  • There is no reciprocity between states for gifted education. Your child will need to be reviewed based on the state of Georgia's gifted eligibility criteria.
  • If you have a gifted eligibility form from another state or private school, or testing data from within the last two years, please submit them for review to Christen Gibbons, District Gifted & Talented Coordinator, at cgibbons@csdecatur.net or 125 Electric Ave., Decatur, GA 30030.
  • If your previous eligibility form or testing data is older than two years or does not meet Georgia criteria, your child will need to be reassessed. Please contact Christen Gibbons, District Gifted & Talented Coordinator, at cgibbons@csdecatur.net or 125 Electric Ave., Decatur, GA 30030.

Gifted eligibility is determined based on the findings of City Schools of Decatur evaluation and approved assessments. Private testing or evaluations can be submitted as evidence of potential with recommendations for gifted review, but will not be accepted to establish eligibility for gifted services in CSD.