Students who are referred for evaluation will be evaluated only after written parental consent is obtained. Further data collection or assessment may be needed in the areas of mental ability, achievement, creativity, and/or motivation. To determine eligibility, test scores must be current within two calendar years. The most recent scores will be used. If new scores become available during the evaluation process, those scores will be used (ex: if your student is undergoing gifted evaluation in December, then December STAR scores will be used rather than previous August STAR scores). 

No student will be evaluated more than once in a two-year period, as test scores are valid for two years. Additionally, because we do not want to discourage our high-achieving students or have them engage in repeated testing for the purpose of gifted identification, a child may be evaluated to consider gifted eligibility a maximum of three times over their K-12 school career in CSD.  Exceptions will be made only upon the recommendation of the district-wide appeal committee. Children from demographic groups currently underrepresented in the gifted program may be evaluated one additional time.

A student may qualify for gifted services in Georgia under the following conditions:

a. Scores at the 99th percentile (K-2) or at or above the 96th percentile (grades 3-12) on the overall composite or full-scale score of a mental ability test AND at or above the 90th percentile on the total battery, total math or total reading section of an achievement test, OR

b. Meets multiple criteria in any three of the four areas evaluated in Georgia: mental ability (at or above 96th percentile), achievement (at or above 90th percentile), creativity (at or above 90th percentile), or motivation (at or above 90th percentile).

After system-wide testing (CogAT in grades 1, 3, and 6, STAR in K-12), has been completed in the fall semester, the gifted specialist or gifted coordinator will review current standardized test scores on file to identify students who are automatically eligible for the gifted program by scoring at the 99th percentile (K-2) or at or above the 96th percentile (grades 3-12) on the overall composite or full-scale score of a standardized mental ability test using age norms and at or above the 90th percentile on the total battery, total reading or total math section of an achievement test. The gifted coordinator will notify parents of students who are automatically eligible and will request signed consent to serve the student in the gifted program and to obtain rating scale data for the student in the areas of creativity and motivation. Creativity and motivation data will be for informational purposes only in order to complete a state eligibility form.

a. If Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) data from system-wide testing (grades 1, 3, 6) is less than two calendar years old, those scores will be used.

b. If the CogAT or other provided mental ability testing data is more than two years old, another CogAT will be administered as part of the screening process prior to referral for evaluation.

c. If a student undergoing gifted review or gifted evaluation has testing accommodations documented in a 504 or IEP that cannot be met in system-wide CogAT administration, an individual test of mental ability will be administered by a psychologist (e.g. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)).

d. If the student is from a currently underrepresented population in gifted education in City Schools of Decatur, and the student demonstrates evidence of strength in nonverbal skills, a test of nonverbal intelligence (e.g. TONI-4 or UNIT-2) may be used as a second measure of mental ability.

e. If a student scores between the 93rd-95th percentiles on a first measure of mental ability, and if the student has qualifying scores in at least two other areas of eligibility (achievement, creativity, and/or motivation), then a second measure of mental ability will be given (such as CogAT 7 or 8, WISC-V, or TONI-4, dependent on student’s first measure).

f. Scores at the 99th percentile rank (K-2) or at or above the 96th percentile rank (3-12) on the composite or full-scale score of a mental ability test are qualifying scores.  Also, if a student meets multiple criteria in any three of the four areas, a mental ability component score at or above 96th percentile rank is a qualifying score (K-12).

Scores at the 99th percentile rank (K-2) or at or above the 96th percentile rank (3-12) on the composite or full-scale score of a mental ability test are qualifying scores.  Also, if a student meets multiple criteria in any three of the four areas, mental ability at or above the 96th percentile rank is a qualifying score (K-12).

a. STAR Achievement scores will be used for both math and reading for students in grades K-12.

b. If a student is referred for a gifted evaluation and has used extended time testing accommodations on STAR, rendering the percentile rank unusable for eligibility, then an alternative achievement assessment will be administered as part of the gifted evaluation.

c. If a high school student has current qualifying PSAT or SAT scores, those may also be used.

d. If a student’s academic achievement testing score is at or above the 90th percentile rank in reading and/or math, it is a qualifying score.

e. If a student does not meet eligibility criteria in the area of achievement but meets eligibility criteria in two other areas (mental ability, creativity, or motivation), then the student’s STAR scores will be monitored for the next year as additional measures of achievement.

If a student's academic achievement testing score is at or above the 90th percentile rank in reading, math, or on the total battery, it is a qualifying score.

a. All students will be given the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), Figural version, as a first measure. 

b. A student score of the 90th percentile or above is a qualifying score. 

c. If the student's score is between the 80th percentile and the 89th percentile, and the student has qualifying scores in two other areas (mental ability, achievement, or motivation), then a second measure will be given. The Gifted Rating Scale will be used as a second measure of creativity. If a rating scale cannot be used as a second measure, then another form (alternate Figural or Verbal) of the TTCT will be administered as a second measure of creativity. 

A score at or above the 90th percentile on a measure of creativity is a qualifying score.

a. The Gifted & Talented Specialist will distribute Gifted Rating Scales (K-12) to a minimum of two teachers who have worked with the student in the past year. These will be filled out individually, not as a group with shared information. Teachers’ names will not be shared, and their identities will not be revealed to parents. The highest score of the two rating scales given will be used as the student’s score.

b. If a student scores at or above the 90th percentile, it is a qualifying score.

c. If the student’s score is between the 80the percentile and the 89th percentile, OR the student is from a group underrepresented in gifted services, AND the student has qualifying scores in two other areas (mental ability, achievement, or motivation), then a standardized motivation interview will be administered as a second measure of motivation. A panel of three trained raters will evaluate the student’s responses using a standardized rubric.

A score at or above the 90th percentile on a measure of motivation or a score of 90 or above on a 100-point scale on a measure of motivation is a qualifying score. 

Appeals for additional evaluation may be made to the System Appeals Committee via the District Gifted & Talented Coordinator within 30 days of receipt of gifted evaluation results. Parents, teachers, or administrators may appeal for additional evaluation (a second measure) if they present compelling evidence that renders a particular measure invalid and there is compelling evidence of giftedness in two of the other three areas assessed.

Examples of evidence that might render a test invalid include a doctor's note confirming the child was not well on the day of testing, teacher observation of illness during the test, or documentation of family trauma the week of testing. The System Appeals Committee will carefully consider appeals. This committee is chaired by the Superintendent of Schools and includes the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning and the Director of Instructional Programs. This team will decide what additional measures will be administered if the appeal is granted.

If an appeal is granted, parents will sign consent before any additional evaluation. The evaluation that follows will be considered one of the three times a student may be evaluated for the purpose of gifted eligibility.