Assessment Process

HOW ARE STUDENTS IDENTIFIED?
Students are assessed through a formal process. Multiple measures are used:

ability test
portfolio of creative assessments (K-1)
creativity test (2-8)
SIGS form completed by teacher
SIGS form completed by parent

WHAT IS THE GT PROCESS FOR NEW STUDENTS TO THE DISTRICT NOT ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN PRIOR SCHOOL DISTRICT?
All students will have the opportunity to be assessed for GT during the next assessment period.

GT PROCESS

Kindergarten - 7th Grade

What is the GT Assessment process and timeline?

December

All 1st grade students will be given the CogAT, an ability test, as a universal screener. Parents who wish to have their students complete the rest of the GT assessment may complete the Referral Form in January.

January - February:

Notification for the GT referral process will go out through district and campus communication the first week of Quarter 3.
The assessment process is open to all students. Parents, staff members, and students themselves may initiate a request to be assessed for the GT Program, however, parents are required to complete the online Referral Form for their child to be assessed.
Parents must complete the online Referral Form and submit it by 4 PM CST on the second Friday of February for the assessment process to begin.
The online Referral Form can be found on district & campus websites.

March:

Parents and teachers will complete a Scales for Identifying GT Students (SIGS) form and return the completed form by 4 PM CST on the last school day of March.
Students may be referred each year, but the prior testing data may be valid for up to two years.
Students must meet the Phase I criteria to move forward to the Phase II portion of the screening process. Phase II involves the creativity test.

April:

Letters will be mailed home by the second Friday of April notifying parents of GT placement. Students qualifying for GT services will enter the program at the start of the next school year.
Parents may initiate an appeal by completing an appeal form after they have met with the campus GT Specialist.
A parent/guardian, student, or educator may submit an appeal of the Campus Committee’s decision to Central Administration by 4 PM CST on the second Friday of May.

May:

District appeals committee will meet to review appeals and letters will be mailed home by the last day of the school year.

1st Grade - Universal Screening

Universal Screening For 1st Grade

Eanes ISD uses a wide variety of criteria in the evaluation and identification of our students. The process assures that all 1st grade students are screened and considered for possible identification and services through the district’s Gifted and Talented.

All 1st students will be given the CogAT, an ability test, in December.

Parents who wish to have their students complete the rest of the GT assessment may complete the consent form in January. Students who qualify for GT placement will begin the next school year.

8th-12th Grade

Glossary

Glossary

Appeals: A parent/guardian, student, or educator may request an appeal of the Campus Committee’s decision within 30 days of the date of notification. Parents may initiate an appeal by completing an appeal form after they have met with the campus GT Specialist.

Furlough: Upon written request of the parent/guardian, a student may be granted a leave of absence from Gifted & Talented services. A furlough may be granted for reasons such as class schedule conflicts, student illness, serious illness or death of a family member, and short term relocation of the family.

Exiting Procedures: Exiting of students from the Gifted & Talented program is based on multiple criteria including student performance in the program. Exiting is finalized by committee decision after consultation with parents and students regarding the most appropriate educational placement.

Transfer Students: A student receiving Gifted & Talented services from another district that transfers to Eanes ISD may complete a Transfer Referral Form. Once the student is attending an Eanes school and the Referral Form and all relevant data from the previous school district are received by the campus, the student will be assessed following Eanes ISD GT guidelines (during the Eanes ISD academic school year). For students being assessed outside of the district assessment window, placement decisions will be made within six weeks of receiving the completed Referral Form which includes the GT file from the previous district.

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