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SAGE Program |
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Referral The North Kansas City School District uses a systematic process, which takes into consideration the rich diversity of our student population, to identify gifted students. The SAGE Program identifies and provides services for the hidden gifted student. This child is frequently difficult to assess because of cultural or linguistic differences, learning disabilities and/or social difficulties. Trained and certified professionals administer appropriate identification procedures in accordance with Board Policy IGBB / IGBB-AP.
The referral process at a glance is available as well as the narrative below.
Step 1 A referral packet for the SAGE Program is completed at the school site and submitted to the central office. It is date stamped upon receipt at central office and reviewed for completeness. Incomplete referrals are sent back to the school. Complete referrals are prescreened. The referral may be initiated by the school, parent, student or a peer. A form completed by the person requesting the referral must also be submitted along with the program referral and the behavioral characteristics form. The behavioral characteristics forms are only completed by the teacher. Different forms are completed by the student, peer or parent, if they are the source of the referral. All forms are available at the school site as well on the e-Campus Advanced Educational Programs site.
Step 2 Based upon review of the documents submitted with the referral, a child either is or is not recommended for testing. If testing is not recommended, then a letter stating such is sent to the home and the school. If testing is recommended, a letter stating such is sent to the home along with consent to test form that must be signed by the parent / guardian and returned within one week. Step two of the process usually averages three weeks from the point of notification until the form is returned. In some instances, permission is not given for testing and the process stops at this point. Step 3 When the psychological examiner receives written authorization for testing, the parent/ guardian or school is contacted to schedule a testing appointment. Tests are administered, and the examiner prepares a final written report. The average timeframe required for testing can range from 2-6 hours and may take place over one or more days, dependant upon initial evaluation and the need for more assessments. Step three of the process can take up to 5 weeks dependent upon the overall number of children in the referral process. Step 4 The child either does or does not meet the SAGE criteria. For a child that does not meet the criteria a letter is sent to the home stating such along with the testing results and recommendations. This same information is sent to the home school. At this point the parent / guardian may contact the psychological examiner for further explanation of test results. An appeal may be requested by the school and if so, then an appeal form must be completed by the parent / guardian or the school. It is recommended to wait one year between initial testing and the appeal so as to gather more information at the school site. Supporting documents must be included along with the appeal. Once the appeal is received at central office the file will be reviewed for any additional pertinent information. A letter will be sent to the individual making the appeal indicating the action and/or recommendation.
For a child that does meet the criteria for SAGE as a result of the appeal, a letter is sent to the home stating such along with a Consent to Attend form that must be signed before the child can be placed in the SAGE Program. This can average 2 weeks or more, and in some instances if the parent/ guardian does not give consent to participate the process ends. Step 5 Consent to participate in the SAGE Program is received in central office for the child who has met the qualifying criteria. A letter stating such along with the signed consent to participate is sent to the home school and the SAGE site. The SAGE site also receives a copy of the entire referral packet. At the elementary level, the SAGE teacher contacts the principal and the parents regarding the SAGE day of attendance and start date. The SAGE teacher contacts transportation to arrange for student transport from the home school to the SAGE site. The district does not provide transportation from a private school to a SAGE site. The SAGE teacher will also speak with the parent/guardian about orientation, if applicable. At the middle school level, the SAGE student’s core course in changed. Step five of the process can take up to three weeks. Identification The identification process begins when a student is nominated to the program by a staff member, parent, student, or self referral. The screening is comprised of multiple criteria, including objective measures and competent professional evaluation. Gifted students shall be defined as those students who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity and learning potential, as determined by competent professional evaluation, to the extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could best be served by an academic environment beyond that offered or expected in the regular classroom program of the district. The following procedures are used in the identification of gifted students.
Screening The district will provide screening for all students to ensure that all potentially gifted students have an opportunity for consideration. All available data, including information contained in the permanent record will be considered during the screening process. The district will use a variety of screening methods that reduce the chance of bias and provide an opportunity to identify the strengths of all students, including those students difficult to identify and traditionally under-represented, such as students with limited English proficiency, students from culturally diverse backgrounds, students with learning disabilities and students with physical challenges.
The district uses the following screening methods: 1. Nationally normed achievement test scores at the 95th percentile or above 2. Group intelligence test scores at the 95th percentile or above 3. MAP scores at the 95th percentile or above 4. Grades 5. Anecdotal records 6. Demonstrations of creativity or creative problem solving 7. Recommendations from teachers and other personnel, parents/guardians and peers 8. Cognitive Abilities Test at SAS at 120 or above 9. Iowa Test of Basic Skills at the 95th percentile or above
The district uses the following additional screening methods designed to select students who are hard to identify or traditionally under-represented: 1. Nonverbal IQ tests 2. Nonverbal achievement tests 3. Portfolios of student work 4. Content-specific assessments 5. Recommendations from teachers and other personnel, parents/guardians and peers 6. Formal observations by staff knowledgeable of the characteristics of gifted students Individual Evaluation Based on screening results, some students will be targeted for individual evaluation. The program coordinator will determine which students will receive individual evaluation. The district will use a variety of evaluation methods to differentiate between the academically superior student whose educational needs are met by regular classroom programs and the gifted student with needs requiring additional developmental opportunities.
Students will be individually evaluated in the following areas:
General Mental Ability – Including a full-scale score on an individualized intelligence test at or above the 95th percentile. The district uses the following tests of general mental ability: 1. Wechsler Intelligence Scales 2. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Tests 3. Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children 4. Test of Nonverbal Intelligence 5. Cognitive Abilities Test 6. Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test 7. Test of Cognitive Skills 8. Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence 9. Wide Range Intelligence Test 10. Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test 11. Other nationally recognized intelligence tests
Academic Ability – Including a norm-referenced test with a cut-off score at the 95th percentile or above on the composite score or on a majority of subtests. The district uses the following tests of academic ability: 1. Iowa Test of Basic Skills 2. Stanford Achievement Test Series 3. Terra Nova 4. Wechsler Individual Achievement Test 5. Gates-McGinite Reading Test 6. Cognitive Abilities Test 7. Missouri Assessment Program 8. Wide Range Achievement Test 9. Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement 10. Woodcock Reading Test 11. Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement 12. Other nationally recognized achievement tests
Creativity, Reasoning and Problem-Solving Ability – Including results of instruments indicating outstanding ability in one (1) of the following areas related to the design of the district's gifted program:
1. Creative and productive thinking 2. Advanced insight 3. Outstanding imagination 4. Innovative or creative reasoning ability 5. Advanced perception of cause-and-effect relationships 6. Problem solving 7. Abstract concepts
The district uses the following creativity/problem-solving assessments:
1. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking 2. Scales for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students 3. Gifted Evaluation Scale
Other Ability – Including documented evidence of exceptional performance in a general academic area. The district uses the following to identify gifted students in this area:
1. Portfolios of student work 2. Formal observations by people knowledgeable of the characteristics of gifted students
Students are eligible for placement in the gifted program if they meet three (3) of the four (4) criteria individually evaluated.
Placement For those students who meet the required assessment criteria to participate in the SAGE Program, placement usually occurs within two weeks.
Kindergarten, first and second grade students participate in the district SAGE Program by attending a Primary Center one day per week or at their home school with individual assistance on an as-needed basis. Each student's individual needs are assessed to determine which program best serves them.
Grades three, four, and five are transported to one of the Intermediate Centers located throughout the district one day each week.
Grades six, seven, and eight attend a SAGE class each day located at the middle school in their attendance area - Antioch, Eastgate, Maple Park, New Mark, or Northgate.
Each of the high schools has a Gifted Resource Specialist who coordinates support services for identified gifted students at this level.
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North Kansas City Schools |
