Universal Screening Process for Gifted Child Find

Chapter 16 requires that "Each school district shall adopt and use a system to locate and identify all students within that district who are thought to be gifted and in need of specially designed instruction.” (22 Pa. Code §16.21(a))

The State College Area School District engages in a number of processes to identify potential candidates for gifted education services. Formal gifted screenings are conducted in grade 3. Additionally, school teams engage in ongoing data analysis to identify students at all grade levels who may be in need of specially-designed instruction. 

Universal Screening Process for 3rd Graders:
Level 1A: CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test Screener)
Level 1B: District-Wide Assessment Data in Reading and Math

Assessment data is compiled. Assessments used vary by grade, but the assessments used are common among all students at that level. The gifted teachers review these students with grade-level teams.

Discussion about students with potential masking factors is a component of the universal screening process. As part of the discussions, a school team may conduct a K-BIT-2 (Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test Second Edition (KBIT-2)  to briefly measure verbal and nonverbal intelligence.

Level 2: The district contacts parents to discuss a potential need for a gifted evaluation. 

Additional screening activities take place by a review of student data at all grade levels in an ongoing fashion throughout the school year. Classroom teachers can recommend students for a gifted evaluation at any time. Additionally, parents can request a gifted evaluation for their child once per school year.

Student data for those moving through a special education evaluation is always reviewed for potential twice-exceptionality.   

If you'd like additional information about SCASD's universal screening activities for Gifted Child Find, please contact your school's gifted support teacher or call 814-231-1054.