INTELLECTUALLY GIFTED

Definition of Intellectually Gifted Students

The Irvington Public School District defines Intellectually Gifted students in the following way: Intellectually gifted students perform or show the potential to perform at substantially high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. Intellectually Gifted students exhibit high performance capability in intellectual areas, specific academic fields, or in both intellectual areas and specific academic fields. Intellectually gifted students require differentiated education services beyond those ordinarily provided by the regular educational program. Outstanding abilities are present in students from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.

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Goals for Intellectually Gifted Students

As a result of offering an Intellectually Gifted Resource Room, as well as differentiated curriculum and personalize support, gifted students have the opportunity to achieve district goals at the level commensurate with their talents. They are also challenge to apply their knowledge and skills in complex and advanced ways so that they can continue to develop educationally. Students in Intellectually Gifted program are expected to become highly productive citizens who will contribute in significant ways to the well being of the broader community.

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Screening Process

The annual screening program to identify K-8 students who may qualify for the Intellectually Gifted program begins in May of every school year. Students who exhibit characteristics of giftedness are tested at each school by the Guidance Counselor. Students can either be referred for screening by the teachers or parents/guardians. Therefore, students identified at the classroom level as potential candidates for the program within each building are given the Slosson Intelligence Test by the school guidance counselor.

K-8 students will qualify for nomination at each building level if they exhibit strengths in one or more of the following areas:

• 90th percentile scores, or 8th and/or 9th stanine, and/or meeting or exceeding grade-level expectation status on any current district and State assessments.
• Outstanding grades in academic subjects and/or comments on report cards regarding outstanding contributions.
• Recommendations of teachers who are currently teaching a student and/or teachers who have previously taught a student.
• Referral by parents/guardians.

SLOSSON SCORES OF 125 OR HIGHER BECOME AUTOMATIC ENTRIES INTO THE PROGRAM. HOWEVER, LOWER SCORES ARE NOT USED TO ELIMINATE BILINGUAL STUDENTS WHO EXHIBIT OTHER QUALIFICATIONS.

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The Difference Between a Bright Child and a Gifted Learner

Bright Child and a Gifted Learner Table (ADA-Compliant)

The Difference Between a Bright Child and a Gifted Learner

A Bright Child	A Gifted Learner
Knows the answer	Asks the questions
Is interested	Is highly curious
Works Hard	Plays around, yet tests well
Answers the questions	Discuses in detail, elaborates
Top group	Beyond the group
Learns with ease	Already knows
Understands ideas	Constructs abstractions
Grasps the meaning	Draws inferences
Completes assignments	Initiates projects
Is receptive	Is intense
Enjoys school	Enjoys learning
Absorbs information	Manipulates information
Technician	Inventor
Good memorizer	Good guesser
Enjoys sequential presentation	Thrives on complexity
Is alert	Is keenly observant
Is attentive	Mentally & physically involved
Has good ideas	Has wild, silly ideas
Listens with ease	Already knows
Enjoys peers	Prefers adults

Source: Janice Szabos, Challenge Magazine Tennessee Association for the Gifted.

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Who Are The Gifted?

Gifted students are those students whose abilities and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional that they are among those who require special services. The Irvington Intellectually Gifted Program seeks out and provides services for students with advanced intellectual, verbal-linguistic and/or logical-mathematical aptitude. Keep in mind that gifted individuals are not a homogenous group, and therefore may exhibit these characteristics in varying degrees and intensities. It is not expected that a gifted child will exhibit all of the traits listed nor are the presence of any of these characteristics prove that a child is gifted.

• General Intellectual Ability
• Specific Academic Ability
• Creative Ability
• Leadership Ability
• Affective/Social-Emotional Characteristics
• Psychomotor Characteristics

The New Jersey Administrative Code for the Department of Education now makes special provisions for gifted education and has the following definition: “Gifted and Talented students means those exceptionally able students who possess or demonstrate levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modifications of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.”
(N.J.A.C. 6A:6-13)

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Parent Resources

• AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GIFTED CHILDREN
• NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR THE GIFTED AND TALENTED
• GIFTED CHILDREN QUARTERLY
• WORLD COUNCIL FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN

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