Student Identification:
Exploring Guiding Principle 5
5. Written procedures for student identification must include at the very least provisions for informed consent, student retention, student reassessment, student exiting, and appeals procedures.
Although special education students have been entitled to due process through federal legislation for the past quarter-century, gifted students whose services are governed by state and local policies rather than the federal government, are not afforded the same protection in all states. In the absence of such legislation, schools have not always been as diligent as they might be in their approach to identifying and serving gifted students, resulting in issues related to access to services and denial of due process. Nevertheless, the articulation of specific procedures for student identification and placement decisions can result in more equitable and appropriate identification and placement of students.
Clearly articulated procedures must guide student identification and placement practices. All procedures should seek to protect the rights of students. Specific steps and criteria for screening, assessment, decisions related to placement, as well as procedures for informed consent and a process for appeal are included. All procedures should be in written form and provided to parents and other stakeholders.
Standards and Sample Outcomes
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5.0 MINIMUM STANDARD
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5.0 EXEMPLARY STANDARD
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District gifted programming guidelines must contain specific procedures for student assessment at least once during the elementary, middle, and secondary levels.
- Assessment of students is consistent with different developmental stages to gauge current needs.
- Assessment occurs at least once at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels in order that no gifted learner is missed or dismissed by a one-time-only identification procedure.
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Student placement data should be collected using an appropriate balance of quantitative and qualitative measures with adequate evidence of reliability and validity for the purposes of identification.
- Student placement involves the collection of information related to the students’ needs.
- Student placement is based on a balance of varied measures that provide reliable and valid evidence for the identification of educational needs.
- The data collected during the student assessment and placement process are recorded in written records for each screened or assessed student.
- Assessment and placement process records are maintained by the school and provided to the parent upon request.
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5.1 MINIMUM STANDARD
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5.1 EXEMPLARY STANDARD
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District guidelines must provide specific procedures for student retention and exiting, as well as guidelines for parent appeals.
- Specific criteria are used for placement in services, retention in services, and exiting/withdrawal from services.
- These criteria promote entitlement for services, rather than privilege, and reflect an emphasis on aligning services with assessed needs.
- Parents who do not agree with assessment results, recommended educational services, or changes in placement may appeal those decisions by following clearly articulated district guidelines.
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District guidelines and procedures should be reviewed and revised when necessary.
- Districts conduct an evaluation of student identification and placement procedures on a regular basis.
- All aspects of the procedures are evaluated: adequacy of the procedures, implementation of the procedures, and effectiveness of the procedures.
- Results of the evaluation are documented in written form.
- Data obtained from the evaluation are used to revise procedures as indicated.
- Revisions to procedures reflect the most current practice and empirical findings available.
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