On June 1, 2005 the State Board of Education readopted with amendments
N.J.A.C. 6A: 8, Standards and Assessment for Student Achievement, which includes more specific requirements for gifted and talented programs. The regulations define gifted and talented students as:
"Those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modification of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities."Key Points
- All public schools must have a board-approved gifted and talented program.
Our Gifted and Talented Program has been approved by the Perth Amboy Public School District Board of Education.
- Students are to be compared with their peers in the local school district.
The CoGAT scores were nationally and locally normed. Our students proved they were successful in both populations.
- District boards of education shall make provisions for an ongoing K-12 identification process for gifted and talented students that includes multiple measures, including but not limited to, achievement test scores, grades, student performance or products, intelligence testing, parent, student and/or teacher recommendation, and other appropriate measures.
Our identification and participation procedures will include: standardized test scores; achievement test scores; ability test scores; classroom performance; teacher, parent, and student input; as well as other appropriate measures developed which apply to all populations. All identification measures will be assessed on objective terms. It is important to note that no one single measure will automatically include or exclude a student from our programming.
- The regulations do not establish state-level criteria for giftedness (such as an IQ score or grade point average). Specific tests are not required to be used to identify gifted and talented students.
- Local school districts should ensure that the identification methodology used is developmentally appropriate, non-discriminatory, and related to the programs and services offered (e.g., use math achievement to identify students for a math program).
Identification and participation measures were based on ability scores and non-discriminatory selection.
- N.J.A.C. 6A: 8-3.1(a)5 ii requires local district boards of education to provide appropriate K-12 educational services for gifted and talented students. Therefore, the identification process and appropriate educational challenges must begin in kindergarten.
Identification processes and participation do begin in kindergarten; however, identification may be deferred in the primary grades based on developmental readiness with programming provided through targeted enrichment of activities within the general education classroom. All students and their needs will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.