Need to contact Ashley Winsett or Kathleen Blankenbecler? Email them by clicking their name or call 770-437-5937. You can find more information at Cobb County Advanced Learning web site.
What is Target?
The Gifted Learner Program provides services for identified gifted students at all grade levels. Gifted services are designed to meet the specific academic needs of gifted students by emphasizing the following competencies:
Critical and creative thinking
Higher order reasoning
Extensive and advanced research skills
Advanced and accelerated academics
The requirements for identifying and placing students in the gifted program are governed by Georgia State Department of Education Rule 160-4-2-.38 Target.pdf.
Gifted Evaluation Process
All gifted assessments in the Cobb County School District adhere to the rules and regulations established by the Georgia Department of Education. There are three steps in the process of identification and placement of students into the gifted program:
Referral
The referral process is the first step of the gifted services eligibility process. A referral may come from teachers, parents, students, or as the result of system wide testing. Referrals are reviewed by each school’s eligibility committee to determine whether further assessment of a student for gifted eligibility is appropriate.
Assessment
Students are assessed in four areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. Instruments include nationally normed tests, rating scales, and other approved measures. All assessments comply with state rules and regulations. Once assessment is completed, the data is evaluated for determination of eligibility.
Determination of Eligibility
Eligibility may be established in one of two ways:
Option A: The student must meet eligibility requirements in both Mental Abilities and Achievement:
Mental Ability: 99th percentile (K-2) or 96th percentile (3-12) on a standardized test of mental ability – Composite Score only
Achievement: 90th percentile in total battery, total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery
Option B: The student must meet eligibility requirements in three of the four following areas:
Mental Ability: 96th percentile on a standardized test of mental ability –approved component or composite score
Achievement: 90th percentile in total battery, total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery
Creativity: 90th percentile / 90 percent on a creativity assessment or rating scale
Motivation: 90th percentile / 90 percent on a motivation evaluation or rating scale OR for grades 7-12 only, a GPA equivalent to a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
NOTE: A rating scale can only be used to establish eligibility in one area.
Transfer Students:
In-State Transfers: Any student who meets the eligibility criteria for gifted education services in Georgia is considered eligible to receive gifted education services in Cobb County upon verification of records.
Out-of-State and Out-of-District Transfers: There is no mandated reciprocity between states for gifted eligibility. Outside data must be considered when determining eligibility but does not automatically supplant school-generated data.
From the Cobb County web site.
