Assessments for South Carolina’s Gifted & Talented Programs

1. Assessments for South Carolina’s Gifted & Talented Programs South Carolina Department of Education Rick Blanchard

2. Agenda at a Glance • Gifted & Talented Identification • Assessments - besides MAP and the PACT replacement test • Who do you screen? • Testing Schedule for 2008-2009 • Regulations Update

3. Gifted & Talented Identification • Three Dimensions • Dimension A - Reasoning • Non-verbal, Verbal, Quantitative, and/or Composite • Dimension B - Achievement • Reading Comprehension, Math Problem Solving, and/or Total Math • Dimension C – Performance • STAR: Performance Task Assessment • Grades 7-12, GPA four core areas +foreign language • PERCENTILES Note

4. Assessments • Dimension A: Reasoning • Past five years CogAt (2nd graders) • Others • Dimension B: Achievement • PACT (most recent scores only in reading and/or math) • Fall MAP scores in reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving , and/or total math • Dimension C: Performance – STAR: Performance Task Assessment (2nd – 5th)

5. Assessment Score Longevity • Dimension A: Reasoning - Two Academic Years • Dimension B: Achievement • MAP – Fall Only • PACT/Replacement – Most Recent Scores • Dimension C: Performance - STAR – Performance Tasks

6. Who do you screen? No Changes for the 2008-2009 Academic Year • Students whose: • scores are imported into the GIFT software (GT coordinators) i.e. PACT scores and Fall MAP scores • All second graders who are English proficient (state funded program) • All students who show up in GIFT or who have a 3.75 GPA (7th grade and above) • New to the district • Transition years

7. Testing Schedule • Data files early September • Grade Two screening • (first two weeks in November) • Results hopefully by December 10 • Re-administer dimension A • Submit list of dimension C candidates end of Jan • Performance Task Assessments (March) *Coordinate with Spring MAP