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Welcome to the BCPS Gifted Program at NLA and HES!
Statement about Referrals
Students may be referred for a gifted education screening anytime throughout the school year. Referrals may be made by a teacher, parent, administrator, guidance counselor, or community member who knows the student. Students may also refer themselves. Referrals should be in writing to the school’s gifted education teacher or school coordinator, administrator, or guidance counselor. Students are tested in late winter. If you want your child tested in their current school year, requests must be made by early December.
Gifted Testing
Every 2nd grader in Bedford County Public Schools is tested for gifted eligiblity in the spring of that year. In addition, requests can be made to test students in other grade levels during the same spring testing window. Please contact your child's school's guidance counselor or gifted resource teacher to make that request.
Students are administered both an ability and an achievement test: the CogAT or Cognitive Abilities Test and the ITBS or Iowa Test of Basic Skills. These are nationally normed standardized tests. Students who score within BCPS's gifted range move on in the eligibility process. We use multiple criteria to determine eligibility for the gifted program. After meeting testing criteria, teachers and parents are then asked to complete scales for identifying gifted students and students may need to produce additional evidence of gifted level ability and achievement.
Once all of the data has been collected, eligibility for gifted services can be determined.
Gifted Services
Gifted services vary by elementary school, but all have in common the opportunity for gifted students to be challenged and to work to their ability on a variety of projects covering a wide range of topics on a regular basis and under the direction of a Gifted Resource Teacher.
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