Identification Process
Qualifying Non-public scholars are invited to sign-up and screen for gifted services
by appointment.
Contact the Center for Gifted Education Office for more information:
Nicole Meyer, NMeyer@cpsk12.org
(573) 214-3750
How are CPS scholars identified as being eligible to receive services through the elementary EEE program?
*Columbia Public Schools is committed to a systematic process for the identification and selection of gifted students at all grade levels. A variety of sound measurement tools offered at multiple high-yield times during the elementary years, along with opportunities for re-evaluation based on family or teacher request are designed to identify all gifted students.*
Step 1: Universal Screening
In March, every Kindergarten and 2nd grade scholar across the district takes a screening assessment called The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3) The NNAT3 is a brief, nonverbal assessment of general abilities relating to reasoning and problem solving. It measures a scholar's ability to look at patterns, see relationships among parts of patterns, and explain those relationships. Unlike achievement tests which measure what a scholar has already learned, abilities tests are designed to measure a scholar’s aptitude, focusing on analytic and problem solving skills rather than specific knowledge. Children complete the screening on their own computer device, at their own school, along with their classmates. It is typically proctored by school counselors and takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. Scholars who are new to CPS, and do not fall within a screening grade level, are also administered the screening tool. District benchmarks and standards determine scholar eligibility for further assessment.
Naglieri3 Percentile Rank Scores within the high 80%ile+ range = Eligibility for further assessment
How Are NNAT3 Scores Calculated?
The NNAT3 uses three methods to evaluate children abilities.
Raw Score: This score is simply the number of items answered correctly. For example, if a child correctly answered 20/48 questions, their raw score is 20/48.
Naglieri Ability Index (NAI): The raw score is then converted using the Naglieri Ability Index (NAI) score, which compares your child to other children in the same age group who took the NNAT3. The maximum NAI score is 160 and the average score is 100. NAI scores are normalized so that 68% of scholars in the general population receive a score between 84 and 116.
Percentile Rank: This score is used to compare the scholar’s performance to that of a national sample of scholars of the same age. For example, if a five-year-old scholar has a percentile rank of 70%, this means the scholar scored as well or higher than 70% of five-year-old scholars who were tested nationally. Percentile Rank ranges from 1-99.
Sample NNAT3 Report
Step 2: Testing/Qualification for Gifted Services
Permission to Test: Upon achieving district benchmarks and standards on the NNAT3 screening assessment, a scholar's family is notified by the Gifted Center of their child's eligibility to participate in further assessment and will be asked to read and sign a permission form. Once permission to test is secured, a measure of cognitive abilities is administered to the scholar by a qualified examiner. Such testing is individual, strictly standardized, typically takes place at the scholar's neighborhood school, during the school day, and takes about one hour to complete. Non-public scholars will test at the Center for Gifted Education.
Measures Used for Qualification: A combination of cognitive (IQ) and achievement data are used to determine qualification for gifted services.
Cognitive:
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – 5th Edition (WISC-V) is a robust, efficient way to measure the verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, and visual spatial abilities of children aged 6 to 16. The WISC-V is one of the gold standards used to identify exceptional children across the country. In line with evidence-based research including recommendations from the National Association for Gifted Children, the sections used to generate the General Ability Index (GAI) of the WISC-V are administered for the purposes of identification. The GAI provides a reliable estimate of general intelligence that is less reliant on working memory and processing speed.
Achievement:
Scholar academic achievement record (within 2 years): AIMSWeb+ (Reading and Mathematics), iReady (Reading and Mathematics), STAR (Reading and Mathematics), MAP-Missouri Assessment Program (Reading, Mathematics and Science.)
Criteria for Eligibility: Following Missouri state guidelines and approval, gifted services are offered to students consistently measuring in the top 3rd%ile.
When a scholar meets the criteria for gifted services, families receive written notification of their child's eligibility and information about the EEE program.
*The Spring/Summer identification cycle runs from March through June. ALL Step 2 notifications will be sent to families by April 14th. WISC testing will occur March-July. Those tested in March-May will receive results by Mid-June. Those tested in June and July will receive results by Early August. The Spring/Summer cycle is dedicated to ALL exiting Kindergarten and exiting 2nd grade scholars, scholars new to CPS, and qualifying referrals. Qualifying scholar's may begin services in August.
Re-Evaluation Referral Process
Families or school personnel may request, through their school counselor or the Gifted Center, for a scholar to be re-evaluated through our identification process.
The following must be true before scheduled:
- A minimum of 6 months have passed since the scholar's last NNAT screening
- A minimum of 12 months have passed since the scholar's last WISC test
After a third evaluation process is completed and placement decisions have been determined, the opportunity for additional evaluation for elementary gifted services is closed.
Transfer Student Policy
The Transfer Student Policy for Columbia Public Schools will follow DESE Guidelines for Gifted and Talented Programs. The DESE Policy for Transfer Students is stated below:
Students who transfer to a school with a gifted program shall be placed in the receiving district's program if all of the following conditions are met:
The student must previously have been placed in a gifted program in a Missouri school.
The areas address by the two programs must be similar: i.e., both are general academic programs; both are fine arts programs; or both are specific academic programs.
The student meets or exceeds the selection criteria established by the receiving school for placement in its gifted program.
The student and parents agree to such placement.
Out of State Transfer of Gifted Students
Students who transfer from out of state will be evaluated on an individual basis. There is a possibility out of state transfer students will need to participate in the district screening and testing process.
Transfer Students Not Previously Identified as Gifted
Transfer students will participate in the gifted screening and testing process/schedule, according to their current grade.