FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

My son or daughter received straight A's but they did not get into the Enrichment program.  How is this possible?

Report card grades make up only one category used for the identification process.  It is possible that your child may not have done as well in the other areas.

My child's teacher told me that they would recommend them for the Enrichment program.  Why were they not admitted?

Teachers can fill out a gifted behavior checklist, Scale of Performance Criteria, when they feel it is warranted.  The checklist asks them to rate the child based on a series of Enrichment student characteristics, classroom behaviors, and grades.  In the end, a composite score from the checklist is used with the identification rubric. Even though a teacher may choose to fill out the form, your child might not have scored high enough in comparison to their grade level peers.  It is an assessment NOT a recommendation. It is important to note that it is not appropriate to contact your child's classroom teacher with the intent of interrogating them about scores given on the teacher recommendation as this undermines the integrity of the process.

How can I get my child into the Enrichment program?

As parents, we all want what is best for our child and it can hurt when we see them not attain something they wanted, or we wanted.  It is important to understand what being gifted means in order to grapple with this. You cannot necessarily study or work your way to becoming gifted, nor should you or your child agonize over not being labeled as such.  Academically gifted and talented students in this country make up approximately one to five percent of the total student population, so by its very nature, only a small portion of students will be eligible for services.

Being labeled as gifted is the equivalent of saying that the normal curriculum your child experiences is not meeting their needs.  Just as special education students receive accommodations and modifications to meet their needs, so too will gifted students. For non-gifted students, the normal level of differentiation in the classroom is appropriate and challenging. .

“I have a friend whose child…”  “Brandon from Miss Q’s class is in Enrichment…”  “I know someone who’s kid is in Enrichment…” “How come that kid made it and mine did not...?” 

Legally, we cannot and will not discuss other students.  Moreover, it is counterproductive. Please trust that our identification process has been thoroughly vetted, evaluated, and revised as needed. The Enrichment program adheres to professionalism and holds high standards of integrity and confidentiality. 

How will I know if my child has been identified? Parents of students who have qualified for Enrichment program will receive an email.  Please see the program and identification timeline page for more details

If my child was in another district’s gifted program, is he/she/they/them guaranteed placement in Garwood's Enrichment program? Participation in a gifted program in another school district does not necessarily qualify a student for gifted service in Garwood.  We evaluate a new student’s needs in the same way we evaluate the needs of all students. We review information a student brings from a former district attended and a determination is made. 

Once a student qualified for the Enrichment program, does he/she/they/them have to re-qualify every year? Yes.  Students are evaluated every school year by state law.  Please see the Enrichment Program and Identification Timeline.

If my child is identified as an Enrichment student,  will they remain in the program until he/she/they/them graduates? Not necessarily.  Students are evaluated every school year.  Please see the Enrichment Program and Identification Timeline.

Who do I contact if I have questions regarding gifted education?