High-Achieving vs. Gifted

Holmdel Township Schools recognizes and follows best practices, as outlined by NAGC and APA for formal identification and placement of children under age 9 into Gifted and Talented Services:

According to the National Association for Gifted Children, identification policies and procedures are determined at the district level. Because no two gifted children are alike, it is important to collect information on both the child's performance and potential through a combination of objective (quantifiably measured) and subjective (personally observed) identification instruments in order to identify gifted and talented students.

According to the American Psychological Association, IQ testing in children can have a margin of error as high as 18 points. IQ scores are fluid until age 11, and some intelligence and aptitude tests have social biases.

Therefore, Holmdel Township Schools will offer appropriate services to students whose data exhibit performance and potential in the gifted range in comparison to their local cohort, when members of the Gifted and Talented committee observes any of the following:

Norm-referenced data, including, but not limited to:
- - A norm-referenced aptitude test
  - A norm-referenced creativity test
  - Standardized tests including, but not limited to State Assessments data
  - Any other relevant information if deemed appropriate
Criterion-referenced data, including, but not limited to:
- - NWEA MAP Growth Assessments indicating High Achievement and low growth.
  - Teacher Observation and anecdotes
  - Parent Observations and anecdotes
  - Teacher and parent responses on the district-approved rating scales or checklists
  - Student work samples
  - Any other relevant information if deemed appropriate

Student Educational Profiles
- - Compiled by the District Gifted and Talented Specialists, the student’s parents, and the teachers to gain an academic or artistic case study approach to offer a more comprehensive process. Case studies may include data, observations, and growth demonstrated in various settings.

Referrals for Gifted Services:

A request for a review of eligibility may be made by a teacher, administrator, and/or a parent. Click here to access the referral form. Responses will be accepted through April 15th.

Committee Review of Student Profile

A team of trained staff members meet annually, in the spring of each school year, to review students' education profiles in comparison to their local peers to make program recommendations.

Identification Criteria*

Holmdel Township Public Schools' identification criteria includes data from multiple measures. No single measure will automatically include or exclude a student from the program. Eligibility criteria include:

Standardized norm-based assessment of aptitude (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test - NNAT-3) at or above the gifted range, within the local cohort;
Standardized norm-based assessments of student growth and performance (NWEA MAP Growth) are considered for eligibility.
Grade level benchmark assessment scores falling in the gifted range of the local grade level;
Other quantitative data as applicable (e.g. Williams Creativity Assessment Packet);
Affective and emotional inventory (The Williams Scales);
Teacher input including work samples;
Other qualitative data as applicable (e.g. in-class observations) and
Parent input.

Screenings (e.g. testing) of students completed outside the district will become part of the student's profile but will not be used as the sole criteria for identifying student eligibility for services.

Naglieri Assessment

The Naglieri is a nationally normed, nonverbal, multiple choice test designed to measure abstract reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving without the use of language. All students in Grade 2, and students new to the district as of the Spring of the previous school year, take the Naglieri in the spring with parental permission.

Williams Creativity Assessment Packet (CAP)

The Williams CAP measures the cognitive thought factors of fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality, in addition to specific personality traits associated with high levels of divergent thinking capabilities.

*Students new to the district are tested for eligibility during their first school year.

Exit Criteria

With the passage of the new "Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act," we have found it necessary to update our practices for ongoing identification for Gifted and Talented services in Holmdel.

In order to align with the state-recommended practice of serving our students with Gifted and Talented programming options, it is necessary for our District to embrace exit criteria for students who may be receiving specialized services for giftedness, but who no longer need those services.

Please click here to review the G&T Services Exit Criteria.

Correspondence Related to Identification

G&T Screening 2022 Parent message (Gr2)