Identification Overview

Students may be referred for identification for the Project Challenge gifted program by their parents, by their teachers and can self-refer.  By Connecticut state law, the identification process must review multiple criteria.  In Newtown, the formal identification process begins with a universal screening in all third grade classrooms.  This includes classroom lessons that solicit critical and creative thinking skills, the administration of the Otis-Lennon School Abilities Test (OLSAT) and teacher and parent input. Standardized i-Ready assessment scores are also reviewed.  All data and information collected is brought to the gifted screening team meeting, in order to identify the top 3-5% of the students in the grade level as intellectually gifted.