Identification and Gifted Program Request Process

Gifted Identification Timeline

Students may test once for participation in Elementary gifted programming and once for participation in Middle School gifted education. Once identified for elementary gifted services, students automatically continue gifted participation through middle school. 

The gifted office accepts referrals from parents/guardians for any student in the private placement. To participate in the selection process, parents/guardians must complete the following steps:

1. 1. 1. Parents/guardians must use the New Family Registration Application  link to the online registration application.
      2. Once the online application is complete, please fill out the Request Gifted Testing form. The form requires the application number from the Online Registration. 

Universal Screening 

Universal screening means:  

• The systematic assessment of all students within a grade level for identifying exceptional ability or potential, making sure underrepresented populations are equitably assessed.
• Universal screening measures students’ abilities and potential, as opposed to traditional assessments which measure achievement
• We use i-Ready and CogAT as our two universal screeners. 

Identification Process

• The gifted identification process includes a review of assessment data and qualitative data on students.
• Identification committee members review student data, endeavoring to appropriately place students where their needs and skill readiness will be met. 
• The District examines outside assessment data that aligns with our screening instruments. Placement decisions are made based on a student’s performance within U-46 local norms.

Current (School District U-46)Students

• For the elementary program, screening begins with the administration of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) in the Spring of second grade, i-Ready testing as 3rd graders, and the identification process concluding in the fall of third grade. Identified students begin the program in the fourth grade.
• In the fall, sixth graders are administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and i-Ready test for consideration to enter the middle school program in 7th grade. 7th-grade placement is only applicable for students who are currently not in the IGNITE program. IGNITE 6th-grade students will continue participating in the program while in middle school. 
• Gifted Program Parent Request: Only new student requests will be accepted. Students are tested in 3rd grade to determine 4th grade placement. Students are tested in 6th grade to determine middle school placement. 

Students new to School District U-46- The request window is now open. It closes on April 18th. 

• Students who are new to School District U-46 are eligible to go through the screening process if their current grade level does not fall within universal screening. Students who move into the district and have met all of our program’s identification criteria will be eligible to enter the program. 
• A student’s gifted participation in another school district does not automatically qualify the student for gifted services in SD U-46. This is because gifted screening varies from district to district and state to state. Students transferring in from another state or school district must qualify using SD U-46 criteria.
• Gifted Program Parent Request: To participate in the selection process, parents/guardians must complete the following steps:
  • 1. Parents/guardians must use the New Family Registration Application  link to the online registration application.
    2. Once the online application is complete, please fill out the FORM. The form requires the application number from the Online Registration.  The selection process is for SY25-26.