Parents (or students) have the right to request that their child (or themselves) be screened for possible gifted identification up to twice a year. This request is known as a referral and can be made using this link. All requests including students who are new to Perrysburg Schools will be tested within 30 days of referral.
Tests are selected from the state list of approved gifted identification instruments and are administered by qualified personnel. For gifted identification purposes, Perrysburg will honor qualifying scores on approved tests administered within the last 24 months by a licensed school psychologist or psychologist in private practice.
For more information on approved tests, click here.
How are Parents Informed About Testing Results?
After the online consent form is completed by the parent or student, testing is completed by qualified personnel within 30 days. Upon completion of test scoring, parents will be notified of the results and eligibility if applicable.
Identification
All public schools in Ohio, with the exception of “community schools,” are required to identify gifted students in kindergarten through grade 12. Students are identified as gifted in one or more of four major categories: superior cognitive ability; specific academic ability; creative thinking ability; and visual or performing arts ability. There are four fields included in specific academic ability: mathematics; science; social studies; and reading or writing, or a combination of these two skills. Identification is accomplished by using scores on approved performance assessments and nationally normed tests. More information regarding Ohio’s policies and rules can be found here.
The identification requirements as defined in state statute for each category are listed below:
Superior Cognitive Ability:
• Score two standard deviations above the mean minus the standard error of measurement on an intelligence test; perform at or above the 95th percentile on a basic or composite battery of a nationally normed achievement test; or attain an approved score on an above grade-level standardized, nationally normed test.
Specific Academic Ability:
• Perform at or above the 95th percentile at the national level on a standardized achievement test of specific academic ability in that field. A child may be identified as gifted in more than one specific academic ability field.
Creative Thinking Ability:
• Score one standard deviation above the mean minus the standard error or measurement on an intelligence test and attain a sufficient score, as established by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), on a test of creative ability or a checklist of creative behavior.
Visual or Performing Arts Ability:
• Demonstrate to a trained individual through a display of work, an audition, or other performance or exhibition, superior ability in a visual or performing arts area and attain a sufficient score, as established by ODE, on a checklist of behaviors related to a specific arts area.
How are my child’s needs met in the gifted program?
1. An individualized Written Education Plan (WEP) is written in conjunction with parents to meet the diverse needs of the gifted child. The WEP describes the services that are provided to the student, identifies who will provide these services, and establishes learning goals and evaluation methods, and a date by which the WEP will be reviewed for possible revision.
2. Perrysburg also provides opportunities for academic acceleration, including early entrance to kindergarten, whole grade acceleration, acceleration in individual subject areas and early high school graduation. Parents considering acceleration should contact the Director of Gifted Services or their child’s principal for information about referring the child for evaluation. Parents have the right to request screening and to participate in the evaluation process.
3. Gifted high school students might benefit from Advanced Placement (AP) course work or College Credit Plus (CCP), which allows high school students to take courses from community colleges, colleges and universities. Often, these students can simultaneously earn high school and college credit. School guidance counselors can provide more information about CCP.