Gifted Programs in GA

[LovelySummer]

I know a parent with a child in private that is interested in having his daughter tested for giftedness. He is wondering if he has a right to request testing of his local public school since he owns his home and is paying taxes that benefit the district. Otherwise, the private testing facilities are extremely expensive. Anyone know the answer? Is it a statewide answer or is it based on district?

[markjames68]

I'm confused - if the child is in private school, why would it matter? How does the curriculum differ?

My belief in Georgia is that it's done by district. And there isn't a single test for "giftedness". When my son went through the TAG testing it was multiple tests across a couple of days, needing to score 90th percentile or higher on 4 out of 5. I'm not sure that the private school would necessarily accept the public school results (or vice versa.)

The problem is that while he has a right to request testing I'm not sure it would really get anything useful for his daughter.



"Fulton County Schools operates a Talented and Gifted (TAG) Program for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

In elementary school, TAG classes are held one day per week, with children studying science and social studies topics that enhance the general curriculum. Assignments given in the regular classroom on TAG days may be modified as needed for TAG students.

At the middle-school level, gifted services are delivered via advanced sections of core curriculum classes in math, science, language arts and social studies. Students may also take an independent research class to study a topic related to the core curriculum.

Gifted students in high school are offered a variety of opportunities, including seminars, individual projects, directed studies and internships. Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes are also available for all high school students.

Identification of gifted students

Each year, TAG teachers at each local school review students’ standardized test scores and – in the case of high-school students – grades from the previous school year. In addition, classroom teachers use a screening tool to identify students with superior abilities in five or more of the following areas: motivation, interests, communications skills, problem-solving abilities, memory, inquiry, insight, reasoning, creativity and humor. Students who meet the required criteria in either of these screenings and who have supporting data from their classroom performance or test history are assessed for eligibility for gifted services. More details on this process, as well as a complete manual outlining all procedures in the gifted program, are available through the Advanced Studies and Talent Development web page."

https://giftedatlanta.com/schools/fulton/

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by LovelySummer

I know a parent with a child in private that is interested in having his daughter tested for giftedness. He is wondering if he has a right to request testing of his local public school since he owns his home and is paying taxes that benefit the district. Otherwise, the private testing facilities are extremely expensive. Anyone know the answer? Is it a statewide answer or is it based on district?

He can call and ask, but I would seriously doubt it. You can sometimes get services for things like speech issues, but what is the issue that isn't being addressed in this case?

When I was thinking about switching my child from private to public middle school, I asked the public middle school (APS) if we could find out whether she would be in the gifted program before we enrolled, and they said no, they could only make that determination after she enrolled. I thought it would be valuable info to have when deciding whether to enroll in the school, but they didn't see it that way.

If the child has been in private school since elementary, she may have taken an entrance exam like JATP, which is largely an IQ test, if that's what you're after. If not, then he can pay to have her take it as if she were applying to other privates. It's not that pricey, maybe $250, $450 for in depth report.

[LovelySummer]

I will pass on the information from the posts.
It is my understanding that he was being quoted pricing in the thousands. I'm sure the JATP pricing will be a relief. Thanks

Originally Posted by AtlJan

He can call and ask, but I would seriously doubt it. You can sometimes get services for things like speech issues, but what is the issue that isn't being addressed in this case?

When I was thinking about switching my child from private to public middle school, I asked the public middle school (APS) if we could find out whether she would be in the gifted program before we enrolled, and they said no, they could only make that determination after she enrolled. I thought it would be valuable info to have when deciding whether to enroll in the school, but they didn't see it that way.

If the child has been in private school since elementary, she may have taken an entrance exam like JATP, which is largely an IQ test, if that's what you're after. If not, then he can pay to have her take it as if she were applying to other privates. It's not that pricey, maybe $250, $450 for in depth report.