Identification Process

• Parent Awareness Session

  • Parent Awareness Session Completion Survey

• All students may be referred for testing and consideration in the Gifted and Talented Program by teachers, counselors, parents, or other interested persons. 

• All WISD students in kindergarten and grade two are automatically considered for Gifted and Talented services. A referral is not required; however, parent input is requested. 

• The referral includes 10 survey questions about the student.

• Written parental consent will be obtained before any special testing or individual assessment is conducted as a part of the screening and identification process. 

• All student information collected during the screening and identification process will be educational record subject to the protections set in policies.

• A recorded parent information session about the WISD G/T program will be shared district-wide for parents who are interested. This optional session will cover the identification procedures and available services. Parents will receive a link to the presentation through ParentSquare by March 1.

Kindergarten and Second Grade Screening

• All kindergarten and second-grade students are given a verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning test. 

• All kindergarten and second-grade students are given an academic achievement test. 

• A performance task will be given to all students.

• Teachers and parents will complete a survey on all students.

• Second-grade students previously identified as GT will not participate in the screening. 

• GT Parent Survey for Second Grade Students (English)  (Open February 16, 2025)

• Encuesta para padres de GT para estudiantes de segundo grado (abierta del 16 de febrero de 2025)

• English:  Whitehouse ISD GT Parent Survey for Kindergarten Students  (Open February 14-March 14,2025)

• Spanish: Whitehouse ISD GT Parent Survey for Kindergarten Students  (abierta del 10 al 24 de enero de 2025)

Grades 1, 3-12 screening 

• All referred students will have the opportunity to participate in the screening process.

• The window for parent and teacher nominations for the Gifted and Talented Program opens March 25 through April 9. To nominate a student, complete the survey in English or Spanish. Only students in grades 1 and 3-12 are eligible for nomination at this time. 

Selection Committee

• A selection committee will evaluate each referred student according to the established criteria and will identify those students for whom placement in the gifted and talented program is the most appropriate educational setting. 

• The committee will be composed of at least three professional educators who have received training in the nature and needs of gifted students.

Assessment Schedule

• GT Window #1: Only open to WISD students new to the state or new to public school. Related assessments are administered during the fall semester, and results are communicated by the end of October. If qualified, services begin immediately.
• GT Window #2: All kindergarten students in WISD are evaluated for gifted and talented services. Related assessments are administered in the late fall and early spring semester, and results are communicated by the end of February. If qualified, services begin by March 1. 
• GT Window #3: All second-grade students in WISD not currently served in the GT program are evaluated for gifted and talented services. Related assessments are administered during the spring semester, and results are communicated by the end of April. If qualified, services begin the following school year.
• GT Window #4: Only open to WISD students in grade 1 and grades 3-12 not currently served in the GT program. To be eligible for window #4, students cannot participate in windows #1, #2 or #3 during the same school year. Related assessments will be administered in the late spring semester, and results are communicated by the end of May. If qualified, services begin the following school year.

 Notification 

• The District will provide written notification to parents of students who qualify for services through the District's gifted and talented program. 

• Participation in any program or services provided for gifted students is voluntary, and the District will obtain written permission from the parents before placing a student in a gifted and talented program.

• Families and staff will be informed of student placement and given opportunities to schedule conferences to discuss assessment data.