Who are gifted and talented students?
This description reflects South Carolina's definition of gifted and talented in R 43-220: "Gifted and talented students are those who are identified in grades one through twelve as demonstrating high performance ability or potential in academic and/or artistic areas and therefore require an educational program beyond that normally provided by the general school program in order to achieve their potential" (24 S.c. Code Ann. Regs.43-220.1(A).(1)).

How are Gifted and Talented Students Served?
Laurens County School District 55 serves gifted and talented students beginning in grade 3 through an approved model as defined by South Carolina Board of Education Regulation 43-220.

How does a student qualify for gifted and talented programs?
The State of South Carolina has established three dimensions of giftedness criteria for placement in the academically gifted program. In order to qualify for placement in gifted/talented programs, a student must meet the eligibility criteria in two out of the following three dimensions.

• A Dimension: Reasoning Abilities

  Students must score at or above the 93rd national age percentile on a nationally normed aptitude test. Students may be eligible for placement on the basis of aptitude alone if they score at or above the 96th national age percentile on the composite score of a nationally normed aptitude test.
  

• B Dimension: High Achievement in Reading and/or Mathematical Areas

  Students must score at or above the 94th national percentile on approved subtests on a nationally normed achievement test or at the Advanced level for the reading portion of the English Language Arts/and or Math on the Palmetto Achievement Test (PACT).
  

• C Dimension: Academic Performance

  Students must achieve a performance standard of 16 on the verbal and/or 16 on the nonverbal portion of the Primary version of the STAR Performance Tasks or a score of 16 on the verbal and/or 22 on the nonverbal portion of the Intermediate version of the STAR Performance Tasks. Beginning in grade 7, a 3.75 grade point average in the academic disciplines may be used in lieu of the performance tasks.

Do I need to nominate my child/or gifted and talented evaluation?
Screening for academic gifted programs begins in grade 2 for 3rd grade placement. Students in grade 2 will participate in CogAT testing in November and students in grades 2-8 will participate in MAP testing during the fall. In January districts receive and review fall data for students and determine students eligible for the STAR Performance Tasks administration in March. Also in January the Evaluation and Placement Team Will identify and place students who qualify for GT services based on fall data. STAR Performance Tasks data will be available in May and the Evaluation and Placement Team will identify and place students who qualify for GT services. Parents of students who have demonstrated ability or potential for high performance in academic areas may refer their child for screening by completing a referral form available from the school's guidance counselor. The time required for decisions on placement varies from one student to another based on the amount of previous test and identification data available and the time of the year that the nomination is made.

*No private testing will be accepted for eligibility, but those results may be considered for referral purposes.

Laurens School District 55 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in admission to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.