Mission and Vision
The mission of the Bartow County Schools’ Gifted Education program is to identify, challenge, support, and inspire gifted and talented students through differentiated learning opportunities designed to meet their unique academic, social, and emotional needs.
The purpose of gifted programming is to provide gifted education services to students who have the potential for exceptional academic achievement in grades K-12.

Gifted Goals
Bartow County Schools’ students will be referred, assessed, and identified for gifted services. Through participation in the gifted program, students will have opportunities to meet their unique needs.

• 1. Gifted students will develop Advanced Research Skills.

• 2. Gifted students will develop and practice Creative Thinking Skills.

• 3. Gifted students will develop and practice Higher Order Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills.

• 4. Gifted students will develop Advanced Communication and Collaboration Skills.

• 5. Gifted students will develop an Emotional Development of Self. Students will develop understanding of self and how one’s own unique abilities influence interactions with others.

• 6. Gifted students will further develop Self-directed Learner. Students will become self-directed, independent- learners.

Gifted Evaluation Process
All gifted assessments in the Bartow County School District adhere to the rules and regulations established by the Georgia Department of Education. There are three steps in the process of identification and placement of students into the gifted program: referral, assessment, and determination of eligibility.

Referral
The referral process is the first step of the gifted services eligibility process. A referral may come from teachers, parents, students, or as the result of system wide testing. Referrals are reviewed by each school’s eligibility committee to determine whether further assessment of a student for gifted eligibility is appropriate.

Assessment
Students are assessed in four areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. Instruments include nationally normed tests, rating scales, and other approved measures. All assessments comply with state rules and regulations. Once assessment is completed, the data is evaluated for determination of eligibility.

Determination of Eligibility
Eligibility may be established in one of two ways:

Option A: The student must meet eligibility requirements in both Mental Abilities and Achievement:

• Mental Ability: 99th percentile (K-2) or 96th percentile (3-12) on a standardized test of mental ability - Composite Score only

• Achievement: 90th percentile in total battery, total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery

Option B: The student must meet eligibility requirements in three of the four following areas:

1. Mental Ability: 96th percentile on a standardized test of mental ability –approved component or composite score

2.  Achievement: 90th percentile in total battery, total reading, or total math section of a standardized achievement battery

3. Creativity: 90th percentile / 90 percent on a creativity assessment or rating scale

4. Motivation: 90th percentile / 90 percent on a motivation evaluation or rating scale OR for grades 7-12 only, a GPA equivalent to a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale

NOTE: A rating scale can only be used to establish eligibility in one area.

• Meet The Teachers

• Is My Child Gifted?

• Gifted Resources

• GA DOE Gifted Page

K-12 Programming Standards