High Ability Learner Program

Identification Process

Students may be formally identified as high ability learners inthe fourth quarter of second grade based upon the results ofdistrict-wide CoGAT testing and/or throughout grades 3-12.

In occasional instances, students in grades K-2 may be identifiedthrough the district SAT process and subsequent testing.

Identification Criteria

Students in Grand Island Public Schools will be identified for thehigh ability learner program using one of the following assessmentsand related scores.

• Grades 2-11
  composite score of 130 or above on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) Cognitive Ability Test (CoGAT)
  
• Grades 3-11
  score of 96% or above on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) core total
  
• Grades K-12
  composite score of 130 or greater on a Wecshler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC III) or Non-verbal Intelligence Test (UNIT) following referral from SAT team

Identification Process

• Option 1 - ITBS Identification
  
  Scores of all Grand Island Public Schools students will be screened each spring when ITBS results are returned to the district. All students meeting the criteria outlined above will be formally identified. Parents will be notified of identification by mail. Students will be invited to participate in High Ability Learner program opportunities at the beginning of the following school year.
  
  
  
• Option 2 - WISC III or UNIT Testing
  
  Students may be referred to the SAT team within a building by parents, teachers and/or administrators. The purpose of the SAT process is to develop and implement teaching and learning strategies designed to meet the needs of the student in the classroom. An end result of the SAT process may be to administer a WISC III or UNIT in an effort to learn more about the student's abilities and learning characteristics.

High Ability Learner Programming

Students who are formally identified will be providedopportunities for high ability learner program services throughouttheir enrollment in Grand Island Public Schools. Opportunities mayinclude, but are not limited to:

• differentiated instruction within the student's school
• compacted instruction within the student's school
• after school and weekend activities (e.g., Destination Imagination, Future Problem Solvers)
• contests and competitions (e.g., Academic Quiz Bowl, Invention Convention)
• out of level testing opportunities