Students may be referred for the gifted and talented program at any time by teachers, counselors, parents, or other interested persons. The district provides at least one screening and identification and assessment opportunity once per school year (EHBB Local). Screening as well as identification and assessment is a multi-step process and involves both quantitative and qualitative measures. (EHBB Legal) (19TAC89.1)

  1. New to district students in grades Grades 1–5 are automatically screened for GT services during the school year they enter LISD. The GT Screening, Assessment, and Identification is a three-step process:
    1. Step 1 – Screening: All students are screened using multiple measures. The purpose of screening is to identify student who demonstrate potential in areas of general intellectual ability through district selected achievement and observation feedback tools.
    2. Step 2 – Assessment: Students meeting the screening process criteria will be assessed for gifted services once permission from the parent/guardian is received. Assessment tools may include, but are not limited to, the following:
      1. achievement tests
      2. intelligence tests
      3. creativity tests
      4. behavioral checklists
      5. student/parent conferences
      6. student work products
    3. Step 3 – Identification: All measures are evaluated by the G/T committee. The committee recommends appropriate educational placements.
      1. All members have 30 hours GT foundation training, which includes GT identification and assessment, and are current with the annual 6-hour gifted training update.
      2. Placement into QUEST-G/T requires parental permission.
  2. Screening for grades 1-5 new to district and referred students occurs in January and assessment takes place throughout the Spring semester. New to district K-5 students enrolled in the spring semester are screened and assessed in May.
  3. Screening and assessment for referred grades 6–12 students is offered once in the winter and once in the spring. Referrals must be received by the deadline set by the district, which will be at least two weeks prior to the start date of the winter or spring screening and assessment window. Note: students may only be tested once per year.
  4. Referrals from students, teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents are accepted throughout the school year for Grades K–12.
  5. Kindergarten screening for all learners occurs during January. Prior to screening, elementary G/T-QUEST teachers provide a minimum of four whole-class lessons to every kindergarten class. These lessons provide common creative and critical thinking experiences and allow us to better understand the learner prior to screening.
  6. Transfer identified G/T students will have records reviewed following the District’s assessment procedures. Students demonstrating a need for G/T services will be placed upon completion of the record review process.
  7. Once identified, QUEST-G/T students are NOT re-screened or retested, unless they have exited from the program.
  8. Furloughed QUEST-G/T students may be retested or re-screened following the recommendations of the QUEST-G/T Identification and Placement Committee, based on individual student needs, performance, and history.
  9. In order to furlough or exit from the program, parents and students conference with the campus QUEST-G/T teacher and follow the steps of the furlough/exit process. Parents, students, or QUEST-G/T teachers may initiate the furlough/exit process.
  10. QUEST-G/T teachers support campus teachers with enrichment for all students and in meeting the needs of QUEST-G/T students, including working with individual students, training opportunities, conferences, sharing of instructional strategies and collaborative meetings.