High Intellectual Potential
Students
Intellectual giftedness is found throughout diverse populations and crosses all economic and cultural boundaries. Early identification and intervention are often required to meet the unique needs of these children.
Definition and Criteria for
Eligibility for Gifted
As defined by the Tennessee State Department of Education
Definition:
“Intellectually Gifted” means a child whose intellectual abilities and potential for achievement are so outstanding the child’s educational performance is adversely affected. “Adverse affect” means the general curriculum alone is inadequate to appropriately meet the student’s educational needs.
Criteria for Eligibility:
Eligibility for services as a gifted student is based on evaluation in each of the following component areas:
Ten core attributes of giftedness may be seen in students regardless of socio-economic status, culture, or race. These Traits, Aptitudes, and Behaviors (TABs) were identified by Dr. Mary Frasier and are associated with giftedness of children with outstanding talent. Characteristics of creativity identified by Dr. E. Paul Torrance may be indicative of giftedness or outstanding talent.
Frasier-TABs and Definitions
1. Motivation: Evidence of desire to learn.
2. Interests: A feeling of intentness, passion, concern, or curiosity about something. 3. Communication skills: Highly expressive and effective use of word, numbers, symbols, and so forth.
4. Problem-solving ability: Effective, often inventive, strategies for recognizing and solving problems.
5. Memory: Large storehouse of information on school or nonschool topics.
6. Inquiry: Question, experiments, explores.
7. Insight: Quickly grasps new concepts and makes connection, senses deeper meanings.
8. Reasoning: Logical approaches to figuring out solutions.
9. Imagination and creativity: Produces many ideas, highly original.
Torrance-Characteristics of Creativity
1. Fluency: Ability to think of , or produce many , ideas or products.
2. Flexibility: Ability to think of many different kinds or categories of responses to stimulus.
3. Originality: Unusual or infrequent responses compared to age peers. 4. Abstractness of thought: the ability to capture the essence of something by going beyond what is seen or heard by telling a story, giving dialogue revealing thoughts, or suggesting meaning in an abstract way.
5. Elaboration: Imagination and exposition of detail.
6. Resistance to Closure: ability to delay closure long enough to make the mental leap that makes possible more original idea.
The Referral Process:
Anyone, including the parent(s), or guardian, or community professionals may refer a student for screening and possible evaluation.
A screening team of educational professionals considers screening information, previous evaluations, and teacher/parent input to determine if a comprehensive evaluation is needed. The team’s decision is based on multiple data sources.
An assessment team will determine the types of assessment needed. All procedural safeguards are followed to ensure evaluation procedures are non-discriminatory.
Services for Gifted Students:
Special services are often required to meet the unique needs of gifted children. A team of professionals and the child’s parent(s) plan the student’s educational program based on the assessment information obtained through the evaluation process.
