The 6-Week Gifted Child Find Timeline

Gifted Talent Scouting or Child Find really is an exciting season, especially for those of us in small districts. Having a structured Child Find timeline makes all the difference. Let’s break it down into manageable steps that will help you support your brightest learners.

Week One: 

Identify Academic Achievement: While we know academic achievement is not the most accurate predictor of intellectual giftedness, it is a starting point. Highly capable students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those with learning disabilities may not demonstrate their full potential through traditional academic measures. Additionally, academic achievement tends to favor students who are good test-takers or those with strong support systems at home. That is why we include step 2 - Grade-Level Gifted Characteristic Screeners!

Week Two: 

Grade-Level Gifted Characteristic Screeners: Having specific characteristics not often associated with giftedness helps in this process. I pay attention to scores on characteristics not usually considered “gifted”.

For a digital copy of my screener, click HERE. (This allows you to distribute via email and collect all data within one digital workbook. Saves so much time!)

Note: Even if not required by your state’s Dept. of Ed, it is best practice to let parents know that a grade-level screener will be administered. This can be included in the district’s testing and assessment calendar or can be a notice on the school’s website. You may also decide to send a letter to all families within the affected grade-levels.

Create “short-list” of students based on data: This is one of the most exciting parts for me! I record the students who ranked high in academic achievement and who scored the highest on the classroom screeners. 

Week Three: 

Parent meeting to request consent to individually assess (additional academic, creative, and/or cognitive): This is another exciting step. After determining if there is cause to further assess, we meet with parents to request consent to individually assess. This process will be different in some states.

Note: Sometimes I only request additional academic & achievement. I do not always request cognitive assessments in this step. In my state, students must have points within the “matrix” for three categories. If the initial assessments do not produce points in the categories other than cognitive, an IQ test may not be required. You know this varies from student to student, state by state. Just keep this in mind.

Administer individual assessments: Send assessment requests to all parties - gen ed teachers, school psych, admin, etc. Try to set deadlines for no longer than two weeks. 

Week Four: WAIT! Wait for assessment data to be reported. Once all has been gathered, schedule your meeting.  This may be longer if depending on an outsourced cognitive assessment. 

Week Five (Maybe Six)

Parent meeting to review results & determine eligibility: Assemble the entire team for this meeting. It typically includes you, the parents, gen ed teachers, and the principal or LEA rep. As always, this varies by state.

In this meeting, discuss the results of the assessments. Discuss if intellectually gifted services will benefit the student and if he/she is eligible. We may also determine further testing is needed. The key is to remain flexible and never go into the meeting with a preconceived result.

If eligible, determine services and support needs: This can be an extension of the meeting above. In my state, if parents agree to services, we determine goals, accommodations, and modifications that would benefit the students.

 Create a flexible gifted program model, include a typical continuum of services handout to help parents better understand how this will “look” in their child’s typical school week. Engage parents & gen ed teacher in this process and base it on present levels and student interests.

Week Six:

Onboard & begin serving your new gifted student: Set the tone by providing a welcoming onboarding experience for parents & students. I like to provide a Welcome Packet to parents that includes copies of all assessment data, my program overview, contact information, dates & timelines, and resources for gifted parents. I create the same type of packet for students but include program structure and expectations. I also set an appointment for 1:1 goal-setting sessions based on the plan created by the student’s team. This allows students to create systems to reach the goals and also create other goals important to the student but not included in the plan.

Establishing a structured Gifted Talent Scout or Child Find timeline is essential for identifying and supporting gifted learners. As with any timeline, these timeframes are suggested, but not always achievable.

There are many ways you can leverage technology to make the process much more streamlined and trackable. For my Top 5 Gifted Talent Scout/Child Find Tools, click HERE.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need personalized guidance in developing your gifted education program, consider our coaching services at Gifted Education Solutions. We’re here to help you reclaim your joy in teaching while ensuring your students receive the education they deserve!