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I think as a district, we are getting better and better about our identfication.  In my experience, we truly are a district that puts kids first. I appreciate that we provide not only multiple opportunities for testing, etc. during a student's career, but also multiple opportunities for conversations about why the student is or is not labeled gifted.  The book suggests making any placement a tentative one that can often be revisited if it is not meeting the needs of the student.  My own child missed the cut off of one of the tests by one percent but was allowed the consideration "on a tentative basis" and flourished.

To me the atypical ones are easier to spot because they are sometimes begging to be identified. I think I have a better grasp on the identifying characteristics because I am a mother of very different gifted children.  Before my children were school-aged, however, I would not have known what to look for.  The identification session that was offered was very helpful.

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I do believe our identification process is "flexible" however, I do not think all teachers have the adequate training to identify.  There are some teachers who still thinks tat being "smart" is the only thing that qualifies a students a GATES.
Training (in the form of campus staff development) is very crucial. There are new teachers and some seasoned teachers who are just not aware of how to identify gifted and talented students.

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I do believe that our system is a flexible one, and my GT teacher is wonderful about walking me through the data once results are analyzed.
As I read many posts I noticed I am not alone when it comes to insecurities about identifying our kiddos. But, no wonder we have such a tough time; the experts can't even agree on what giftedness is!
In addition to my own documentation, both anecdotal and quantitative, I feel one more step that can be taken to help the identification of these babies is something my school already does for those who are at risk - the State of the Class.
Periodically, at least a couple of times a year, we (grade-level teachers, interventionists, and at least one admin) sit down with one on the computer in a spreadsheet recording responses, and we go through every student and name their current stats (reading level, resent assessment results, behavior concerns, home issues, etc). We need to add a column on the spreadsheet, or a highlight color, something indicative of a GT follow up, where a teacher can share ideas about that student and open a conversation from the others as to what more to look for, strategies to use to help that student excel, and whether or not to recommend for testing.

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I do believe that our identification process is "flexible". Our GT teacher does a great job in keeping us in the loop as far as the identification and testing are concerned. Of course we hope to reach the point of "how it should be" when it comes to the testing process, and much is to be gained when it comes to our sub-pops. However, I do believe that when it comes to the identification portion, from my end I could definitely use more training. It does become difficult to help identify those students that don't fit the "mold" , and it is crucial that we have the ability to do so.

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While i do think that our process is flexible and our GT teacher is amazing, I know I need more practice where identification comes in. This course and specifically this chapter helps clarify the look fors. I know personally that I have recommended kids I was sure would qualify who did not and missed a student who did qualify because her giftedness was not blatant. I am excited to move forward this year with a better understanding of my students.

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I feel that I need a little more training on the identification process, which is why this book study is so helpful!  I have not yet had my 30 hours of GT training, so I do feel "out of the loop". I am hoping to be able to do a better job of identifying and differentiating for my GT kids. I think PD is essential for us to get better.

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I believe that our identification process is "flexible". This will be my second year teaching, so I am still learning all about the identification process. From what I have learned, I believe that it is flexible because of all the different data that is taken and considered when identifying gifted students. I also believe that the only way we can truly ensure that we are identifying these students, is to make sure all teachers are prepared and to know what to look for. The more teachers that we have that are prepared to look for these types of students, the better we can identify them and give them the proper education.

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Last year was my first year with NISD and I learned so much from out GT teacher. She really showed me how to be a "treasure hunter" (pg. 50) and to not second guess myself. If thought I saw something in a child I should never hesitate to show her and be that child's advocate. As classroom teachers we spend the most time with our students and may see something that is not caught in a once a week lesson. I think that my school's GT specialist really worked well with us and the students and not only was able to identify GT students but also help us see indicators and give us lessons to do with all of our students.

I really liked the Three Tips for Successful and Gifted Placement on page 48. I think that it is important for educators and parents to remember that placements in a gifted program are tentative and that if the program does not fit the needs of the child adjustments need to be made.

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I have a two fold response to the question of are we identifying the atypical gifted student.  As a fourth and fifth grade teacher I do not recall ever really feeling out of the loop in the identification process.  Looking back, some of the failure to see those atypical kiddos was my inexperience at identifying those kids for recommendation (which may have also been lack of PD). I mentioned in the chapter one discussion that I find myself sometimes seeing the hard working disciplined student as the GT when not necessarily identifying that underachieving student.  I sometimes felt that even as a fifth grade teacher while not out of the loop sometimes behind the curve, or that students not already identified are already late.  I can only imagine how secondary teachers must feel.  I feel that this book study has created an improved awareness of those atypical students than I had before.
Today I am an elementary physical education teacher and I now feel completely out of the loop.  I do still see kids!  Page 9 makes reference to the GT students characteristics of 'shows creative ability or imaginative expression in such things as music, art, dance, drama; shows sensitivity and finesse in rhythm, movement, and bodily control.'  As a specials area teacher, much of our team PLC time is spent responding to Sped and 504 referral questionnaires....have never been asked feedback on one GT referral or even received GT identification for students.

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As others have stated, I feel "out of the loop" as well when it comes to the screening/identifying  process for GT. I share observations, etc., and in 2nd grade we also use the ITBS and CoGat results  to solidify testing, although if a parent requests testing along with teacher input, it is honored. I feel like it's flexible. Not every student is good at taking standardized tests but exhibit other characteristics of a gifted student (stated in this chapter). As a teacher, I feel like I need more training in what to look for in students .  I don't necessarily know what all to look for when trying to assess a student that might be gifted in one or more areas.

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I would have to say that the gifted identification process is not a 'crystal clear ' process. I feel that sometimes the bureaucracy of education gets in the way.  I, like others, feel 'out of the loop" when it comes to identifying students.  In a perfect world, teachers would vertically (across grade levels) plan together and be able to discuss students and their needs. At the beginning of the year, this gets pushed aside for everything else that comes at the beginning of the year. The window for testing comes so early in the school year, that is is hard to identify kids because teachers just don't know the students that well. I think that it is especially true in students that don't fit into the 'typical' gifted category. I feel that if there was more communication about the identification process, more children would be identified.

I feel that our testing is somewhat flexible, but could stand to be more flexible. One example is a student I had this year. The student was ID'ed as gifted in another state, and was not let into the program here, because the numbers were not accepted. I know that the parents looked upon this as a failure. I also felt this detrimental to the student's self-esteem.

The GT teacher at my building (Marcie Conrad JCT-she ROCKS!) is amazing at identifying kids and is a great resource. My son is a 2E kiddo. He has ADHD and is GT. He didn't test well on the COGAT but was accepted into the classroom from teacher input and parent input. He tested in 5th grade and was accepted. I am so glad that the flexibility was there for him and he was given the chance to thrive in the GT program.

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This question reminds me much of the criteria by which we grade many things in the classroom. We differentiate so many things for student needs... yet GT seems to be more cut and try; however, it is an intriguing thought that many kids may be looked over and not placed in the GT classroom.

Just as Paul brought up in his discussion, I feel very out of the "identification loop" being that I have not been equipped with the knowledge to be in the loop.

I agree with Raegan in that there needs to be more of a conversation occurring about the identification process. This way, there's more of a general understanding and teachers like me won't feel as if they are out of the loop :)

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I have not had much experience with the gifted program at my campus. Where I was there was a very high population of "smart" kiddos, or parents who pushed their kiddos to do their best always. But these students were not usually the ones in the GT program.

We were lucky enough to have two GT teachers on our campus this year, and Stacy Pickett who worked with the younger students (my group) was constantly keeping me informed on what was going on in her room and how I could support that student in my classroom. By the end of the year I was able to go to her and talk about ways to challenge other students.

Something that I do think hinders our  evaluation and entrance into the program is the "thinly stretched" teachers that are jumping from campus to campus. It does not allow as much time to identify some of the atypical learners because the short time they are with you, they have groups that need to be pulled.

I would love some more specific training on how to identify these students in the classroom, and to support them if entering the GT program due to test scores is not an option.

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I will be at Steele AHS for my first year next year.  I think that the identification process has already taken place by the time the students arrive to our campus.  But I think that some points made here and in the book ring true irregardless.
I can see how I will need to be the student advocate and be supportive of all students, whatever their "label".

I think the message that hits home the most from the text is "Once Identified, Always Identified".   With a decent percentage of GT identified students on our campus, it would be easy to overlook someone who may be struggling as a GT student.

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I agree with Keith Smith. As a secondary teacher, I also feel a bit out of the "identification loop." As I read this text I keep wondering about my students who have a certain amount of what appears to be natural musical ability vs. those who put in an incredible amount of practice. Those with more natural gifts sometimes require a different kind of "attention" as they some times find that without the work element they will soon get outperformed by those with the greater work ethic.

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I think our identification process is flexible.  There are multiple data points taken into consideration when identifying our gifted students.  As a teacher, I feel like my opinions are valued and appreciated.

I do feel like my campus (Seven Hills) has been at a disadvantage in the past as far as identifying atypical learners as we shared a GT teacher with other campuses. Our GT teacher was so busy trying to get in all groups at both campuses, that meeting with classroom teachers and working with students who might qualify with more support, was nonexistent simply due to lack of time. I am very excited to have a full time GT teacher on our campus. In talking with Nicole, I know her heart is to not only meet the needs of her identified gifted students but to also work with teachers and help identify atypical learners. We have already talked about how she can push in and help support teachers. I am excited to see the Seven Hills gifted program blossom into greatness!

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I feel empowered by the list of "What You Can Do Right!" (pg.49)  I feel that has direct, impactful information that teachers can utilize not only to identify but also to be accountable to their gifted students.  I actually made myself a little notecard with the list as a reminder to "RUN not to walk," not only to facilitate placement, but to RUN to the student myself-so I can get in some fertilizer (lol), love and care culminating as the sun that they need.

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As a secondary teacher, I feel a bit out of the identification loop.  We need to make sure that we are identifying those students that aren't the teacher pleasers.  Those are the ones with so much potential but are a risk of falling through the cracks if they aren't identified early and engaged with relevant, thought provoking work.

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I think we have a flexible identification process. Personally, my son was accepted into the program at the end of 2nd grade on "preponderance of evidence", basically a probationary year.  His scores were very close and only lacked 1 point to reach the criteria to enter the program.  He will now be in 5th grade and has done very well with the GT program as well as his regular classwork.
As for identifying atypycal gifted students, I do think teachers need more training on what to be looking for. I know my GT Specialist is always looking at data and asking about kids, especially those in subpops other than white.

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Considering I am a new teacher next year in both NISD and in general, the identification process is something I have not done personally yet. I didn't realize how complicated it was until after beginning this study. I like reading responses from other teachers of different age groups and experiences, it helps me feel more confident coming into next year. As it starts on page 49, reading the different ways to help students be categorized into the "correct" category helped me to understand what to look for coming into my first year. I was a Biology tutor this past semester and I do think NISD does a pretty good job assigning kids to different groups. This chapter helped me to feel less
hesitant to bring a student to the attention of the administration if I believe they are gifted.

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Being fairly new to NISD, in my experience the identification process does seem pretty flexible to me. I know the GATES teacher on my campus is constantly searching for any and all students that have the traits and behaviors of a gifted student. I would love to be able to see a test or know what is tested for a better understanding. I do find it strange that the two districts I've worked for have very different standards for qualification.

I agree with the other ladies, it would be great to get an update/reminder each year or couple of years on the "look fors" of the typical and atypical  gifted student. As a self-contained elementary school teacher, I feel like it's easier to notice and identify the atypical gifted students. I can see where it may become difficult for teachers who are not self contained to notice some of these behaviors that come with comfort and time in a particular environment.

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I loved reading all of these responses to this chapter.  I completely agree with Raegan that teacher's don't get a lot of information on what to look for, etc.  We know to be on the lookout for learning disabilities and problems, but not so much for spotting GT kids.   I am only a third year teacher, and don't recall ever having a conversation about it ever.  Possibly that's because I teach sixth grade,  and children are usually identified before then.  I see 150 kids in 40 minute increments-so would be harder to identify.  I can see how some could definitely slip through the cracks!  I am anxious to get back into the classroom with what I've learned already from this book.

I also looked up our process on the NISD site.  I may bring a slightly different perspective to this conversation.   I have four children of my own, one of which is GT.  We have lived in many different states so I have seen lots of different programs.  My son will be a senior at Byron this year, but reading this chapter prompted me to go and dig for all of his testing paperwork from when he was in second grade.  This took place in Pennsylvania.  The amount of testing that they put him through was crazy!  It was a week long process with psychologists, and every test there could be.  When I dug out the papers, he told me he still remembers how stressful it was and he cried and hated it.  I even remember them calling me at one point saying that he wouldn't stop crying and saying that they would like to stop the testing because so far it "didn't look like he would score well."  I didn't let them stop and he ended up being highly qualified in all five areas that he was tested in.  (I'd love to pass it on so you could see what was done!)  Then, we moved to a different state where they barely did anything at all.  One extreme to the next.  I am happy with our policies.  I think it serves it's purpose and does what is best for our students, which is what it should do!

Sorry-I know this was long.  I guess I got carried away!

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I love Gayle's reference to being a treasure hunter.  I think many times we are caught up in the formalities of identification and that section of chapter two gives me more confidence to be better at identifying the many different qualities that gifted students may have. Our district's GT policies and campus committees give multiple avenues to identify a gifted student - doing what is right by our is practiced in this area and that is encouraging!

One thing I would like to see is a conversation about gifted students (what to look for, etc.) at the beginning of the year. We get a lot of information about SPED, inclusion, lesson planning, rigor/relevance, challenging students, and so on; however, there isn't a lot of focus on identifying students who might be gifted and what the identification process looks like.

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"Be a Treasure Hunter" (pg 50)
I think NISD has a fine process in place to identify the majority of gifted students.  I reading through some of the other teacher's comments on this topic, I agree with Kelly Valdez that in the area of creativity or social/emotional, we as teachers may not see the gifted-ness as readily and training and awareness is helpful.
I had the "I'm bored" attitude from a few of my students that I know to be gifted and I have to figure out how to better manage that.  I also had an autistic student that never showed in class how gifted he was, but fortunately had already been identified as gifted.
We need to be treasure hunters looking at all the ways a student shows gifted qualities and challenge them appropriately.

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"You may be your student's strongest advocate. Don't give up without good cause." (Page 49)

I believe we have an accountable process that genuinely assess' student's gifts and abilities. After reading Alisa's post, I also looked at the "Identification & Assessment" tab on the GT website. The process we go through to identify a child as gifted seems extensive, but well thought out. I'm glad our district treats identification in such a way, where we are having conversations and bringing multiple people in to speak on the child's behalf. Personally, I've experienced the flexibility on campus this past year, I had a student transfer from a school where they were in the gifted program and another student who was tested and later identified as gifted. Whenever I would go up to our GT specialist on campus, she would always act on my references and help me with the identification process in a quick and knowledgable manner. It was great having this assurance that the best interest of the child was at heart!

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After talking with my AP about the identification process for the Gifted and Talented program and reading through the process on the district Identification & Assessment page, we do have a semi-flexible process for identifying students based on their academic performance.
However students that are GT in the area of creativity or social/emotional might be missed by this screening process.

Being on a campus that has the Dual Language/Bilingual program, I often wonder if we have the measures in place to identify our students that are not native English speakers.

When it comes to atypical identification, I think educating our staff in the various ways that giftedness presents itself is vital.  I keep reflecting back to the Dualities of Giftedness chart on pg. 10-11 and wonder if we are "missing" kids by misinterpreting their behaviors.

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According to NISD's "Identification & Assessment" tab on the Gifted and Talented website, it appears we offer several avenues for the identification process. One thing that particularly stands out in our process is the GT Campus Committee which allows for more flexibility for entrance into the program than merely relying on test results/ screening process. I'm glad that our district gives teachers and others deemed "experts" in the field of GT a voice in this decision- hopefully this prevents some who may not test well from slipping through the cracks.