Gifted Education

Contact Us

Brenda Albers
Gifted Program Lead Teacher
636-851-6147

The Francis Howell School District has several special programs designed to challenge academically gifted students and help them develop their talents. Gifted programs teach students critical thinking, logic, creativity, communication, and problem-solving.

What research says about gifted education

Reis, Burns, and Renzulli, leaders in gifted education, state that most gifted learners may spend as much as 50% of their time working with the curriculum they have already mastered. This may cause gifted students to spend half of their academic career working well below their abilities. Gifted children have specific behavioral characteristics in the cognitive and affective realms that present special learning needs that must be addressed by curriculum differentiation (Van Tassel-Baska, 1998). Gifted education addresses these particular characteristics and promotes students' continual growth in an environment that respects individual differences. The gifted program does not replace the classroom instruction the Francis Howell School District provided.

The Spectra Program at FHSD

Spectra is the Francis Howell School District’s program for students identified as gifted. The program is an educational intervention for qualifying students, which provides a differentiated, rigorous, cognitive curriculum. Spectra students can interact with intellectual peers in a supportive environment that meets their social and emotional needs. The Spectra program begins in first grade and continues through 8th grade. The program provides a significant, meaningful, and engaging curriculum that is challenging and rigorous for the student.

The gifted program faculty comprises at least one gifted education specialist in each elementary and middle school. The District employs psychological examiners to identify students for the program.

Elementary School Spectra

The gifted education program at the elementary (Grades 1-5) level is a pullout program within each building. 1st-grade students begin Spectra at the beginning of their second semester. Elementary students receive services for 180-210 minutes per week. The gifted education specialist at each site also provides a variety of gifted services (whole-class lessons, meeting with counselors and classroom teachers, meeting with principals, meeting with parents, etc.) beyond working with gifted students.

It is a goal of Francis Howell School District that Spectra students should not be penalized for work missed in the regular classroom when they attend Spectra class. The Spectra curriculum is handled uniquely by the District’s professional staff, participating students, and involved families. The Spectra student is accountable for the concepts, principles, and strategies developed by the classroom teacher on the day the student participates in Spectra. Classroom teachers are encouraged to avoid scheduling major tests, assignment due dates for major projects, and field trips while gifted students participate in the Spectra program.

Middle School Spectra

Spectra is an elective credit at the middle school level for gifted students. In addition to the Spectra class, Spectra students will choose a second elective class. Students further develop and refine communication, collaboration, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills. Middle school Spectra also addresses common social and emotional needs in gifted adolescents.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this District determine which students are gifted and qualify for Spectra?

The gifted program is a state-assisted program and therefore must comply with state guidelines. Students are assessed in the following categories to determine possible eligibility for gifted services:

Intellectual Ability — Intellectual ability is measured using a DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) approved intelligence scale. A psychological examiner administers the test. The typical score for students who qualify is 124+.

Abstract Reasoning — All students will be given the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) screening measure. The Screening Form consists of one subtest from the three CogAT batteries. The CogAT measures learned reasoning and problem-solving skills in three areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal, which provides a single score that estimates students’ general reasoning abilities. The score needed to move forward with testing is 115+. Scores range from 0-160.

Academic Ability — Measured using a norm-referenced test with a 95 percentile (or higher) score or demonstrated ability at high levels in multiple areas such as grades, report cards, common assessments, and district benchmarks.

Observed Behaviors — The gifted education specialist will conduct an observation or evaluate a portfolio for behaviors that correlate with giftedness.

My child may be gifted. How can I have them tested?

The referral begins with a letter to parents explaining the program and selection criteria. Parents are encouraged to call the gifted education specialist at their child’s school if they have questions. Parents are asked to give permission to test. Testing cannot commence without a parent’s signature*.

After parental permission is received, the following will occur:

Students will take a short ability measure, the CogAT screener. The building's gifted education specialist will administer this. The score needed to continue is 115+. Students who score below the criteria may be considered again in a year.
Students who receive a qualifying CogAT score will be tested by a district-certified psychological examiner during a quarterly testing window.
A district psychological examiner administers an approved intelligence measure. Students must receive a score of 124 or higher to qualify for the gifted program. Parents will be notified via email or a letter mailed to the student's home address. FHSD does not accept any testing from psychological examiners not employed directly by Francis Howell.
The gifted education specialist reviews the student's academic achievement and/or observes.
If a student qualifies for the gifted program, a placement meeting will be held between the parents and the gifted education specialist. If parents cannot attend a meeting, a placement packet may be sent home.

*Exception to required parent permission: The CogAT is given to all first and third-grade students as a universal screener and parent permission is not required for this screening. Parents will only be notified of screener results if their child qualifies for further testing.

My child was tested for gifted education but narrowly missed the cutoff. When can they be re-tested?

Screening:
Students must wait one year before being rescreened and will only be screened one additional time in their academic career.

Testing:
If a 1st - 8th grader passes the screener but does not qualify for the testing, they can be retested one additional time in their academic career. The second testing may occur at least one year after the initial testing, with the understanding that this is the final testing. If a parent is dissatisfied with the testing results or process, they may complete the appeals document and initiate the appeals process.

Can a parent appeal the District’s decision?

The Francis Howell Gifted Department may consider an appeal if one of the following conditions exists:

New information was not available at the time of the initial referral.
The original referral form did not reveal English as a second language at the time of the original screening/testing.
There is a circumstance or condition that was not shared that affected the initial screening/testing results.

Steps in the Appeals Process:

Contact your child's school's Gifted Education Specialist (GES) to discuss the screening and testing scores with you. The GES may include the FHSD psychological examiner who conducted the testing in this discussion.
After the screening/testing discussion, a parent or guardian may choose to proceed with an appeal or not. If the decision is to continue the appeals process, the parent or guardian completes the FHSD Gifted Program Identification Appeal Form. Send the form to the Director of Alternative Learning, Dr. Will Vanderpool. Only a parent or guardian may submit an appeal form.
After reviewing the application, the Director of Alternative Learning may request additional assessment data or decide based on existing information. Once all data has been collected, a final decision will be determined.
Parents or guardians will receive written notice of the decision. This written notice will be mailed to the home address or sent to a parent-provided email address. Decisions are not released by phone, fax, or in person. All decisions by the Director of Alternative Learning are final.
Students who still need to meet the qualifications for gifted programming may be referred again if they meet the retesting guidelines.