Identification Process

How Does A Student Become Eligible For Services?

The District's established procedures for screening and evaluation for gifted education align with the Pennsylvania's Department of Education Chapter 16 provisions. Screening is a systematic process to determine the need for evaluation for gifted education services. Evaluation is the systematic process through which the need for gifted education services is determined. Determination of gifted ability is not based on IQ score alone. A person with an IQ score lower than 130 may be eligible to receive gifted education services when other educational criteria in the person's profile strongly indicate gifted ability.

Multiple criteria indicating gifted ability may include:

• A year or more above grade level achievement

• Demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one or more academic areas

• An observed accelerated rate of acquisition of new information and retention of it

• Frequent use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interests communication skills, foreign language aptitude or technology expertise

• Evidence that factors, such as gender or race bias, socio/cultural deprivation, disabilities, or limited English proficiency, are masking gifted abilities

Universal Screening

In the Bethlehem Area School District, a universal screening is completed in 1st grade.  All 1st Grade students complete a non-verbal computer based measure of general ability for students.  Students who score in the top 95 percentile in the District are referred for a Gifted Evaluation.  Additional students in the top 90 percentile in the District are discussed in their school building Team Meetings to determine if a referral is necessary for a Gifted Evaluation.