Parents may have questions about if their child is gifted.  The characteristics described below can help clarify:

-Bright vs. Gifted | GATE Calgary

If you believe your child may be gifted, visit our Referral and Eligibility page to learn what steps you can take.

Any student who meets the Georgia gifted eligibility criteria is considered eligible to receive gifted education services at GCA upon verification of records (Gifted Eligibility Report). 

Gifted services in K-8
Gifted students at GCA are served under the Advanced Content model. In this model, students are placed with other gifted/advanced students and taught by gifted-certified teachers. They are served as gifted in all four content area classes every day, as opposed to a more typical weekly pull-out model. Students in these classes will be focused on more advanced content than their general education counterparts would be. Gifted teachers will use their time to more fully explore the standards, going wider and deeper into the content. Our goal is that every gifted student at GCA will be engaged and challenged! We work to continually meet the needs of individual students. Please reach out to our team, as we are happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Gifted services in Secondary
Our gifted students in the Secondary grade band are served through our Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Students are expected to have a minimum of one of these courses on their schedule each school year. This ensures that our gifted students are taking advantage of the opportunities for advancing their education, and it provides choices among the academic areas for them to challenge their own potential. These courses are taught at a faster pace than the equivalent grade level course, and generally require more study time as well. Courses are taught by gifted-certified teachers that are well-trained in preparing our brightest students for success in college and beyond. Please reach out to your counselor regarding all course change and placement requests.

Out of State and Off-Cycle Testing

While there is no reciprocity for students identified for gifted outside of the state of Georgia, students who were identified as gifted in another state shall automatically be considered for testing during the next testing cycle at GCA. 

NOTE:  Students may not be scheduled into gifted classes until eligibility has been verified and parent permission has been obtained.

Probation 

Students eligible for gifted services must meet satisfactory performance in the gifted classroom.  Gifted identified students at GCA being served in the gifted classroom will be evaluated, at a minimum, twice yearly.  Students who do not maintain satisfactory performance in their gifted classes will be placed on probation.

Once a student is placed on probation, the student’s probationary status remains in effect for the remainder of the current semester. Transfer students who qualify for gifted services at GCA, but whose performance does not meet continuation criteria, may begin services on probation.

Voluntary Discontinuation

A parent may request a student be removed from the gifted program at any time by providing written notification. Gifted services must be discontinued for a minimum of 18 weeks before any reconsideration of service can occur, barring extenuating circumstances.

Program Re-Entry

Once identified eligible for gifted services in the state of Georgia, students are not required to re-establish gifted eligibility, regardless of the length of break in service. All re-entry decisions are made on an individual basis by the Eligibility Team. Factors to be considered in the re-entry decision should include evidence of the student’s advanced learning needs and recent performance levels.

Gifted children can and do have learning disabilities. Gifted children with learning disabilities often go unidentified because their advanced cognitive abilities often mask their learning disabilities.

It is widely acknowledged that giftedness is an inherent attribute. Although a few believe giftedness can be achieved through nurturing, the overwhelming consensus is that giftedness is present at birth, an inherited trait.

The Gifted referral window at GCA opens in January every school year for parents, students, counselors, FELS, etc., to refer a student to be reviewed for potential gifted screening. Students are screened in Mental Ability, Achievement, Creativity and Motivation.

Once a student is found eligible for gifted services at a public school in the state of Georgia, the student remains gifted for their entire academic career, as long as they continue to meet the continuation requirements. If a student moves to a different district within the state, he or she does NOT have to retest at the new school as long as the necessary paperwork is provided.