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Gifted Education in the Bellefonte Area School DistrictA parent guide to the gifted program, and to writing a meaningful and effective Gifted Individualized Education Program (GIEP)
The Gifted Program at Bellefonte Area School District is a specialized program for students who have been identified as mentally gifted. The term mentally gifted includes a person who has an IQ of 130 or higher, or when multiple criteria as set forth in Department Guidelines indicate gifted ability. Determination of gifted ability is not based on IQ score alone. A person with an IQ score lower than 130 may be admitted to gifted programs when other educational criteria in the profile of the person strongly indicate gifted ability. Students may also demonstrate high level thinking skills, academic creativity, exhibit leadership skills, communication skills, foreign language aptitude, technology expertise, perform approximately two grades higher than grade level on standardized achievement tests, and/or consistently excel in the regular classroom, based on grades and/or teacher observation.
A yearly meeting will be held with the students' parents, teachers and/or administrators to discuss the students' GIEP, academic progress, and to write new annual goals and short-term learning outcomes for the following school year.
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What is a GIEP?
A GIEP is a plan written by the GIEP team that specifically describes the education to be provided for gifted students.
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What does the GIEP include?
- It will be based on the unique needs of your gifted student.
- Enables the gifted student to participate in acceleration or enrichment programs, or both, as appropriate, and to receive services according to the students' intellectual and academic abilities and needs.
- The GIEP is a working document that may be modified at any time.
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Who makes up the GIEP team?
- Students' parents
- Your child, if you choose to have him or her participate
- Gifted support teacher
- One or more of your children's current teachers
- School district administrator
- Others, either you or the district, invite to participate
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What content is part of the GIEP?
The team will review the written report and the completed student & parent survey and discuss how your child is performing in school now. The GIEP will contain a statement of your children's present educational performance. The GIEP team will write annual goals and short-term learning outcomes that meet the needs of your child.
- Annual goals will describe what your child can be expected to learn during the year
- Short-term outcomes are the sequential step your child must take in order to achieve these goals