Purpose of the Gifted
Q&A
Program & Models
Gifted students need specialized educational experiences
that support their development and potential.
The purpose of the gifted program is to support and ad-
dress the unique learning characteristics, interests, per-
sonal needs and capabilities of gifted children. In the pro-
gram, students are able to interact with other peers who
are on the same intellectual level. The program emphasizes
the gifted students need for interaction with intellectual
peers.
Model-These goals are accomplished in middle schools by
providing advanced courses for identified gifted students
by:
Increase and adjust the level of their learning with a
variety of teaching methods and differentiation
Challenging instructional activities are designed to
intensify and extend their particular interests and
aptitudes. Identified gifted students are served based
upon their academic strengths and can be placed in up
to four core curriculum areaslanguage arts, math,
science and social studies. Educational experiences for
gifted students provide the additional variety and flexi-
bility necessary to adjust and extend the curriculum to
meet these individuals needs.
Gifted students are placed in advanced content cours-
es on the basis of achievement scores, past academic
performance, and teacher recommendations.
Elkins Pointe Middle School
Gifted Program Information
Can my child be tested before the start of the school year?
No, TAG teachers will begin the school year by completing the auto-
matic screening process. Teachers are not contracted during the
summer to administer tests for gifted services.
Who do I contact for information about the TAG program at the
school?
Adam Hardigree is the TAG Department Chair at Elkins Pointe. He can
be reached at hardigree@fultonschools.org
What are the benefits of the TAG program?
Talented and Gifted
Intellectually gifted and exceptionally creative students have unique
learning characteristics, interests, personal needs, and capabili-
ties. The Fulton County Schools TAG program addresses these unique
characteristics and needs by providing an opportunity for gifted
students to interact with intellectual peers as they participate in
classes that extend and enrich the basic curriculum. Through partici- (TAG) Program
pation in TAG classes, students will develop advanced research, ad-
vanced communication, critical thinking, and creative thinking skills.
My child is excited, but anxious about the difficulty of TAG clas-
Testing & Eligibility
ses in Middle School. What advice should I give to him/her?
Students should be encouraged to speak with their teachers if they
experience difficulties and take advantage of the support system
offered to middle school students. A transitional period is to be ex-
pected and parents can support the transition by providing a quiet
space and time to do homework and by assisting students in planning
how to complete long-term assignments.
If my child were determined eligible, how and when would his or
her schedule change?
In middle school, gifted students attend one to four advanced content
courses each day. The exact courses for a student are determined by
past classroom performance, nationally normed achievement test
scores, and teacher recommendations. Once determined eligible,
students will begin gifted services at the beginning of the next report
card period. In high school, gifted students have a variety of options.
Options for the high school gifted student include seminars, individual
projects, select Honors courses for 9 th and 10th grades, Advanced
Placement courses, Directed Studies, career internships (11 th and 12 th
grades only), and International Baccalaureate courses.
Resources for Spanish speaking parents & guardians:
http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources-parents/
 Testing Eligibilty
Referral Process

The Fulton County School System screens all students
for eligibility for gifted services twice a year.
Automatic Screening- identifies students who
score at specified levels on a norm-referenced
tests including, but not limited to: Standardized
Acheivement Tests STAR Assessments Accel-
eration Assessments Automatic Screening will be
tested in September/October. All parents will be
notified of eligibility decisions in November.
Classroom Screening - There is a two-week peri-
od in the winter to review all students. Classroom
teachers use the Characteristics Instrument for
Screening Students (CISS) to identify students with
superior abilities in five or more of the following
areas: motivation, interests, communication skills,
problem-solving abilities, memory, inquiry, insight,
reasoning, creativity, and humor.
The gifted teacher must complete a Notification of Con-
sideration of Gifted Services (parent consent to test)
any time assessments are administered that are not
part of a system-wide testing event. Parents must re-
ceive, sign, and return the form before a student can
be assessed.
Observation instruments used in the gifted eligibility
process, such as rating scales do not require parental
permission. Data must be collected in all four assess-
ment categories:
Mental Abilities
Achievement
Creativity
A student is eligible for TAG if they have a quali-
fying score in 3 of the 4 criteria categories
(mental abilities, achievement, creativity, and
motivation) as long as one piece of the infor-
mation is nationally normed. They may also
qualify for TAG services if they have a qualifying
score in both mental abilities and achievement.
For more information visit:
https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and
-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/
Gifted-Education.aspx
After testing parents receive a copy of the eligi-
bility report.
If they qualify, a placement conference is
scheduled.

Students referred for testing

through the Classroom
Screening process will be
tested within the time frame
of January - March. If a stu-
dent qualifies for the gifted
program, parents will be
notified.
Motivation
The gifted teacher
must follow the evalua-
tion guidelines and
protocols provided by the Advanced Studies office.