*The requirements for a student's Gifted Individualized Education Plan can be found in the Pennsylvania Code (22 Pa Code §16.32)*

Awareness activities conducted annually by Camp Hill School District to inform the public of the gifted education services and programs offered (newspaper, student handbooks, school website, etc.)

The school district follows the child find procedures described by the state for the identification of gifted children.  Public notice of the district's responsibility to locate and assessment potential gifted students is described on the district's web site within the Director of Student Services' web page.  Additionally, the school handbook and calendar describe the identification of gifted children and the services that the district offers.  The borough/district newsletter annually publishes the child find information as well. Teachers and guidance counselors speak individually with parents when school performance is indicative of potential giftedness.

Camp Hill School District’s process for locating students who are thought to be gifted and may be in need of specially designed instruction (screening). 

The Camp Hill School District has established screening procedures to locate and identify students who are gifted and who require gifted education to meet their potential. These procedures comply with the Pennsylvania regulations that are delineated in 22 Pa. Code Chapter 16. 

Screening and identification of gifted students occurs from kindergarten through twelfth grades.  Students may be identified in several different ways.

 Teacher Referral:  Through classroom based assessments and observations, a teacher may identify that a student has exceptional aptitude for academic achievement and creativity. A teacher would discuss a child’s educational progress with his/her parent and recommend that the parent consider using the District’s multidisciplinary evaluation process to determine if the child is gifted and in need of specially designed instruction to meet his/her unique learning needs. If the parent agrees, the teacher would request that the multidisciplinary evaluation team review the student’s performance data to determine if a more in-depth evaluation is warranted. The multidisciplinary evaluation team is the classroom teacher, the parent/guardian, the school psychologist, the gifted education teacher, and the building principal or the Director of Student Services.  A request for a multidisciplinary evaluation may occur one time per school year.

 Parent Referral:  Parents/Guardians may request that the District review their child’s school performance to consider a multidisciplinary evaluation to determine if he/she is gifted and in need of specially designed instruction to meet his/her unique learning needs.  The performance data will be reviewed at a multidisciplinary team meeting, consisting of the classroom teacher(s), parent/guardian, the school psychologist, the gifted education teacher, and the building principal or the Director of Student Services. If the review of performance data warrants a more in depth evaluation, the parent may, in writing, request a multidisciplinary evaluation by submitting a letter to the Director of Student Services no more than one time per school year.

 Screening Meeting: When a teacher or parent refers a student, a multidisciplinary team meeting is held. The team consists of: the classroom teacher(s), the parent(s) or guardian(s), the principal, the school psychologist, the gifted education teacher, and any other pertinent professional staff. At the meeting the team reviews the child’s performance information. The performance information should include: a completed screening matrix, any current standardized testing information such as PSSA testing, report cards, other curriculum-based assessments, and observations. Based on a review of the information, the team will decide to recommend a multidisciplinary evaluation. If the team decides to proceed with the multidisciplinary evaluation, the paperwork and timelines governing the process, which are outlined in Chapter 16 regulations, will be implemented.

       The District uses the above screening procedures on a case-by-case basis for all students in the District to find and identify students who are of superior mental ability. The District uses the screening matrix to screen all students in the spring of their second grade year in order to determine who meets the criteria for further assessment using an abbreviated intelligence test. While this is currently the only time an entire class of students is evaluated, District professionals use student performance data on a yearly basis to identify students who may qualify for the gifted education program.

 Eligibility Criteria: To be identified as a gifted student, the child must meet these criteria:

1. Score 130 or above on an individual Intelligence (IQ) test such as the WISC-IV and demonstrate through their achievement and rates of acquisition and retention that he/she is a student of gifted ability.
2. If the child scores less than 130 IQ, the student must meet all of the following criteria:
3. Have a reading level, as measured by a nationally normed standardized test, at the 96^th percentile for his/her age, or above
4. Have a math level, as measured by a nationally normed standardized test, at the 96^th percentile for his/her age, or above.
5. Have the recommendation of the multi-disciplinary team, which includes a score on the GATES, which is a checklist of gifted traits completed by the teacher of at least an average of 4.5 out of 5.
6. Once a student has been identified as gifted according to the above criteria, the multi-disciplinary team must decide whether the student is in need of specially designed instruction outside the regular education program to meet his/her unique educational needs. If the team decides that specially designed instruction is needed, the team would write a Gifted Individual Education Program (GIEP) for the child.  If the team decides that the child does not need specially designed instruction, the child would continue to receive instruction within the regular education program to meet his/her educational needs. Once a decision has been reached, a Notice of Recommended Assignment (NORA) documents the team’s decision. It requires a signature by a parent and by the District Superintendent.

 If you have questions, please contact:

Autumn Reely
Director of Special Education/Student Services
Camp Hill School District
418 South 24th Street
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Phone 717-901-2400 Option 5
Fax 717-901-2421
E-mail areely@camphillsd.k12.pa.us