Gifted Education » Gifted Identification

Gifted Identification

Many areas of identification are available for Gifted and Talented. The most common areas of identification are in the area of Academic Aptitude and include General Intellect, Reading, Writing, and Math . These Bodies of Evidence are collected by the Gifted Coordinator and are submitted to the district in Fall and Spring of each school year. Other areas available are Creative or Productive Thinking, Leadership Abilities, and Visual Arts or Specific Talent Aptitude, all of which require a portfolio to be built by the student and turned in to Adams 12 by April 6th for review. 
 
The process for identifying students as Gifted and Talented are set by the state and requires the collection of a complete Body of Evidence to identify students as Gifted and Talented at Westgate and in the Adams 12 district.
 
A Body of Evidence can include:
    • cognitive testing
    • achievement data collected over time
    • parent and teacher surveys of academic and social emotional criteria
    • work samples
    • student portfolios collected over time
 
Please see the district Assessments and Body of Evidence requirements webpage for details of possible pieces of evidence. The Body of Evidence Matrix for Adams 12 is also available. 
 
Cognitive testing is required and can be obtained at the expense of families using an outside provider or is provided by Westgate in 2nd (NNAT) and 6th (CogAT) grades using a Universal Screener.  Students in other grades can also be added to the testing windows if nominated or requested. The NNAT and CogAT are provided during a Fall window only. Click here to access an Adams 12 List of School Psychologists who you can contact to perform cognitive testing.
 
Please contact our Gifted Coordinator, Cassie Seybold if you have any additional questions or would like additional information about identification or testing.