Information for Caregivers of Homeschooled, Private/Parochial, or Out-of-State/County Students
If my child is new to FCPS, or if my child is homeschooled, then how might my child be screened for gifted and talented identification?
Gifted & Talented Screening & Identification
Per the Code of Maryland for Gifted and Talented Education, identification for gifted and talented services must include measures of ability, performance, and potential.
The Office of Advanced Academics begins the process of identification by conducting a records review for students who enroll in FCPS.
- Caregivers should initiate contact with the Office of Advanced Academics in order for this to occur.
- A copy of these records should be faxed from the student’s previous school to the Office of Advanced Academics.
- Caregivers should be prepared to sign a formal release statement for the school from which the student is transferring. Most likely, that school will want to reach out to the Office of Advanced Academics directly in order to formalize the process and protect the security of the student’s records.
- The table below outlines some of the measures that may be reviewed:
|
Ability* |
Performance Measures of Aptitude/Achievement |
Potential |
|---|---|---|
|
The following are some nationally-normed assessments and are typically are reported as percentiles
|
The following are some nationally-normed assessments and are typically are reported as percentiles
|
*Note: Students with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP), or 504 Plan have undergone extensive testing, both ability and achievement. Caregivers may work with both the Advanced Academics and other offices to provide the assessment documents that accompanied the process for developing these plans.
What if my child does not have an ability score?
Students must be enrolled in Frederick County Public Schools in order to participate in the universal screening process, which includes the administration of CogAT. Homeschooled students are the exception. The CogAT is administered to all grades 2 and 5 students, as well as those students in Grades 3 and 4 who do not already have an ability score; there are separate guidelines for homeschooled students (see below). CogAT administration occurs during its scheduled assessment window each year only. Students are not retested.
What if my child is homeschooled?
FCPS establishes testing windows for multiple PreK-12 assessments each year. Per the Code of Maryland Regulation for Home Instruction (13A.10.01.02): Voluntary Participation in Standardized Testing, “Upon request of a parent or guardian, a child receiving home instruction may participate in the regularly scheduled standardized testing programs that are administered in the public school the child is eligible to attend.” Homeschooled students are eligible to participate in CogAT testing during the district’s established testing window. However, the child’s caregiver must plan in advance in order for the home schooled child to participate. Caregivers may request that their child be assessed; however, the following parameters determine eligibility:
- The request may be made for standardized testing for assessments that are census testing, which means that all students in a particular grade are being tested.
- The CogAT is administered to all students in Grade 2 and in Grade 5, so the homeschooled student is eligible for CogAT testing during these grades, only.
- The FCPS Homeschooling Contract must have been completed and submitted in advance with Part B of this contract completed:
- Per the FCPS Homeschooling contract, the districted school (the one that your child would attend if enrolled in FCPS) “will be contacted no later than two weeks prior to testing.”
- Per the FCPS Homeschooling Contract, test dates are advertised on the assessment schedule in August at www.fcps.org under “Calendar.”
It is important to emphasize that the Office of Advanced Academics focuses on the need for specialized services, rather than ascribing labels. Students need not be formally identified as “gifted and talented” in order to receive more rigorous content. When a student demonstrates academic need, s/he will have access to challenging opportunities. Fluid ability groups in math and reading allow for the necessary differentiated learning.