Overview
System-wide screening for the identification of Gifted YRDSB students takes place at the Grade 3 level each year. This screening includes the administration of a group test of cognitive abilities, the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT). It is recommended that all students who can participate in the testing without significant supports should be included. Students previously identified as MID or DD, and who are in contained classes do not have to participate.
For students in Grade Three who are identified as Blind/Low Vision or Deaf/Hard of Hearing who will require accommodations to participate in the process, please contact the Coordinator of Psychological Services in our area to consult and make arrangements for alternative assessment procedures. For students with other needs who may not require support to complete the CCAT effectively (whether identified or not), consult with the Coordinator of Psychological Services and Special Education Consultant in your area to review possible accommodations to the standard administrator (e.g., alternate space, time chunking, scribing).
Screening of Grade 3 Students
Stage One:
- CCAT is administered to students in each grade three classroom by the classroom teacher.
- The administration manual contains the instructions for each of the subtests.
- There are measures of verbal reasoning, visual-spatial reasoning and quantitative reasoning administered in a multiple choice format.
- Students respond by bubbling in their answers directly on their own answer sheets.
- When all grade three students in the school have completed the screening, all test materials and answer sheets are to be returned to the local CEC.
- Completed answer sheets will be sent to the test publisher for computer scoring.
- Results are returned to the Coordinator of Psychological Services in each of the four CECs by the test publisher.
Stage Two:
For students who attain the cutoff score on the CCAT, a parent/guardian letter and Consent for Intellectual Screening will be forwarded to the school for distribution. With signed parental consent, those students will participate in the second stage of Gifted Screening, an individual cognitive screening assessment conducted with a member of the Psychological Services department. All students who participate in Stage Two will receive a brief report outlining the results of the testing and whether or not the intellectual criterion of the screening has been met.
Those students who meet the YRDSB intellectual criterion will be considered by the Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC). Parents/Guardians will be provided with a brochure outlining Gifted program options and an invitation to an information night will be sent to the school for distribution.
Screening of Students New to YRDSB and After Grade 3
Students new to YRDSB who did not participate in the Grade 3 Gifted Screening process may also be screened for possible identification as a Gifted student at a post Grade 3 level. If the student demonstrates programming needs that suggest additional services may be required, the teacher is encouraged to bring information about the student to an In-School Team Meeting, including the participation of the school’s Psychological Services provider. The purpose of that meeting is to decide if it is reasonable to proceed with a referral for a cognitive screening assessment.
Identification of Gifted Students
Identification of Gifted Students is made by the IPRC. The requirement for consideration for a possible Gifted identification is a score at, or above the 98th percentile on the General Ability Index (GAI) of the intellectual screening measure. The CCAT test scores, intellectual screening scores and school achievement data, and other relevant information about the student are reviewed by the IPRC and recommendations are made about identification and placement. For students who have had a full psychological assessment (completed when the student was at least eight years old and in their grade three year), this information will be included in the review and considered in the recommendations about identification and placement.
Gifted Screening Activities
Actions:
Please note that these actions take place over a number of months.
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School sends home a letter informing grade 3 parents of the 2-stage screening process.
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The CCAT test materials (Test Booklets, Administration Manuals and answer sheets) for each school are sent from the local CEC office in a container or bin to the attention of the Principal in each school via YRDSB courier.
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CCAT is administered to each grade 3 class.
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Completed answer sheets are collected and sent to area office for transfer to the publisher. ALL Test Booklets and administration manuals are also returned to the area office.
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The school will generate the Consent for Intellectual Screening and the Cover Letter that goes along with it to send home to the parents/guardians of those students who qualify. Upon return, the Consents are uploaded to SSNET by school staff, and then original paper ones are shredded.
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Second Stage of Gifted Screening takes place.
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List of students qualifying for IPRC based on Stage 2 score is forwarded to each school.
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For students who DO meet the intellectual criterion, the Stage Two report findings along with a parent letter containing a recommendation for consideration by the IPRC and information and/or invitation to an information night will be sent to the school for distribution. The brochure outlining Gifted programs will be distributed along with the letter. For students who do NOT meet the intellectual criterion, only the Stage Two report and cover letter will be sent to the school for distribution.
Gifted Identification for Non-YRDSB Students
In order to determine whether a student not currently attending a YRDSB school meets YRDSB Gifted criteria, parents and guardians must:
- Have a valid York Region address and provide proof of their address.
- Register their child at their regular YRDSB home school. The school locator can identify the home school based on home address.
Provide a thorough psychological assessment, which must:
- be completed by a psychologist or psychological associate who is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario.
- be completed when the child’s age was chronologically appropriate for grade three or later, and when the child was at least 8 years old.
- Contain at a minimum:
- A measure of intellectual functioning (IQ test)
- A full academic assessment (must include, at minimum, assessment of core academic skills, including reading, spelling, writing, reading comprehension and mathematics)
- A review of school based functioning
Parents/guardians must sign a consent form to allow the Coordinator of Psychological Services in the area to review the assessment to determine if the student meets the criteria for consideration as a Gifted student (a score at, or above the 98th percentile rank on the General Ability Index of the standardized cognitive screening measure).
The Coordinator of Psychological Services will:
- determine if the student meets the intellectual criteria for consideration as a Gifted student (a score at, or above the 98th percentile rank on the General Ability Index of the intellectual screening measure will allow the student to be considered by the IPRC (Identification Placement Review Committee).
- notify the area office Student Services administrative staff.
Next Steps:
- The area office staff will contact the family and child’s home school to advise if the child meets the criteria and to discuss program locations and transition timelines.
- Depending on the timing of these events, parents with students who meet the gifted criteria may be invited to open houses, which are scheduled each year for students entering Grade 4 the following year.