Mount Vernon City Schools

Excellence In Education

Gifted and Enrichment Programming

Outstanding Learning Experiences

Seminar 2023-24

Challenge Seminar in Grades 3-5:

The Challenge Seminar Group will meet eight times together this year. Students from all six elementary schools will gather together at either the Energy Fieldhouse located at 101 Yellow Jacket Drive or take a field trip to a specific location to fulfill an educational focal point. This Seminar experience is designed for students that are identified as Superior Cognitive in Grades 3-5. The dates and locations for seminar this year are:

Months:	Location:	Topic:
September 18th	Energy Fieldhouse	History Late 1800s to Early 1900s
October 16th	Ohio History Center	Ohio History
November 20th	Energy Fieldhouse	Research
December 18th	Ohio History Center	History Detectives - “Breaking Barriers in History”
January 15th	Energy Fieldhouse	American Indians
February 19th	Energy Fieldhouse	Underground Railroad
March 19th	Energy Fieldhouse	Underground Railroad
April 28th	Ohio History Center	Underground Railroad

Seminar is an exciting day for all our students. We look forward to sharing these new experiences with them.

Important Information

MVCSD Early Entrance Parent's Guide

MVCSD Gifted Education Service Plan 2023-24

Gaining a Perspective on a Growth vs Fixed Mindset

Information About Gifted Programs

Defining Gifted

The Ohio Department of Education defines “gifted” as a student who performs or shows potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment (ORC, Sec. 3324.01).

We recognize that the unique characteristics of gifted children necessitate differentiated programming. Special characteristics may include precocious insightfulness, uniqueness of response, and the ability to integrate several levels of thinking and reasoning.

The district provides differentiated learning experiences for those children identified for gifted education services. These experiences may include the provision for quality time spent with peers of similar interests and abilities; opportunities for involvement in clubs, organizations, enrichment groups and activities; and social and emotional support, whole class lessons, and small group work.

Within The Mount Vernon City Schools follows the Ohio Revised Code 3324.01-07 (law) and Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15 (rule) which states that children are identified as gifted in Ohio in four major categories: superior cognitive ability; specific academic ability; creative thinking ability; and visual or performing arts ability. There are four fields included in specific academic ability: mathematics; science; reading, writing or a combination of these skills; and/or social studies.

Referrals can be made by parents, teachers, peers, individuals, or other professionals. Referrals can be made using an official form available from the building principal, guidance counselor, or child’s teacher.

MVCSD Gifted Services

Reading identified students are served by the regular classroom teachers in grades 2-5 daily through a leveled literacy reading program

Math identified students in grades 2 and 3 are served by regular classroom teachers with enrichments and extensions

Math identified students in grade 4 are served in a 4^th grade enriched math program taught by a licensed GIS

Math identified students in grade 5 are served by a licensed GIS in a accelerated 6^th grade curriculum

Superior Cognitive students in grades 3, 4, and 5 are served in districtwide monthly.

Middle School Challenge Reading and Language Arts classes are taught by a licensed Gifted Intervention Specialist and may only serve identified gifted students. The program serves students who are identified as gifted in Superior Cognitive (SC) and the language arts Specific Academic content area of reading.

Advanced Placement (AP), Honors Classes, and dual enrollment courses from Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) are also available to high achieving high school students. Current AP offerings include: Calculus, Statistics, European History, Government, English grade 11, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, and Spanish. KAP courses follow the Kenyon College syllabus, use the college text and provide college credit. Current KAP offerings include courses in American History, Chemistry, Digital Imaging, English, French, Spanish, and Statistics. COTC courses follow the COTC syllabus, use the college text and provide college credit. Current courses include: Advanced Composition, Human Physiology, Pre-Calculus, and Speech. Honors classes are offered in pre-Calculus, Geometry, Algebra II, English 9 and English 10.

There are no specific programs for students identified as creative thinkers (grades K-12). Social Studies, Science and the Visual Arts are not served in grades K through 8. General education teachers provide enrichment activities for high ability students. These activities are helpful to gifted students but may not count as direct gifted services by the Ohio Department of Education.

The Mount Vernon City Schools has an adopted Acceleration Policy which addresses Early Entrance and Single and Whole Grade Acceleration. An Acceleration Team is convened whenever a student is considered for acceleration. The Board adopted policy is a separate document.

Access to gifted services is provided equally to eligible students through invitation. If the student meets the above noted eligibility requirements for the service, the student is not denied access to the service.

Students in grades 5 through 8 may withdraw from service through written notification. Withdrawal forms are available from the office of the gifted coordinator. If a student chooses to withdraw from service once the school year or service is underway, the withdrawal is for the remainder of the year. Students who withdraw from a “for credit” course are subject to the same consequences as any student who withdraws from a class.

Parents have the right to appeal any decision about the results of any screening procedure or the scheduling of children for assessment, or the placement of a student in any program for the receipt of services by contacting the building principal or the Gifted Coordinator.

Screening

Each year, whole grade screening occurs at 2nd and 4th grades for superior cognitive and creative thinking. Whole grade screening in Reading and Math are given in grades 2 through 10 three times each year. Students in other grade levels may be nominated at any time.

Students who are not assessed through whole grade screening may be evaluated twice a year, upon request.

Students who are culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged, have a disability (including physical or sensory disabilities) or have limited English Proficiency may be assessed with a non-verbal standardized test (valid for special populations) rather than with a test which relies heavily on standardized language experiences, thus insuring that the test would reflect an accurate assessment of the student’s aptitude/achievement.

If a child is in need of a standardized assessment in a language other than English, the school will make the effort to secure such an instrument as is necessary to provide the assessment in the student’s native language.

All tests are administered by qualified personnel who have been trained to use the assessment instrument.

Parents are informed of the results of assessment within 30 days of receipt of the results.

Transfer students are assessed within 30 days of enrollment upon request of the parent.

The District will accept scores on assessment instruments provided by other schools districts or trained personnel outside the school district provided the assessment instruments are on the list approved by the Ohio Department of Education and administered with in the previous two years from schools outside of Ohio. Qualified tests from Ohio School districts are always accepted.

Parents have the right to appeal any decision about the results of any screening procedure or the scheduling of children for assessment, or the placement of a student in any program for the receipt of services by contacting the building principal or the Gifted Coordinator.

Identification

Superior cognitive ability: Two standard deviations above the mean on an IQ or SAI test. When a student scores two standard deviations above the mean, minus the standard error of measurement, on an approved intelligence test; performs at or above the ninety-fifth percentile on an approved composite battery of a nationally normed achievement test (i.e. 128 or above CogAt Composite VQN Score).

Gifted in reading or English language arts: The 95th percentile on a nationally normed achievement reading or language test (i.e. NWEA-MAP-Reading Assessment (Grades 2-10)).

Gifted in math: The 95th percentile on a nationally normed achievement math test (i.e. NWEA-MAP-Math Assessment (Grades 2-10)). .

Gifted in science: The 95th percentile on a nationally normed achievement science test. Examples of tests in this category are the Terra Nova and Iowa.

Gifted in social studies: The 95th percentile on a nationally normed achievement social studies test. Examples of tests in this category are the Terra Nova, and Iowa.

Creativity: An SAI/IQ of one standard error or higher. Generally, 115 plus or minus the standard error and an approved score on a creativity checklist by a trained educator (along with a 112 or above CogAT Composite VQN Score in Grades 2 or 4).

Gifted in the arts: An approved score on an evaluation by a trained educator in the area of identification (music, fine arts, theater, dance).

Written Educational Plans

WEPs will be developed during the first quarter of the school year.

A copy of WEP will be given to the parents and staff responsible for providing service listed after the WEP has been developed. Parents will be asked to sign and return the WEP to school.

Written Education Plans will include:

Description of services to be provided
Goals for the students for each service to be provided
Methods for evaluating progress toward goals specified
Method and schedule for reporting progress to parents
Staff responsible for ensuring delivery of each service prescribed
Policies regarding waiver of assignments and rescheduling of test
Deadline for next review of WEP

My Child has Gifted Education Data from Outside of MVCSD

Outside Gifted Education data will be accepted for identification and service provided it is from testing performed is less than 24 months old, occurred when the student was at least in second grade, and used a nationally normed testing instrument from the Ohio Department of Education’s Approved List for Gifted Identification.

For information on submitting outside testing data, contact Matthew Dill, Director of Technology and Gifted Education at [email protected].

Knox County ESC Gifted Programs

The Knox County ESC is a partner with The Mount Vernon City School District in ensuring that our students have access to several county based programs that include but are not limited to:

Spelling Bee for Grades 5-8
All County Honors Band
Summer Honors Institutes at Ohio Northern University
Youth Enrichment Series Concerts & MTVarts Productions for Grades K-7
The Kenyon Mentor & Leadership Programs

All questions (unless MVCSD building specific) regarding these programs need to go to Ms. Taylor Gingery, Knox County ESC Gifted Coordinator at 740-233-1928 or [email protected].. You are always able to reach your child's Building Principal for specific questions related to your child and these programs above.