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Talented and Gifted (TAG)

Information About the FCS TAG Program

Authorities, parents, and educators have long recognized that intellectually gifted students require specialized educational experiences that promote the development and expression of their potential. If gifted individuals—as children, youths and adults—are to experience fulfilling lives and if society is to derive optimal benefits from gifted individuals’ uncommon potentials, an educational program must be structured to develop more fully their exceptional and varied abilities, interests and talents.

The Fulton County gifted program is a response to the need to address the unique learning characteristics, interests, personal needs and capabilities of gifted children. The program emphasizes the gifted students’ need for interaction with intellectual peers. Emphasis on the individual highlights the fact that there are differences among gifted students and a need for specialized educational experiences to meet these differences.

Basic to the philosophy of this program is the idea that no one teacher, resource, or instructional method can meet the needs of gifted students. Education for the gifted is viewed as a cooperative endeavor characterized, facilitated, and realized by the efforts of numerous individuals in the schools and community.

These goals are accomplished in Fulton County schools by providing the basic curriculum to identified gifted students in the regular classroom, adjusting the rate and depth of their learning and using a variety of appropriate teaching methods. Further differentiation beyond that in the regular classroom is accomplished through seminars, individual projects, advanced placement courses, directed studies, internships and joint enrollment. These are designed to intensify and extend their particular interests and aptitudes. Educational experiences for gifted students provide the additional variety and flexibility necessary to adjust and extend the Fulton County curriculum to meet these individuals’ needs.

Visit the Fulton County Schools Talented and Gifted webpage for more information.

Notification to Parents of the Screening and Referral Process for Gifted Students

The consideration for gifted services may be reported or automatic as defined by the GaDOE Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services. The Fulton County School System screens all students for eligibility for gifted services twice a year and uses a systematic approach to identify highly capable students who may qualify for gifted services. The gifted teacher routinely reviews available data to refer students for further assessment. Students meeting either the automatic screening OR the classroom screening criteria AND who have supporting data gathered from test history, products, and/or advanced content levels are referred for additional testing to determine gifted eligibility.

#1: Automatic Screening: Identifies students who score at specified levels on a norm-referenced test as defined in the GaDOE Resource Manual for Gifted Education Services, for further assessment to determine eligibility for gifted services. During each school year, TAG teachers review existing test data as outlined below.

  •  Grades K-9
    • Students with scores in the 90th percentile or greater on the current school year’s administration of the system’s iReady assessment for Reading or Mathematics. Supporting data is needed. (Grades K-8)
    • Students must score in the Distinguished Level (Level 4) in Reading or Mathematics sections of the previous year’s Georgia Milestones assessment. Supporting data is needed. (Grades 3-9)
  • Grades 9-12
    • Students with scores in the 90th percentile or greater on the current school year’s administration of the system’s NWEA MAP for Reading or Mathematics. Supporting data is needed. (Grades 9, 10, 11, 12)
    • Students must have a score in the 90th percentile or greater on the critical reading section or the mathematics section of the PSAT. Supporting data is needed. (Grades 9, 10, 11)
    • Students must have an overall cumulative average of 95 or greater. Supporting data is needed. (Grades 10, 11, 12)

#2: Classroom Screening: A district screening window of 10 days at the end of the first semester to review all students in the school in grades K-11. Classroom teachers use the Characteristics Instrument for Screening Students (CISS) to identify students with superior abilities in five or more of the following areas: motivation, interests, communication skills, problem-solving abilities, memory, inquiry, insight, reasoning, creativity, and humor.

#3: Reported Referrals: All reported referrals (parent, teacher, self, peer, and/or administrator) are completed through the two-system level screening and referral processes each year. All reported referrals are first reviewed by the local TAG Advocacy Council to consider if two pieces of supporting data exist to warrant formal testing for gifted eligibility.

Additional Information: Students who meet either the automatic screening OR classroom screening criteria AND who have supporting data gathered from test history, products, and/or advanced content levels are referred for gifted placement testing. Parents may request to view their child’s screening results by reaching out to their school’s gifted contact. Once referred to testing:

  • Parents receive the FCS Notification of Consideration for Gifted Services (Consent to Test) and must give written permission for testing to take place.
  • Student is tested for the gifted program.
  • Parents receive test results.
  • If state eligibility is determined to be met, students are placed in the gifted program with parental consent