GIFTED EDUCATION REFERRALS FOR 2020-2021

Gifted education deadlines and processes for 2020-2021 have been adjusted due to the pandemic. Referral deadlines are as follows:

• January 15 – students currently in grades 2-12
• March 15 – students currently in grades K-1 (CCPS-enrolled students only)

Parents/guardians wishing to submit a referral form prior to the deadline should use the following link to do so:

https://tinyurl.com/ccpsform

Some important notes regarding adjusted processes for this school year:

• The online referral form will close on January 15 for grades 2-12 and will reopen on February 16th to accept referrals for students in kindergarten and grade 1. Late referral requests received past the referral deadlines will likely be processed next school year.
• Gifted education assessments must be administered in person and cannot be done virtually. Testing details will be communicated to families in letters sent after the appropriate referral deadline.
  • Testing will take place in the school building according to an appointment schedule arranged by your child’s school. 
  • All safety guidelines will be in place before, during, and after testing. For example, masks will be required and social distancing will be observed.
  • For testing, students will need transportation to and from the school building.
  • Students will complete the paper-and-pencil creativity test, online thinking and reasoning test, and online Student Perception Inventory during this session.
• Monitor status students who would be reviewed this year will have their monitor status extended for another year unless a parent/guardian requests evaluation.
• Referred kindergarteners and first graders from last spring who were not evaluated due to school closures will be evaluated this year during the window of their current grade level. Another referral form is not necessary for these students. 

Please refer to other sections of this page for additional information on gifted education in CCPS.

Governor’s School Information

Thank you for your interest in the two regional governor’s schools. The application window for this year has closed. Those who have already applied may access the online application portal via the link below to monitor their submitted applications.

ccpsopportunities.com

Current eighth grade students whose primary residence is in Chesterfield County are eligible to apply to participate in two regional governor’s school opportunities. Although the application window has now closed, the most recent application materials and information pertaining to Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (ARGS) and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (MLWGS) appear below for reference. Please note that the CCPS calendar for the two regional governor’s schools is slightly different than that which appears on their school websites. Please see the calendars below for the deadlines specific for students applying through Chesterfield County Public Schools.

Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (ARGS)

ARGS Application Packet


ARGS CCPS Application Calendar


ARGS CCPS FAQs

Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies (MLWGS)

MLWGS Application Packet


MLWGS CCPS Application Calendar


MLWGS Admission Handbook


MLWGS CCPS FAQs

DIVISION STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY FOR THE EDUCATION OF GIFTED STUDENTS

As part of the vision and mission of Chesterfield County Public Schools, the gifted education program recognizes and identifies diverse gifted learners and provides a comprehensive program that:

• Delivers an appropriately differentiated instructional program responsive to student ability and learning needs
• Assists students in actualizing potential to achieve personal success
• Provides a continuum of program service options
• Addresses the social and emotional needs of diverse gifted students
• Supports an educational environment that challenges gifted learners and enables students to perform at levels of excellence
• Facilitates the development of self-directed learners

In accordance with the guidelines established by the Virginia Department of Education, exemplary program standards for gifted learners will be achieved through the collaborative efforts of the school division, students, parents, and community.

DIVISION DEFINITION OF GIFTEDNESS

Gifted learners are those students in public elementary and secondary schools who demonstrate or who show potential for advanced thinking and reasoning, creativity, and high achievement when compared to others of the same age, of similar prior learning experiences, and of comparable home environments and culture.

Their aptitudes and potentials are so outstanding that they require programs and services designed to meet their unique cognitive strengths and socio-emotional needs.

REFERRAL PROCEDURES

In order for a student to be evaluated for gifted services eligibility, a Gifted Program Services Referral and Review Form must be submitted to start the process. Verbal or email communications do not serve as a substitute for this form. 

There are referral windows during which students are screened and referrals are solicited. These windows are the recommended times to refer, as they occur prior to the division’s established gifted assessment dates and CBG Academy selections for particular grade levels.

Referral forms must be submitted by the end of the school day on the published referral deadline date to be considered for assessment during the testing window for that grade level. Referral deadlines appear on the referral form and are also communicated through gifted education publications and the school division website.

A referral form should be completed and submitted by the individual desiring the child’s evaluation for eligibility determination. A potential candidate for gifted education program services may be referred in one of the following ways:

• Parent, legal guardian, or community member
• Teacher or professional staff
• Student, self, or peer

When the referral is processed (which occurs after the referral deadline), parents/guardians receive:

• Notification from the school that their child has been referred for evaluation for possible gifted education services
• Information about gifted education services and the assessment process
• Contact information regarding division personnel available to provide answers to questions
• Opportunity to opt student out of evaluation process
• Instructions for completing the online CCPS Home Perception Inventory. 

Notification of eligibility results will be sent home within 90 instructional days from the date of the notification letter.

New Residents

When enrolling children in a Chesterfield County public school, parents/guardians shall notify the enrolling school if the student was identified for gifted services in the previous school system. This ensures that the receiving school obtains necessary gifted education documents.

After confirming the gifted identification from the previous school system, the school will place the child in services most comparable to those in the student’s last school. When possible, the child will be evaluated for gifted services eligibility using Chesterfield County criteria prior to the end of the school year. A previous identification in another school system does not automatically guarantee eligibility for CCPS gifted education services.

Private and Homeschool Students

Those whose main residence exists in Chesterfield County and who have a child currently in second grade or higher not enrolled in a Chesterfield County public school must complete the Private or Homeschool Student Referral Form if they wish their child to be evaluated for gifted services eligibility prior to enrolling for the next school year. It must be submitted online and to the CCPS school the child would attend if currently enrolled prior to the referral deadline. Late referrals are not accepted.

The CCPS school will process the referral, and any required testing will occur at this location according to the group testing schedule established by that school. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that the child attends these scheduled sessions. Other required components of the identification protocol that include grades, work samples, and teacher perception inventories will be requested from the student’s current nonpublic school. These components must be provided in order to determine student eligibility for services.

PROGRAM DESIGN

Chesterfield County Public Schools provides services in the areas of English, math, social studies, and science for identified gifted students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Teachers consider readiness, achievement, and interests to modify curriculum and instruction while striving to provide appropriate challenge. This may include the following:

• Curriculum enrichment and extension
• Differentiated instruction
• Increased rigor
• Advanced pacing

In grades 1-8, these students are clustered in a group with other identified gifted children for instruction that targets their identified areas of strength.

In grades 3-8, elementary and middle school CBG Academies provide an additional opportunity for challenging instruction. This offering uses advanced content, pacing, and instructional strategies to enhance complexity, depth, and challenge. Core content area classes in CBG Academies are composed of only students qualifying for the academy.

The high school honors program in English, mathematics, science, and history/social sciences provides rigorous curriculum experiences for gifted students in grades 9-12. Additional offerings include advanced placement courses and dual enrollment opportunities. Regional programs and specialty centers provide comprehensive services for students with high ability and interest in specific areas.

LOCAL PLAN FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE GIFTED

Each school board must review and approve a comprehensive plan for the education of the gifted.

That plan must provide specific explanations of the school division’s implementation of the

Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students. The current plan for Chesterfield County Public Schools may be accessed below:

CCPS Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted

GIFTED EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The purpose of the committee is to review annually the Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted and to determine the extent to which the plan for the previous year was implemented.  It is composed of parents of identified gifted students, community members, teachers, administrators, and identified gifted students.

Meetings are open to the public. Information on meeting dates and locations may be found on the Chesterfield  County School Board site or by contacting the Office of Gifted Education.

Contact Information

Office of Gifted Education
13900 Hull Street Road
Midlothian, VA 23112
(804) 639-8620
gifted@ccpsnet.net