Gifted Services Frequently Asked Questions

Any parent or teacher can request a gifted evaluation. 

Parents can write a letter, send an email or talk with the regular education teacher or building principal to request a gifted evaluation. Teachers refer a student by talking with their building’s gifted support teacher. 

1. All second-grade students participate in a universal testing process.
2. Second graders take a group administered intelligence screener that consists of a verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative subtest.
3. The gifted support teacher will discuss results of the assessment with the classroom teacher and will use this and district level data to make a recommendation for an individual screening.
4. If a student performs well on the individually administered intelligence screening assessment, then the data is shared with parents with the suggestion to begin a gifted evaluation.
5. Parents may decline a gifted evaluation.

1. Special Services will mail Permission to Evaluate paperwork to the parents. Notice of Parents’ Legal Rights for Chapter 16, Gifted Education is mailed with this Permission to Evaluate paperwork. We are required by PA law to send these Parental Rights. Parents also receive a summary form and rating scale to fill out and return.
2. The gifted support teacher will ask the regular education teacher to complete a rating scale, Scales for Identifying Gifted Students.
3. The gifted support teacher will administer and intelligence screening assessment.
4. The gifted support teacher will contact the parents to share this preliminary data.
5. Once the parents have signed the Permission to Evaluate paperwork and sent it back to the school district, then the district has 60 calendar days to complete the evaluation
6. If the Permission to Evaluate paperwork is returned and there is the summer break, the summer counts as one day in this 60-day count.
7. The school psychologist will work with the student to complete ability testing/IQ testing.
8. The school psychologist will work with the student to complete achievement testing; gathering reading, writing and math data.
9. A Gifted Multidisciplinary Team forms to collect and share data. Team members include parents, building principal or gifted coordinator, school psychologist, gifted support teacher, and regular education teacher.
   Based on PA and Hempfield’s identification process, the team’s input determines if the student meets the requirements to be identified as a gifted student.
10. The team determines if the student meets the requirements based on PA and Hempfield’s identification process to be identified as a gifted student.
11. The school psychologist will complete a Gifted Written Report (GWR) and the GWR will be sent to parents for final review.
12. The parents will receive the Gifted Written Report (GWR) within 5 days of its completion.

On the permission to Evaluate paperwork there is a box to check, “I object to the proposed initial Gifted Multidisciplinary Evaluation.” Then parents need to sign and return the paperwork to document that the evaluation was offered but the parents declined the evaluation. 

1. If a parent signs Permission to Evaluate paperwork and then wants to change their mind they can stop the process.
2. If the preliminary data (from the individually administered intelligence screener) do not indicate a strong possibility of the student being identified as a gifted student, the parents may choose to stop the evaluation.
3. The parents would need to send a letter to Janelle Witter stating that they no longer want the evaluation.
4. Once this is received by HSD then the case is closed.

1. A Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) is created every year for every student who demonstrates the need for specially designed instruction beyond the general education curriculum.
2. A gifted support teacher reads the student’s Gifted Written Report (GWR) and creates a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) based on the student’s strengths in the areas of ELA, Math, and/or Science.
3. The skills and habits from Dimensions of Learning along with PA State Academic Standards are used to create the goals and objectives on the GIEP.
4. The GIEP is revised around and before the anniversary date for the student.
5. The team members are parents, building principal or Gifted Coordinator, gifted support teacher/case manager and regular education teacher.
6. At the middle school level, sometimes the student attends the GIEP meeting.
7. At the high school level, the student always attends the GIEP meeting.
8. At the middle school and high school level, the guidance counselor attends the GIEP meeting.
9. At any level, the student may be identified as gifted but may not need specially designed instruction.

1. Enrichment services are offered as pull-out classes that occur during the building’s intervention time or may be during core instruction time.
2. Students may participate in one, two or all three classes based on their subject area(s) of strength identified in their Gifted Written Report. 
   1. One class focuses on math extensions, logic and reasoning skills.
   2. The second class focuses on English Language Arts (ELA) skills and an affective lesson.
   3. The third class focuses on a science or social studies unit that is an extension of the core curriculum and utilizes the students’ skills from these content areas.
3. Math extensions, logic and reasoning skills, ELA skills and affective lessons are individualized based on the students’ strengths.
4. Each building has a Schoology course for gifted, which the gifted support teacher maintains and updates.
5. At the elementary level, students may also receive independent goal setting/consultative services where the students meet quarterly during the building’s intervention time with their case manager.

1. On the Hempfield website under Academics>Curriculum tabs you will find a link on the left-hand side of the screen for the Hempfield School District Gifted Program. Click the link to learn more about our units of study.
2. Students participate in a gifted seminar class that is scheduled during the student’s FLEX time.
3. Students may opt for independent goal setting/ consultative services that are scheduled during the student’s FLEX time at least 4 times per year.
4. Students may participate in ongoing workshops, virtual conferences, off-campus trips, and IU sponsored events.
5. At the middle school level, there is also push-in support where there the gifted support teacher will collaborate and teach with a content area teacher.
6. Each building has a Schoology course for gifted, which the gifted support teacher maintains and updates.

1. All gifted students receive independent goal setting/consultative services that are scheduled during the student’s WIN time.
2. Freshmen receive a permanent pass to the gifted center for WIN.
3. Students may participate in ongoing workshops, virtual conferences, off-campus trips, and IU sponsored events.
4. The gifted support case manager meets individually with each student three times throughout the year.
5. The high school Schoology course lists additional opportunities available to the gifted students and is maintained and updated by three high school gifted support teachers.

The gifted support teacher/gifted case manager collaborates with the regular education teachers to monitor the student in reference to the regular curriculum. This collaboration time varies based on individual students (weekly/once a cycle/as needed). The teachers work together to provide the necessary differentiated instruction.

Yes. Acceleration decisions are based on the data collected about an individual student. The Iowa Acceleration Scales is a tool used to guide this data collection and team discussion. If you would like to discuss single subject or whole grade acceleration, you would contact the Exceptional Student Specialist, Janelle Witter.

1. Gifted Progress Reports are electronically sent to parents at the end of each semester via an email.
2. GIEP meetings are held once a year to review and revise the student’s goals and objectives.
3. Parents may contact the gifted support teacher/case manager at any time to discuss the student or to request a GIEP meeting.

No. A member of the GIEP team may request a re-evaluation, but by PA law we do not re-evaluate unless there is a request. Once a student is identified as gifted that continues until high school graduation. A parent may choose to decline gifted services.

Yes. If this student goes through the gifted evaluation process and is identified as gifted, they will continue to have an IEP and their gifted goals and objectives will be part of the IEP. This student will follow all the rules and procedures for Special Education, which is Chapter 14.

Janelle Witter
Gifted Coordinator
Hempfield School District
Landisville Primary Center
340 Mumma Drive | Landisville, PA 17538
(717) 618-1997
janelle_witter@hempfieldsd.org