The Gifted Program is an accelerated educational program for students who meet established eligibility requirements.
Under the standard eligibility criteria, commonly referred to as Plan A, students in Palm Beach and Broward counties must obtain an IQ score of at least 130, which falls at approximately the 98th percentile. A teacher checklist is also required to determine whether the student demonstrates characteristics associated with giftedness, such as creativity, leadership, motivation, and intellectual curiosity. The checklist must be completed by a Florida-certified elementary school teacher who has worked with the student for at least six weeks. There is no longer an achievement-test requirement in Palm Beach County. Different eligibility criteria apply to students who qualify for consideration under Plan B.
Gifted testing is usually completed in one session. After scoring and reviewing the results, Dr. Elman will call the parent that same day to discuss the child’s performance. With parental permission, she may contact the child’s current teacher to learn more about the child’s academic performance, classroom behavior, motivation, and learning needs.
Many factors can affect a child’s performance during an evaluation, including attention, motivation, anxiety, fatigue, and comfort with the testing situation. Occasionally, a child may have an “off day” and may not fully demonstrate their abilities. Information from the child’s teacher can provide valuable context and help Dr. Elman determine whether additional assessment would be beneficial.