Gifted and Talented Education

Gifted identification considers evidence of a student’s abilities and learning needs. Because students may demonstrate their abilities in different ways, Tulsa Public Schools uses two identification pathways established under Oklahoma requirements.

Category I — Intellectual Ability Students who score in the top three percent on an approved nationally normed test of intellectual ability qualify for Category I gifted identification.

Category II — Multiple Criteria Category II provides another pathway for identifying students whose advanced abilities may not be fully represented by a single assessment score. Multiple sources of evidence are considered together, which may include measures of intellectual or school ability, academic achievement, and approved inventories. No single score or measure determines Category II identification.

Tulsa Public Schools uses assessments approved for gifted identification by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. Additional measures may be considered as part of the Category II multiple-criteria process.

Families may also submit results from privately administered assessments of intellectual ability for review as part of the identification process.

Tulsa Public Schools uses an ongoing identification process. Students may be referred for gifted identification throughout the school year and across grade levels. A referral may come from a parent or guardian, teacher or other school staff member, peer, community member, or the student.

Tulsa Public Schools also provides universal screening for all students in Grade 2. Universal screening helps identify students who may need further consideration for gifted identification. Students may still be referred at other grade levels, whether or not they participated in universal screening.

Students may receive no more than two district-administered individual cognitive assessments during the elementary grades and two during the secondary grades. Additional assessment may be considered when there is reason to believe previous results do not accurately represent a student’s abilities.