Gifted FAQs

Pursuant to the school division’s Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted, which is approved by the School Board as recommended by the Community Advisory Committee for Gifted Education, all first-grade and fifth-grade students enrolled in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) are screened for possible gifted intellectual program identification.

Yes, you may decline having your child screened. However, in order to meet eligibility criteria, he/she will not be able to apply for intellectual gifted program services, including consideration for Old Donation School (ODS) for the current school year. To decline having your child screened, a parent/guardian must submit the request in writing to the Gifted Testing Office, 2512 George Mason Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, 23456.

Students are screened for gifted services in their school.

VBCPS central office staff and building level administrators trained in the administration of gifted assessments will administer the screening.

A good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast are the only preparation necessary.

All schools will have a scheduled testing date and one make-up date so that students that are absent have a second opportunity to be screened. The school’s GRT will notify parents of the scheduled make-up date.

Students will take the test online. Directions as well as sample questions are given at the start of each test/subtest.

Each test/subtest provides a score and a percentile.

Test scores alone do not determine whether or not a student is identified for gifted services. Parents/guardians may refer their students for gifted services.

All information is reviewed by the VBCPS Gifted Identification and Placement Committee to determine identification for intellectual gifted services.

Information considered by the Gifted Identification and Placement Committee includes:

• Online application from parent/guardian
• Teacher Information Form
• Student achievement as indicated on report card
• Standardized Test Scores
• 1st Grade Performance Based Task (Grade 1 only)
• Responses to interview questions (Grades 5-12 only)

Testing accommodations as noted in the IEP or 504, will be followed for all testing completed by the Gifted Education Testing Office.

Scores are posted on ParentVue. If you need assistance accessing your ParentVue account, please contact 757.263.1111 between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

You can contact the Gifted Testing Office at Anita.Bernard@vbschools.com or 757.263.6870.

Each school division in Virginia establishes procedures for the identification of gifted students and for the delivery of services to those students, consistent with the Virginia Department of Education Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students.

In order to have your child assessed, you will need to complete a gifted education application. It would be helpful if the information from the previous school was included in the student's record. Your child's strengths and abilities will be assessed by the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Gifted Education Identification and Placement Committee, according to the division's approved procedures.

All information is reviewed by the VBCPS Gifted Identification and Placement Committee to determine identification for gifted services. Information considered by the committee includes:

• Cover sheet with parent permission
• Teacher Information Form (only one form will be accepted)
• Achievement as indicated on current report card
• Standardized Test Scores
• 1st Grade Performance Based Task (Grade 1 only)
• Responses to interview questions (Grades 5-12 only)

It is helpful that all prior gifted testing information is sent from the previous school division with your child's record. We will review testing completed in the current school; however, the assessment specialists in the VBCPS gifted testing office facilitate all testing for gifted program identification and placement in the school division.

Virginia law allows school divisions to establish gifted education policies and procedures according to the needs and interests of the local division. VBCPS has its own requirements for gifted programs. VBCPS provides gifted programs in General Intellect, Visual Arts and Dance.

Federal law establishes policies and procedures for special education, but gifted education policies and procedures are established by state law. Gifted education in Virginia does not require Individual Education Plans (IEPs) as it is established by the state.

Gifted students in VBCPS are provided with instruction through a differentiated curriculum responsive to the educational needs of the child. Gifted students in grades 1-7 may remain in the neighborhood school and receive services through the resource-cluster program or they may choose to apply to a centrally located full-time gifted school, Old Donation School. Both models provide opportunities for gifted students to benefit from differentiated curricula, the incorporation of strategies designed to raise the level of learning and the availability of specialized programs.

Gifted services are available to identified students in their neighborhood schools through the resource-cluster model. In each school's resource cluster model, the gifted resource teachers and core area cluster teachers to develop exciting, differentiated curriculum through a collaborative team effort. This model promotes optimum understanding of the needs of gifted children for all school staff, without creating an isolated learning environment. Gifted students interact with their teachers and classmates in a heterogeneous grouping, while attaining benefits through the modification of content, process, product and learning environment

To be considered for placement at ODS, students must meet the VBCPS criteria for gifted identification and must either be an eligible student currently enrolled in VBCPS; have a parent or guardian who resides in the city of Virginia Beach and plans to enroll the student in VBCPS; be a child of a military family who meets the eligibility and transfer requirements as set forth in Code of Virginia §22.1-360, as amended; or qualify under McKinney Vento to attend VBCPS. All applications for students currently in grades 2-7 are due Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. All applications for students currently in 1st grade are due by Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. If the student is found not eligible, he/she will not be considered for ODS. ODS is a full-time school for identified intellectually gifted students in grades 2-8. Students must apply to ODS and be accepted to attend.

When you enroll your children in the neighborhood school, please let the administrator know that you are interested in applying for gifted services. The gifted application is online and once your children are assigned a login and password, you will be able to access and complete the application. A gifted resource teacher is assigned to every school in the division and once enrolled, this teacher will serve as a resource for you regarding gifted instruction in the school as part of the cluster program

Applications will be available to students not currently enrolled in the school division in the fall. Applications for students currently in grades 2-7 are due Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. and applications for students currently in grade 1 are due Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. Testing dates and locations for Non- VBCPS students will be posted on the timeline on the gifted website.

If you have questions about the gifted program, please email Dr. Lorena Kelly or call the Gifted Education Testing Office at 757.263.6870.