Lamar County Schools

A committee shall meet at least annually to reassess each gifted student’s continuation in the gifted program. If the student is not making adequate progress and/or is not participating satisfactorily in the EXCEL program, the committee will make a recommendation. Should the committee determine that the student should exit the program due to lack of progress in the program and/or unsatisfactory participation in the program, the student’s parents must be notified and given the opportunity to discuss the decision with the committee before the student is removed. If removed, the student may not reenter the program for one school year.

Gifted students are evaluated using the Instructional Management Plan’s Scope and Sequence of Skills. EXCEL teachers send out periodic reports using a code of Satisfactory, Needs Improvement, or Unsatisfactory to evaluate behavior, work skills and completion of thematic studies. Students must attend EXCEL classes on a regular basis in order to continue satisfactory progress and participation in the program.

After a student has been ruled eligible for one of the gifted programs, written parental permission for placement shall be obtained before the student is placed in the program. Students are expected to attend all EXCEL classes and cannot “skip” a class to remain in the regular classroom for any reason. It should be noted that some gifted students will not be high academic achievers for a variety of reasons. It is not reasonable to expect all intellectually gifted students to make all A’s and B’s.

“Participation in the Gifted Education Program is an entitlement, not a reward, under state law, The Mississippi Gifted Education Act of 1989. Therefore, the student should remain in the gifted program as long as they are being successful in the program. Grades and/or success in the regular education program is the responsibility of the regular classroom teachers and should not be considered as a reason for removal from the gifted program.”
 

--Excerpt from Mississippi State Regulations for the Gifted Education Program.

Placement of gifted students is governed by specific state-mandated policies pertaining to test scores and other criteria. Students must qualify through a sequential multi-factored referral process to be eligible for gifted services. The referral process may be initiated by a teacher, parent, student or peer. The assessment team report and recommendation profile are sent to the District Local Survey Committee for determining eligibility according to criteria set forth by the state guidelines. Once criteria are met and a written eligibility ruling has been made, the student is eligible to be placed in the EXCEL program. The parent must give written consent to place the student in the program. No student is placed without a proper eligibility ruling and consent for placement.

Click for the detailed Referral to Placement Process

Parents may withdraw their child from the EXCEL program at any time by signing a Refusal of Services form. If the parents request a temporary withdrawal, the student will be removed for 2 complete 9-week grading periods before reentering the program. School personnel cannot remove a student from the EXCEL program without due process.