Should I Refer My
Child for the
HORIZONS Program?
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Advanced Academics Department
281-517-2640
Where Do I Find Information
about the HORIZONS Program
in CFISD?
http:/www.cfisd.net/en/parentsstudents/academics/gifted-talented/
Elementary Campus Counselor
or
Secondary Director of Instruction
The HORIZONS Program is
a program designed to meet the special
needs of identified gifted children in
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.
a program that seeks to educate parents
and teachers to help them make responsible
decisions regarding the testing of students.
Defining Giftedness
A gifted student is one who “performs at
remarkably high levels of accomplishment
as compared to same age peers and who
exhibits high performance capability in an
intellectual area” (Education Code 29.121).
James Gallagher’s
Definition of Giftedness

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“Failure to help the gifted child reach his/her
potential is a societal tragedy, the extent of
which is difficult to measure but is surely great.”
“How can we measure the sonata unwritten, the
curative drug undiscovered, the absence of
political insight? They are the difference
between what we are and what we could be as
a society.”
Giftedness is the Ability to
think abstractly.
 generalize.
 solve complex problems.
 see unusual and diverse relationships.

*adapted from a definition by
Barbara Clark
Giftedness is the Ability to
connect ideas in ways others do not.
learn material in 1 – 3 presentations or
fewer.
demonstrate a deep understanding of a
variety of topics.
maintain a wide range of interests.
develop one or more interests in
considerable depth.
Giftedness is the Ability to
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demonstrate a strong sense of right and
wrong.
demonstrate a high level of sensitivity and
empathy.
enjoy a strong intellectual challenge.
show an alert and subtle sense of humor.
demonstrate an intense curiosity and need to
understand ideas.
exhibit superior reasoning ability.
Giftedness is the Ability to
perform 2-3 years beyond age-level peers in
academic areas.
gravitate toward adults or older students
because gifted students see them as intellectual
peers.
NOTE: While all children have strengths or areas where they excel
and areas where they can make contributions to society, all children
are not gifted.
Degree of Giftedness
The range of giftedness begins with an IQ or
mental age of 130.
The IQ or mental age is one part of giftedness
that describes how a student thinks.
The degree of giftedness is how far a child
measures from an average IQ (100).
A bell curve illustrates the range of intellectual
ability. The range covers 15 points on either side
of 100.
Range of Abilities
An average ability index falls within the
range of 100.
 The curriculum/STAAR target for the
average learner ranges from an 85-115
IQ or ability index.
 High achievers or advanced learners fall
within an IQ range or ability index of
116-129, indicating superior ability.

Achievement Scores

A student whose performance is average falls within
the range of the 50th percentile.

A students whose performance is above-average falls
within a range of the 70th- 90th percentile.

A student whose performance ranks within the range
of the 95th percentile and above is gifted.
Range of Gifted Ability
Gifted = 130 (IQ or ability index) &
above (approximately 2.5% of the population)
 Highly-gifted =145 (IQ or ability index)
 Exceptionally-gifted =160 (IQ or ability
index)
 Profoundly-gifted = 175 (IQ or ability
index)

Percentile
ranking for
achievement
scores
84%ile
28%ile
50%ile
95%ile
2.5%ile
97%ile
99.85%ile
.015%ile
IQ or mental age
High
Achievers
Average Learners
Gifted
Identification of Giftedness
Students must indicate advanced intellectual ability (mental age) on
testing instruments. The base line for abstract ability falls within the
range of the 130th ability index.
Students must perform within a minimum of 94th percentile ranking
on math and reading testing instruments.
Students in grades 4 – 12 MUST demonstrate Commended
performance on STAAR reading and math tests.
Identification also entails a preponderance of evidence of gifted
ability. One indicator does not exclusively support gifted ability.
Identification of Giftedness
The purpose of identification is to
identify students with significantly
advanced intellectual abilities.
Parent and teacher surveys provide
subjective data to identify gifted ability.
Teachers collect data on students as
part of an ongoing screening process.
Subjective Data:
Parent/Teacher Surveys
Parents/Teachers must understand
gifted ability in order to appropriately
complete the survey.
 Parents must provide evidence of gifted
ability if characteristics are
demonstrated most or all of the time.
 Screening will not be complete without
the required evidence.

Identification of Giftedness
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The following slides provide a detailed
explanation of the characteristics of gifted
children found on the parent and teacher
surveys.
A primary purpose of this presentation is to
help parents understand how to complete the
survey.
Parents should identify specific examples that
reveal how their child demonstrates the
characteristics of gifted ability.
Characteristics
of
Gifted Ability
Characteristics
of
Gifted Children
•
Consider the following characteristics prior to a referral of your child
for the HORIZONS program. Note that gifted children may not
exhibit all of the characteristics listed. If your child demonstrates
many or most of the listed characteristics, you may want to refer
your child to be tested for the HORIZONS program.
•
Some of the characteristics may overlap and fall into a variety of the
indicative categories.
Categories and characteristics marked with * are indicators taken from the work of Dr. Bertie Kingore.
Advanced Language *
Gifted children
 utilize large vocabularies and more
precise words than expected for their
age level.*
 use similes, metaphors. analogies.*
 reword own language for younger or
less mature children.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Advanced Language *
Gifted Children
are unusually descriptive in conversations or
writings. *
ably explain complex concepts to others.*
use verbal skills to handle conflicts or
influence others.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates
Publishing, 2001. Print.
Analytical Thinking*
Gifted Children
 recognize relationships or patterns between ideas and
experiences.*
 organize, arrange, and plan things.*
 think critically, logically, and complexly.*
 enjoy analyzing.*
 can think abstractly and generalize information.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Analytical Thinking*
Gifted Children
recognize relationships or patterns between ideas
or experiences.*
enjoy analyzing and solving difficult problems. *
enjoy planning and organizing.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Meaning Motivation*
Gifted Children
demonstrate knowledge of in-depth information
beyond age expectations.*
display high levels of task commitment and
energy when pursuing interests.*
are eager to accomplish tasks differently and
independently.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Meaning Motivation*
Gifted Children
 are philosophical, atypical of age peers.*
 generate multiple new ideas and solutions to problems;
ingenious.*
 are curious and interested in adult issues; may have or raise
provocative thoughts or questions beyond age peers.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventor . 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Perspective*
Gifted children
 express ideas in a variety of unique and unusual ways.*
 draw pictures or tell stories that include greater detail than
age-level peers.*
 play with ideas, words, riddles and may create unique
paintings, songs, experiments, or other original creations.*
 find resourceful solutions to problems outside the normal realm
of understanding.*
 have a unique perspective on solving problems.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Perspective*
Gifted Children
 explain another’s point of view.*
 approach problems from an unusual perspective in verbal
discussions, art, writing, and math or problem solving.*
 express past, present, and future aspects of an issue.*
 develop advanced or unique graphic products and
patterns.*
 appreciate the beauty and value of things.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Perspective*
Gifted Children
 may refuse to accept authority.*
 may act stubbornly or do not conform .*
 may be domineering.*
 may disagree vocally with others or with the teacher.*
 may be self-critical, impatient with failure, and critical of others or
of teacher.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sense of Humor*
Gifted Children
say or do some things indicating unexpected,
sophisticated humor.*
catch an adult’s subtle humor.*
understand and use puns, figurative language,
and riddles for humorous effect.*
play with language.*
may joke or use puns at inappropriate times.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates
Publishing, 2001. Print.
Sense of Humor*
Gifted Children
develop humorous ideas to an extreme.*
use humor to gain approval of others.*
use humor that may be absurd or
incomprehensible.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
care deeply and exhibit intense concern for
human issues.*
are intuitive and insightful of others’ needs and
feelings.*
express feelings through words or art.*
care deeply but may mask sensitivity.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
 base friendships on similarity of interest rather than age.*
 display a strong sense of justice; demand fairness and
consistency.*
 hold high expectations of self and others.*
 may display anger or cry if things go wrong.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
prefer to be alone part of the time.*
overreact at times.*
try to take action to help someone in need.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
have a deep understanding of and compassion for
others.*
have an unusual degree of self-awareness.*
have a greater awareness of their own and other
people’s feelings.*
have a keen sense of economic, religious, racial, or
gender-related barriers.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
may not sit still when exploring areas of interest
or passion.*
have above-average physical and mental stamina
so appear to be tireless.*
can take on many tasks simultaneously and
manage them well.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
may stick to tasks of interest for long
periods of time and exhibit a strong
determination when challenged.*
may have difficulty moving on from
specific problems, tasks, or topics until
they feel satisfied they have solved the
puzzle or found an answer.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Sensitivity*
Gifted Children
are easily bored with routine tasks.*
are tenacious about long-term interests.*
are drawn to complex and complicated tasks.*
are persistent with thoughts, feelings, and
ideas.*
are unsatisfied with surface-level
understanding.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Accelerated Learning*
Gifted children
 have the ability to retain intricate details about
information learned.*
 often read passages at an advanced, fluent level above
age-level expectations and explain the meaning of what
was learned from reading.*
 often see things and make connections that age-level
peers do not.*
 need little or no repetition during instruction.*
*Kingore, Bertie.The Kingore Observation Inventory. 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing,
2001. Print.
Accelerated Learning*
Gifted Children
 often require a deeper understanding of concepts.*
 often use multiple characteristics when discussing items.*
 are not content with surface-level learning.*
 learn quickly with little practice.*
 comprehend complex concepts easier than age peers.*
 demonstrate knowledge beyond age-level expectations.*
*Kingore, Bertie. The Kingore Observation Inventory . 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing. 2001, Print.
Accelerated Learning*
Gifted Children
 demonstrate an unexpected mastery of math or science
concepts. *
 use a dictionary, encyclopedia, map, atlas, or computer to
gain advanced information. *
 create products which seem advanced for age-level
expectations. *
 read fluently, more like an adult; comprehend with
advanced understanding.*
*Kingore, Bertie. The Kingore Observation Inventory . 2nd ed. Austin: Professional Associates Publishing. 2001, Print.
Being Gifted is Different,
NOT “Better” or “More”
The HORIZONS Program is not about “better” teaching
or “better” curriculum. It is not about doing “more”
work or getting ahead of others.
The HORIZONS Program is designed to serve the
unique educational needs of gifted students in order to
develop their innate abilities to their full potential.
A student may demonstrate advanced abilities,
but may not be identified as gifted or talented.
Being Gifted is Different,
Not “Better” or “More”
A student may make all 100’s on grades and
District tests yet might not be gifted.
Academic performance as reflected in grades or
District tests measures a student’s performance
on average expectations.
All students should expect to receive
appropriate challenge in every classroom.
Keys to Giftedness
Asynchronous Development
Intrinsic Motivation
Introversion
These three characteristics are key to who
gifted people are and explain why they
need unique educational services.
How Do Gifted Students Differ?
Asynchronous Development occurs when
 the intellectual, physical, social and
emotional traits are not synchronized or
not developing at the same rate.
 a child has significant intellectual ability,
but is clumsy or does not fit in with social
peers.
How Do Gifted Students Differ?
Intrinsic Motivation is characteristic of
 students who are driven to pursue
individual interests, values, and abilities.
Introversion is characteristic of
 students who are energized by being
alone.
 students who have difficulty working
with others.
Trouble Traits
Four traits that tend to create challenges for
gifted and talented students:
 intensity
 sensitivity
 multi-potentiality
 multiple stimuli
 excessive energy
Trouble Traits
Gifted children are INTENSE! They might
 react in big ways to small things.
 demonstrate “tunnel vision” or difficulty
when changing topics or letting go.
 become “captured” by a topic and so deeply
immersed in it that they don’t hear things
around them.
Trouble Traits
Gifted children are SENSITIVE! They might
 be able to empathize earlier than their peers.
 feel the pain of others.
 tend to take criticism very personally and feel
emotional pain easily.
 be affected by sounds, smells, textures.
Trouble Traits
Gifted children have MULTI-POTENTIALITY!
So, they
 have the potential to be good at many
things.
 respond to multiple stimuli.
 can sometimes pay attention to more than
one thing at a time.
 are interested in so many things that
decision-making is difficult.
Trouble Traits
Gifted children have EXTRA ENERGY! So, they
 need less sleep than their peers.
 lean toward a preference of fast games and fast
activities.
 may frequently interrupt or argue if the
information presented is incorrect.
 often need to wiggle and move.
GT Referral Process
 A referral for assessment may be made by a teacher,
parent, or administrator.
 A parent MUST give permission for the child to test.
 The Open Referral Period is October 1- December 5, 2014;
it is the only time referrals are accepted.
To refer a child:
 Contact the campus elementary counselor OR
the secondary Director of Instruction.
 Complete and return the referral form PRIOR to the posted
deadline.
Kindergarten G/T services begin March 1 of the kinder year.
GT Testing
TWO tests are administered for assessment:
CogAT and NNAT
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Measurement of student’s abilities to reason and solve problems
logically
Score reflected as an ability index
Score possibly reflected as nonverbal, verbal, quantitative, total or
composite
Highest score used to recognize student’s strengths
GT Testing
Very Important:
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Students cannot study for assessment tests.
Scores are determined using age-based norms.
An ability score of 130 and scores in the 95th percentile or
higher are considered to be in the gifted range.
Identification requires multiple indicators of giftedness – a
preponderance of evidence.
One score in the gifted range is not enough to be
identified.
If you think your child
may be Gifted -1. Review the program brochure and website for
helpful information.
2. Contact the elementary counselor or
secondary Director of Instruction.
3. Refer to your campus’ newsletter and the
HORIZONS website for deadlines.
No exceptions will be made for the deadlines.
Contact Information
If you have questions about the
HORIZONS Program, contact
Elementary Counselor or
Secondary Director of Instruction
http:/www.cfisd.net/en/parentsstudents/academics/gifted-talented/
HORIZONS office: 281-517-2640.