Mission Statement

Students are the focus of the Rose Tree Media School District learning community. RTM maximizes the potential of our gifted and talented students by providing a program that matches their unique characteristics and needs. It is our belief that gifted students need to be identified from all ethnic, geographic and socio-economic groups and given differentiated instruction to achieve at high levels commensurate with their abilities.

The RTMSD is committed to meeting the special needs of these students by:

• Providing a standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment program that is aligned and data driven
• Capitalizing on our diversity
• Providing a nurturing environment and opportunities for success
• Fostering collaborative learning experiences throughout our school community
• Utilizing technology to maximize productivity in teaching, learning, and communication

Gifted children receive a Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) with goals and specially designed instruction to meet his or her individual needs as outlined in the GIEP.  Services may occur in the classroom (push-in) and/or outside the classroom (pull-out).  The design of each student’s program depends on the student’s strengths and needs.

At the elementary level, the district provides the following learning experiences:

•         Differentiated, small group instruction in the regular classroom
•         Enrichment program with the Gifted Support teacher in grades 1 and 2 in the regular classroom
•         Seminar in grades 3 – 5 which provides a parallel curriculum to the regular education standards aligned curriculum

At the secondary level, we offer:

•         Differentiated instruction in the regular classroom based on the gifted student’s needs and abilities
•         Honors and AP courses
•         Independent Projects
•         Acceleration and Compacting as needed
•         Seminar
•         Celebration of the Mind (Middle School)
•         Independent Study (High School)

Overview of RTM Procedures

What does “Gifted” mean?

Mentally gifted is defined by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education (22 Pa. Code Chapter 16) as “outstanding intellectual and creative ability, the development of which requires specially designed programs or support services, or both, not ordinarily provided in the regular education program.”

Pa. Chapter 16  Regulations for Gifted Learners

The RTMSD Gifted Screening, Referral, and Identification Processes are based on the Chapter 16 Regulations for Gifted Learners, best practice, and current research. According to the Pa. Department of Education, Chapter 16, a student who is mentally gifted has a Very Superior ability (IQ  of 130 or higher) or multiple other criteria.  An IQ below 130 can be considered only when other educational criteria clearly documented in the profile of a student strongly indicate gifted ability.  To recommend  that a student who has been evaluated is a gifted student, GMDT shall conclude that the student needs a specially designed education and meets the criteria for eligibility as defined in §§ 16.1 and 16.2.

Multiple Criteria include:

•         A year or more above grade achievement level for the normal age group in one or more subjects as measured by nationally normed and validated achievement tests are able to accurately reflect performance.  Subject results shall yield academic instruction levels in all academic areas.
•         An observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability.
•         Demonstrated achievement, performance, or expertise in one or more academic areas evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio, research, as well as criterion referenced team judgment.
•         Early and measured use of high level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude, or technology expertise.

Documented, observed, validated or assessed evidence that intervening factors such as English as a second language, disabilities, gender or race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation are masking gifted abilities.

Some measurements of the multiple criteria used to determine the need for enrichment may include:

Progress Reports

Achievement Test Scores

Record Reviews

Curriculum Based Assessments

Teacher Recommendations

Parent Recommendations

Gifted Timeline

The Gifted Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation (GMDE) shall be completed and a copy of the evaluation report presented to parents no longer than 60 calendar days after receiving written parental consent for an initial evaluation (exceptions to this timeline include the last day of the school year up to and including the day before the first day of the subsequent school year are not counted).

•         The GIEP must be done 30 calendar days after the GWR is written. (22 Pa. Code §16.2(g) (1))
•         The Invitation to GIEP Meeting must be sent 10 calendar days before the GIEP meeting (22 Pa. Code §16.2(d)(6))
•         A  Notice of Recommended Assignment (NORA) is presented to parents at the GIEP meeting or by certified mail within 5 calendar days after completion of the GIEP meeting. (22 Pa. Code §16.2(f)and §16.62(4))
•         The GIEP must be implemented no more than 10 school days after it is signed or the start of the following school year if the GIEP was developed fewer than 30 days before the last school day of the year. (22 Pa. Code §16.2(g)(2))
•         The parents have 10 calendar days to respond to a notice of recommended assignment (NORA) sent by mail or 5 calendar days to respond to a NORA presented at the conclusion of the GIEP meeting. (22 Pa.Code §16.62(5))
•         If the parents receive the NORA in person and approve the recommended assignment within 5 calendar days, the school district may not implement the GIEP for a least 5 calendar days, to give the parents an opportunity  to notify the district within the 5 day period of a decision o revoke approval of the recommended assignment (22 Pa. Code §16.62(5))