CISS Presentation

By: Cara Hain, Nicole Barrett, Joe Wilson, Sara Klein,

Susan Johnson
What is your comfort level
with defining what it means
to be gifted?
Feel free to
use my
definition in
the textbook!
HmmI think
I can give
you a bit of a
definition.
UhhIll get
back to you
with that
definition.
Defining Gifted
Experts in the field of gifted research cannot agree on one
single definition of the term gifted.

- No longer viewed as a high IQ score only but as a
construct that includes many types of intelligences and
characteristics such as above average ability, creativity,
and motivation.

According to Fulton County, the term gifted is used to
describe students who are intellectually
advanced and exceptionally
creative.
Since defining gifted may be
difficult, lets see if we can correctly
identify characteristics of gifted
students!
Read your characteristic and
decide you have a
characteristic of the
BRIGHT child OR a
characteristic of the GIFTED
student.

Then, take your
characteristic and line up
under the correct label on
the wall.
GIFTED this
way!
BRIGHT (but
not so gifted)
that way!
Bright
Knows the answers
Interested
Has good ideas
Works hard
Answers the questions
Listens with ease
6-8 repetitions for mastery
Enjoys peers
Copies accurately
Good memorizer
Enjoys straightforward, sequential
presentation
Technician
Asks the questions
Is highly curious
Has wild, silly ideas
Plays around, yet tests well
Discusses in detail, elaborates
Already knows
1-2 repetitions for mastery
Prefers adults
Creates a new design
Good guesser
Thrives on complexity
Inventor
Gifted
So, what is TAG?
TAG = Talented and
Gifted

TAG classes are
offered to students in
order to meet the
needs of students who
are intellectually
advanced in
particular areas as
well as exceptionally
creative.

TAG is not for smart
kids, but it is for
students who learn
differently.
How does a student become
eligible for TAG services?
4 Steps to the Eligibility Process:
1. Screening ALL students are screened for a two week
period using the CISS process at the beginning of second
semester.
2. Referral Students who meet 5 criteria on the CISS form
and have supporting data are referred for testing.
3. Testing Students are tested in four areas including:
mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation.
4. Eligible Students who meet criteria in 3 out of the 4
areas become eligible for TAG services.

CISS: What is it?
CISS stands for: Characteristics Instrument for
Screening Students
CISS is a way of screening students but does not
directly admit them into the TAG program

If youre not a TAG teacher,
why does it matter?

You may have these students in your classes, and
you can better differentiate and foster advanced
learning experiences if you have a deeper
understanding of gifted students.
Who Completes the CISS
form?
All certified staff need to fill out a CISS form, this
includes connections teacher!
Students who are already in TAG do not need to be
placed on the form
Dont forget, students who have an IEP can be
gifted!
This is just a screening process so please be
generous with the check marks
A student is not directly entered into the TAG
program if you give them 5 checks
The eligibility team will look for supporting data in
order to test the student
CISS ctnd.
Before you complete the checklist, make sure you
feel comfortable with your understanding of each
characteristic. Remember, characteristics are not
always expressed in a positive manner!
If you are not sure you fully understand a
characteristic or step of the process, be sure to
speak with your schools TAG contact.
If you mark 4 characteristics, see if you can find a
5
th
! This makes it easier for parent situations.

Does your completion of the CISS form make the
decision about TAG eligibility or placement?
NO!
If a student is CISSed and has supporting data, he or she
will be referred for testing. Based on test results, a child
may or may not be eligible to participate in TAG.
This means your CISS form is the first step in the process,
and it is extremely important but it also means you can
also be generous! Students will still have to perform well on
the tests to be eligible.
After you fill out the CISS form, youre done! Your TAG
contact will take care of everything else in the process!
When do we do CISS?
2 week screening process
This year we will CISS from January 14- January 25
START
END
CISS
Characteristics
Motivation: Evidences an intense desire
to achieve; Strives to satisfy a need or attain set
goals
Student may:
be persistent in pursuing/completing self-selected
tasks
be a self-starter
be an enthusiastic learner
aspire to be somebody/do something
a.k.a. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother or
the student who is always finding new projects to
take on.
Do you have a motivated Barney Stinson
in your class?
I know what I want to do, and I know
how hard I want to work at it!
Interest: Intense(unusual interests)
Activities, avocations, objects, etc. have special
worth or significance
Student may:
demonstrate unusual or advanced interests in a
topic or activity
be beyond age-group
pursue an activity unceasingly
demonstrate perseverance in pursuit of an interest
a.k.a. Ross Gellar from Friends or the child who has
spent a solid month learning all she can about
Greek and Roman architecture.
Do you have an interest-obsessed
Ross in your homeroom?

Video Clip of Ross arguing his
knowledge of the Theory of Evolution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXr2
kF0zEgI
Communication Skills:
Highly expressive and effective use of words,
numbers, or symbols
Student may
demonstrate unusual ability to communicate
(verbally, physically, artistically, symbolically)
use particularly clever examples, illustrations or
elaborations
a.k.a. Stewie Griffin from Family Guy, or Manny
Delgado from Modern Family, or the student who
could take an entire day to tell you about the
movie they watched over the weekend.
Ever had to use a dictionary/encyclopedia in order to
understand the Stewie or Manny in your class?
Problem Solving Ability:
Effective, inventive strategies for recognizing
and solving problems
Student may:
devise or adapt a systematic strategy for solving
problems or change the strategy if it is not working
create a new design, invent
understand what questions to ask to solve the
problem
a.k.a Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation, or the
kid who wants to jump in a fix everything.

The
problem-
solving Ron
Swanson:
Memory: Large storehouse of information;
Innate ability to retain and retrieve information
Student may:
need only 1-2 repetitions for mastery
have a wealth of information
pay attention to details
manipulate information
remember experiences from the past (e.g., When I was
one)
a.k.a. Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock, or the student who will
remind you what page you read from the science book
two months ago on a Monday.
The Kenneth Parcells in our class
remember EVERYTHING!
Jack Donaghy:
You know, Kenneth here is one of
our more promising young
pages. He knows everything
there is to know about the
business.
Kenneth Parcell:
I studied TV theory at Kentucky
Mountain Bible College.

Inquiry: Questions, experiments, explores;
Seeks in-depth knowledge, understanding , or
information
Student may:
ask unusual questions for age
play around with ideas
Demonstrate extensive exploratory behaviors
a.k.a. Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory, or the
student who has already asked Why? 800 times
and its only 8:15.

Weve all taught a Sheldon
before:
Insight: Quickly grasps new concepts and
makes connections; Sudden discovery of the
correct solution following incorrect attempts
Student may:
demonstrate exceptional ability to draw inferences
appear to be a good guesser
be keen observer
possess capacity for seeing unusual and diverse
relationships
integrate ideas and disciplines
a.k.a. Phil Dunphy from Modern Family
Do you have the insightful Phil Dunphy who
shares his Philosophies in your class:
Reasoning: Logical approaches to
figuring out solutions;
Forward-looking, goal oriented thought.
Student may:
make generalizations
use metaphors and analogies
think things through logically
think critically
be an excellent planner
a.k.a. Dwight Schrute from The Office, or the child who
arranges all the books in his home according to the
Dewey Decimal System.

Is there an overly logical Dwight
Schrute sitting in your class?
Creativity: Inventiveness;
Problem-solving through non-traditional
patterns of thinking
Student may:
show ingenuity in using everyday materials
exhibit wild, seemingly silly ideas
produces ideas fluently/flexibly
be curious
a.k.a. Jessica Day Jess from New Girl, or the student
who could build a scale model Eifel Tower out of
toothpicks and marshmallows (or any other
combination of items) they dream up.
The Jess in your class might seem
different, but she has great ideas!
Humor: Conveys and picks up on humor; Ability
to synthesize key ideas or problems in complex
situations in humorous ways
Student may:
exhibit keen sense of humorgentle or hostile
see relationships and create jokes or puns
extreme sense of fairness
sensitive to feelings of others
use inappropriate humor (class clown)
a.k.a. Jerry Seinfeld from Seinfeld, or the child who
can always make you smile/laugh (even if it isnt
always appropriate).
The Jerry in your class can provide some
much needed comic relief (when used
appropriately).
Now, lets pause for a little
practice!
Now, as a regular
education teacher,
what is YOUR
role in all of this?
Quick Review and Main Takeaways
Why do we need a TAG
program?
Gifted students have unique learning styles,
interests, and capabilities. The TAG program
provides opportunities to extend and enrich the
basic curriculum for these students.


Gifted vs. Bright: How do I
know?
A bright student is A gifted student is
Interested
Answers the questions
6-8 repetitions for
mastery
Absorbs information
Enjoys straightforward
presentations
Highly curious
Discusses answers in
detail and elaborates
1-2 repetitions for
mastery
Manipulates
information
Thrives on complexity


Dos and Donts of the
CISS process
Do: Dont:
Observe each child for
the full 2 week time
period
Score generously!
Give each child a fair
chance be aware that
teacher bias can affect
CISS scoring
Make sure your class
provides opportunities for
all students to
demonstrate higher level
thinking, skills, and
creativity
Turn in your form the day
after you get it
Mark 4 characteristics
without looking for a 5
th

Use the words referral
to mean anything other
than referral for testing
Make promises to parents
about their children
being gifted or accepted
to TAG
Handle difficult situations
on your own speak with
your TAG contact or
principal
Any Questions?

Review/Wrap Up:
Are you in a HOT seat?!
Check under your seat
to see if you have a
question!
Hot Seat Question #1:
Giftedness is not for the smart
student but for a student
who___________________.
Hot Seat Question #2:
Can you list 4 out of the 10 CISS
Characteristics?
Hot Seat Question #3:

What is your role in the
identification process?
Hot Seat Question #4
How long should you observe
students during the CISS
process?
Name a situation where a student
might be gifted but not fit your
definition before today of
giftedness?
Hot Seat Question #5: