FOCUS - Gwinnett County and Gifted Education

I have been asked by a couple of parents for more information on FOCUS - what it is and how it works. This blog post is my attempt to provide information to those parents and any others who might be interested. I've tried to make it as accurate as I can but it may contain errors. Please see the referenced web sites for more detailed information to help you make decisions about the program. I have no official relationship with the school system except as a parent of students in the system. All opinions are purely my own. This blog is long and dull so feel free to skip it if you aren't interested in the topic.


What is FOCUS and is it worth it?

FOCUS is the gifted education program for elementary schools in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Education prides itself on being a leader in gifted education. According to Davidson Institute's GT-CyberSource, Georgia is one of only eight states that mandate gifted programs and provide full funding to support them. In addition, Georgia was one of the first to use the multiple criteria option for identifying gifted students. The state's Gifted Education Specialist, Linda Andrews, gives a great talk about how Georgia's program compares to programs in other states.

All that being said, the program is only as good as your local teacher. My children have had great FOCUS teachers but we know that not everyone has had the same type of experience.

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How does Gwinnett County choose students for the program?

Most of the following information is paraphrased from the Georgia Department of Education policy related to gifted education. As a parent who has gone through the process both successfully and unsuccessfully, it appears that the county follows the state guidelines very closely. My experience is that Gwinnett County elementary schools use the fall ITBS and CoGAT testing scores to identify children who should be tested for the gifted program. Teachers and parents can also recommend individual children for testing.


The state defines four evaluation categories:
* mental ability
* achievement
* creativity
* motivation

There are two paths to become eligible for the program. The first is to have very high scores in both the mental ability and the achievement categories. The second is to have high scores on 3 out of 4 of the categories. The requirements are slightly different for K-2 versus grades 3-5.


You are eligible if you have qualifying scores in 3 of the 4 following categories:

Mental Ability - Score 96th percentile on a standardized test of mental ability. My school typically uses the CoGAT for this measure.

Achievement - (a) score 90th percentile in math, reading, or overall on a standardized achievement test OR (b) have produced a superior product or performance. My school typically uses ITBS scores for this measure.

Creativity - (a) score 90th percentile on a standardized test of creative thinking or (b) on a standardized creativity characteristics rating scale or (c) produced superior creative products and/or performances. My school gave the GIFT test as part of the evaluation process.

Motivation - (a) score 90th percentile on a standardized motivational characteristics rating scale or (b) have a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale using an average of grades from the previous two school years (for grades 3-12). My school gave the CAIMI as part of the evaluation process.

(In order to use student work to qualify in the achievement or creativity categories, it must be judged at least 90 out of 100 by at least three qualified evaluators.)

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You can also qualify if you score 90th percentile in the Achievement category (a test like the ITBS) AND score either 99th percentile (for grades K-2) or 96th percentile (for grades 3-5) in the Mental category (a test like the CoGAT).

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The following sections are purely my opinion and should be valued for the proverbial 2 cents they are worth...

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Why would my school recommend not testing my 2nd grader?

If a child goes through the testing and does not qualify for FOCUS, they cannot be tested again for 2 years. Many teachers and other school personnel will recommend waiting for 3rd grade since there are changes in the criteria for 3rd grade and above. Whether you should test or wait is a tough decision you should make using the advice of school personnel who know your child the best.

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What if my child doesn't qualify?

First, just because your child doesn't qualify for the FOCUS program, it doesn't mean that your child isn't smart or gifted - it only means that on those particular days with those specific tests, your child didn't qualify.

If you know that your child is smart or gifted or talented, look for other opportunities for him or her - there are a lot of them available. I can tell you as a Mom that it was very hard to hear that my child wasn't "good enough" for the program. You know your child. YOU are responsible for creating a customized education plan for each of your individual children. Don't let this one decision slow you down. You are not alone!


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For more information:

Georgia Department of Education - Gifted Education

Rule 160-4-2-.38 Education Program for Gifted Students - effective March 9, 1998

Gwinnett County Public Schools - Gifted and Talented Education