Gifted

Early Entrance for Kindergarten or 1st Grade

State of Ohio laws and Reynoldsburg policy require that a child entering Kindergarten be five years of age on or before the first day of school (August 20, 2026).

Parents/Guardians of children who will become five years of age (for kindergarten) or six years of age (for first grade) between August 21st and before January 1st may request testing for early entrance to Kindergarten/1st grade.

Early entrance policy requires an initial request by the parent, followed by a detailed questionnaire about the child and the request for 2 non-family recommendations. Finally, the child is evaluated using state approved standardized cognitive assessments and other grade level evaluations before a decision is made.

The child must score at least a 115 on the cognitive assessment, keeping in mind that 100 is average cognitive ability, before further evaluations are given.

It’s important to note that very few children qualify for early entrance.

To begin the evaluation process, please fill out this form. All forms, recommendations, and online paperwork must be submitted electronically by April 15, 2026. The initial form opens to the public on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Identification

The Gifted Services department supports the District by providing screening and assessment opportunities to identify students who are gifted in all areas recognized by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. All assessments are approved by ODEW for identifying gifted learners, and are administered by qualified, licensed professionals.

All students in grades 2-10 are screened for Gifted Academic Identification in Reading and Math through NWEA MAP which is administered three times (fall, winter and spring). Students scoring in the 95th percentile or higher on these tests qualify for gifted identification.

Whole-grade screening opportunities for Superior Cognitive Abilities are given the 2nd and 5th grades. The District also accepts referrals to screen students who may be gifted. Referrals are accepted during two windows. They must be submitted electronically and can be found under the forms section.

Window 1 = August 15 - October 31, with testing occurring between October 1 and December 31.
Window 2 = January 1 - March 1, with testing occurring between March 1 and April 30.

Superior Cognitive Ability

Creative Thinking Ability

Specific Academic Ability in Reading and Mathematics

The District will screen all students for giftedness in reading and mathematics three times per year during grades 2-10. This screening is embedded in assessments that the District already uses for academic purposes, and will not amount to any additional testing than the students would already participate in. Currently, Reynoldsburg City Schools uses the NWEA MAP Growth assessment: a multi-purpose assessment that can also be used to screen for giftedness in reading and mathematics.

Visual or Performing Arts Ability

Referrals are taken for students to be screened for giftedness in visual and performing arts. Referral forms can be found in the links section. Once a nomination/referral is received, a checklist for creative and artistic characteristics will be completed by a teacher familiar with the student's abilities. If a student receives a qualifying score on the state required checklist, that student will then be asked to prepare a performance or portfolio of work, depending on the area being assessed, for evaluation by a team of experts in that field. Initial assessment will happen within 90 days of referral and results of all assessments will be available within 30 days.

Re-Screening

Any student who is not identified as gifted in any area, but earns a score within two (2) points of an identifying score, may be re-screened (or re-evaluated) for gifted identification. The re-screening process triggers an automatic referral for individual testing; however, no evaluation will take place until written consent is provided by the parent or guardian.

If you child is eligible for re-screening following a whole-grade screening opportunity, you will receive a Permission to Assess form attached with your student's testing results. If you wish for your child to be re-evaluated for gifted identification, complete this form and return it to your school's office. Re-evaluation will take place within 90 days of receiving the completed form.

Referral for Individual Identification

Any student may be referred for individual assessment. Referrals may be initiated by the student, a parent/guardian, a teacher, a counselor/social worker, a principal, or even by a fellow student. Unless the referral is initiated by the parent/guardian, no assessment will take place until written consent is granted by a parent/guardian. The District will ensure that all students referred for gifted identification are assessed within 90 days of receipt of a completed referral, and that all results are provided to the parent/guardian within 30 days of the completion of the assessment.

Service Model

Reynoldsburg City Schools embraces the diversity that makes our District strong, including our students identified as gifted.

The District currently provides gifted services to students identified as gifted in grades 2-12. Services are available in mathematics, reading/language arts, science, social studies, and visual or performing arts courses. All services are provided by qualified teachers who are either endorsed as gifted intervention specialists or who have received ongoing professional development in providing enrichment and gifted education services.

Identified students in grades 2-5 are using a cluster model where students with similar identifications are grouped together and provided service by their classroom teacher who has received gifted professional development. Gifted services at the junior high and high school levels are provided through enriched classes, AP classes, and/or honors classes.

Acceleration

The Gifted Services department also supports the District by providing acceleration services for students who are academically advanced. The District has designed structured pathways for acceleration in mathematics and language arts. Requests for acceleration are evaluated using a state approved process through the gifted services department.

Reynoldsburg City Schools also accepts referrals for early entrance to kindergarten (or first grade) for any student whose 5th birthday falls after August 1 or for kindergarten students academically prepared for the rigor of first grade. Referral forms and applications are available on the District website from March 1 until April 15 each year.