Gifted Program Testing Miami-Dade County

Dr. Kaia Calbeck is a leader in area when it comes to gifted program testing for Miami-Dade County.

The Miami-Dade County public school system allows children to enter into the gifted and talented program when they are referred by their teacher or school counselor for gifted evaluation and score 2 standard deviation’s about the mean on an approved test of intellectual functioning.

Gifted Tests Used:

Dr. Calbeck uses one of three tests in order to determine if the student meets criteria for entry into the gifted and talented program:

RIAS-2
WISC-V
or the WPPSI-IV

What is the gifted program in Florida?

In the great state of Florida, gifted students are students who have proven to possess superior intellectual development capabilities and are more likely high-performance learners. Miami-Dade County public school board has defined its own guidelines for gifted program entry (see links below).

Entry into the program starts with gifted testing, an evaluation performed by a certified psychologist, like Dr. Kaia Calbeck. Test administration is done privately. Parents start the process by completing the application form.

Miami Dade County Gifted Testing Application Form: http://forms.dadeschools.net/webpdf/7082.pdf
According to the state website “…each school district serves gifted students through local plans that provide academic and social-emotional support“

Register Your Child Today:

Register your child for our gifted testing program. Dr. Calbeck will reach out to schedule the best time and day with you based on availability and your schedule.

300 W. 41st Street
Suite 213
Miami Beach, FL 33140

305-674-1314

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My son successfully tested for the gifted program for Sunset Elementary with Dr. Calbeck. She is great with kids, making them feel comfortable and at ease with testing, which an important factor to their success.

Melica Monti

Does insurance cover gifted testing?

Insurance companies do not cover testing to determine if a child meets the criteria for the gifted and talented program in Miami or Florida (or elsewhere really). This type of evaluation is not considered medically necessary because there is no medical problem related to a high IQ. Furthermore, there is no diagnostic code attached to a result related to gifted testing. One could not complete an insurance form because there is no diagnostic code (given that a high intellect is not a medical problem).

If your child experiences anxiety over testing please read more about our anxiety treatment and counseling.

Gifted Program Information Website: http://advancedacademicprograms
.dadeschools.net/#!/

Gifted or Talented Program Evaluation Process

Our private gifted evaluation is based on a structured protocol and is completed within 75-120 minutes.

The testing process involves the child playing a series of problem-solving games that assess verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills, working memory skills, strengths and weaknesses, and information processing speeds.

If the child scores at or above the two standard deviations cut off, the parent will submit the report to the school along with the paperwork required by the school system so that their child may be correctly placed in the gifted and talented program classroom, where he or she will receive an accelerated academic program.

In our local Miami area, students for kindergarten are allowed to register for classes in February of the preceding academic school year of their admission status eligibility. For this reason, gifted evaluations are often conducted in December and January and February so that parents can have their children placed by the time they are in their classrooms in the following fall semester.

Of course, evaluations could be conducted at any time during the academic year, but Miami-Dade County Public school system takes about 120 business days to process the request.

The earlier parents submit the gifted program application, the more quickly the child can be placed.

Florida State Contacts

For state gifted education compliance questions or other information about gifted testing in Florida, please contact the Bureau of Exceptional Education student Services at 850-245-0475.

More information here: http://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/gifted.stml

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Dr. Kaia Calbeck, welcome to my virtual office. Today, I’m answering questions about getting tested for the gifted and talented program here in Miami-Dade County. So many parents will ask me, should I have my child tested? How long will it take? What is the process like? And I’m happy to tell you all about it. So I use two measures, not at the same time. One of them is called RIAS-2, and the other is called WISC-V.

And both of those measures are accepted by Miami-Dade County Public School system. And these measures are individually administered tests of intellectual ability. These are a snapshot in time of the child’s abilities. And they look at verbal reasoning, nonverbal reasoning, information processing, speed and working memory. They are broken up into little subtests or games that I play with the child to determine how well they solve these kinds of problems. Then I will provide the parent with a written report of their child’s performance.

And if your child scores at the 90th percentile or higher, then they will meet criteria for the gifted and talented program. So please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions about it. Kids generally like engaging in these games and they often have a lot of fun. Sometimes they do get a little tired of the process. As we are winding up, it takes anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes with most kids completing it in less than seventy five minutes.

All right. Well, thanks so much for tuning in to my virtual office and questions about the gifted and talented program.