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Board reviews gifted-identification process and questions program access at Old Donation and cluster sites
Summary
Director Crystal Wilkerson presented VBCPS' multi-criteria gifted identification and service delivery: universal screening (grades 2 and 5), cluster models, Old Donation School and Plaza Middle Years programming, and revised art/dance audition procedures. Board members raised equity questions about access, course weighting and language opportunities.
Dr. Crystal Wilkerson, director of K–12 and gifted programs, briefed the board on Virginia Beach City Public Schools' approach to gifted identification and services and fielded extensive questions on access and program equity.
Wilkerson said the division uses a layered identification approach aligned with the Virginia code: universal screening in grades 2 and 5 (using the NNAT) and a second-stage cognitive abilities test (COGAT) plus a multi-criteria student profile that includes qualitative and quantitative data. "No single instrument, score, or criterion is used to exclude or include a child for eligibility," she said, and the division examines the whole child.
Wilkerson described service models: K–2 talent development in neighborhood schools, resource cluster services in grades 3–12, Old Donation School (ODS) serving grades 3–8 that provides full-time pullout programs and specialized arts offerings, and the Plaza Middle Years program with a high percentage of identified students. She said that some students receive gifted services at their home school while others attend ODS or academy programs.
Board members focused on disparities board members said they see between students served at ODS and students at comprehensive neighborhood schools. Several trustees pressed for data on how academic outcomes differ between ODS and cluster models and asked whether 6th-grade language credit at ODS creates an advantage for GPA or college-readiness. Wilkerson and staff said some program-weighting issues remain and committed to providing additional participation and outcome data. Gifted-audition improvements for visual arts and dance were described as a multi-step application, portfolio review and calibrated audition process.
The presentation identified program features, clarified that identification thresholds are an entry point (the 90th percentile is one measure used), and outlined professional learning for GRTs to ensure consistent gifted instruction in cluster and ODS settings. Staff agreed to return with additional data on participation in Spark/Think Tank and elective participation figures.
