Welcome to Gifted and Talented Education! Our gifted teacher at BPA is:

Princess Watts-Blount - Welcome Letter

Email: pwatts@apsk12.org

The Georgia State Board of Education defines a gifted student as “...a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual, and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities.”

Atlanta Public Schools provide services for identified gifted students at all levels.  The gifted program is designed to meet the very specific needs of these students and extend competencies in the areas of cognitive skills, learning skills, research and reference skills, communication skills, and metacognitive skills beyond the experience of the regular classroom.

The Georgia State Department of Education governs the procedures for identifying and placing students in the gifted program.  

Gifted Eligibility Referral and Assessment Process

Students can be referred for testing in three ways:

1. Parent Referral (2023-2024 window is September 1- 30)

The window to request a parent referral for January Gifted Eligibility Testing this school year is September 1 through September 30.

Please visit these links for:

1. Parent Referral Informational Video and FAQs 2. Online Request for Parent Referral Form

2. Teacher Screening (teachers will observe and rate ALL students on their roster on the Gifted Traits, Aptitudes, and Behaviors rating scale)

3. Automatic (students have a qualifying 85th percentile or higher score on NWEA Map Growth Assessment in any area)

My child has been referred for gifted eligibility testing.  What does that mean?

Students referred for testing will undergo a battery of tests administered by the gifted specialist.  

The APS Multiple Criteria Identification Process assesses students in four areas and requires that students meet minimum score levels in any three of the four areas in order to gain admittance to the gifted program. 

Students are tested in the following areas:

1. Mental Ability 
2. Achievement 
3. Creativity 
4. Motivation

Testing will occur from February - April 2024. Students that are determined to be Gifted eligible will begin services in the Fall of the 2024-2025 school year.

For More Information...