Program Mission
The mission of our Gifted and Talented (GT) Program is to meet the academic and creative needs of gifted students in order to maximize their potential as a scholar, creative thinker, and global citizen.
The mission of our Gifted and Talented (GT) Program is to meet the academic and creative needs of gifted students in order to maximize their potential as a scholar, creative thinker, and global citizen.
Gifted students are those who demonstrate exceptional ability or strong potential to excel in areas such as:
Heartwood proudly supports gifted learners from all cultural, social, and economic backgrounds.
South Carolina uses a three-dimensional model to identify academically exceptional students. Students must qualify in two of the following three areas:
Measured by the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
Measured by:
The IOWA Assessments (administered each fall)
NWEA Map (BOY, EOY)
SCReady (administered each spring)
Students who meet criteria in Dimension A or B (but not both) may take the Performance Task Assessment, which evaluate verbal and non-verbal problem-solving.
Note: Private testing will not be accepted for placement in the GT program; SC Ready qualifying score changes every year based on top 10%.
Parents will receive letters after the screening process is complete. Notifications typically begin in February but can continue through July, depending on when paper results (CogAT, IOWA, SCReady, Performance Tasks) are available.
No nomination is needed for second graders–all students are automatically administered the CogAT test and NWEA Map test.
For students in grades 3-5, parents, teachers or staff may submit a referral if the student demonstrates high academic ability or potential. Referrals must be completed using the Gifted and Talented Referral Form, which will be available in the front office September 15 - October 17.
