aiu(DK METROLAMD WEST MEDIA GROUP Just a kew ytars af1er tht Hattoua District! Schocl Bond lmWpWlermntd 'b -it pro- grnnin prftmay gra dot changus may beoni the hoei for the poegam% entry Mrus.i Hoo a t a recmi meetin trustas de- kwed tht dedslan unS l nlexensiv con- MuaSton pocess ha teon pic and wuni tracs -Mv m m -t years Mfdata about tht paa O*v* trus th" aumOkd a sarwir of tht primaty qWftd pregram sw iwl ne.nut Wtnntlon ta mate adecionàorraguint*h staff roc- A Mu gafiey et pneuS and theitkU nas i anchnoe r iat te meethn ta hem the debtem The Mudnfl M ofb*jf ChU*en off OtarloK CUOrfl and Mi tan dffwer sent mgt a preut robai eadrfien the wttk asking the trees to rcject tt stff recoin- mnendaia The staf recaunnodation na st for a dudto Iydu»% but trtes de- fted la VeUt*fa At mis s the scrarig process hfto d nmn Hf1crafy. th pud* baud hia dont a tau'm Mceniqo alit =* Idn k, rade 0~smoun pincesm 4hfo a possible GradeS5 entry lito a self-con- taiMed -t dia I tht spflngq of 2010. the board mUild out fts puiniary gtfted -î program i Burfington, where Senior Klndegarten (SM) studes nire screnhd for giftednuss aftur a tacher nomnitation. The screoning happons within the finu fw months of tht ichool year. Stu- duc sconng t or above the 901 porcin- tUle i a p-yctioeducational ussesmrent nee eU$gile for entry iuto a sei-conted glfted ctai Tht foilowlng yeat the pl- was rclled Out i the reuning I4aiton municipaléies. Tht 6Mi talont off 0* program. i Burilngion. is curvently i Gr-ad4, when thty would nov- - #bo e ne for giftednest Tht bond staff rk-Mmno asked trust- ees te mm the mass screenong to Grade 3 fmom Grade 4. It aise asked hS an overhaul of thieamnn proceun -ro to the mas scroening. Tht changie would nimm students who are showlg trats Mf gift.dness mand are i fneed of adcltona Intervention could be rsfernd forgifwd assesm.-nt bya claroorn teacher throe4i a sciiool resource teamn at any grade level and at any rime durtrg the As a rationale for the change, board staff shcwed iliu are currentt 28 studmnts who nure idont$fled as gifted in the prîmary grades who are currently in Grade 4 in Suri- inglo. Anothtr 23 students were .dentified in the mias screening process this year. Four of those 23 students had been assossed for glftedness i the pnimary grades and diduVt muet tht arften&a Superintendent off Education David Boag said severai concerni have arisen. lie said many students have been missed by the primary screei ing process. Furthermore, to date. 394 assessment nominations have beea made, but only 124 of those were identified as gift- ed. This Is a 31.ý5 per cent efficiency rate. Tht time ta assess ait thone students was about $135.000. The data shows that teachers' success rate to identify gifedness in their students increases ai dh" age. wfhh a success rate of 26 per cent in SK.comipered to5l1.1 per cent in Grade 2. Soag ade hidrenIs assessment bicornes more accurate as they age. The report noted a chilSs K> becomes more stable at ages eight to 1O.mo0 testIng priô' tn dia? &3P May h.b buç valbd. MUtera trustet Donna Danielli said concevras have bien ralsed by the community that changing the prlmary screening process was the first step te phase osut primawy screeirg. changesLl The sentiment was echoed by other trustees. Director Mf Educatuon Davi Euale saici ho didn't bolueve the changes would phase out primary scîeenlng for giftedness. Danioli ashod board staff how they woulSr maintain steady class sizes wlth the new rt- ferrai proctss. Boag.said the profile of the primary gifted programn has been ralsed to the point where people are talkig about ht and tNnldng about itHe said the board may not get as many referrals. but 't would get better refer- rais, resulting in a greater success rate of iden- tification. Burlingtoa trustee Jennifer Hiusko sald the greatosr concemn for parents of glfted rtu- dents is that Grade 1 placements wuiI bo re- moved. «If this recommendation passes, I feai there Mvil b. no Grade 1 placements. sht said. Sho addod. that if placements do continue, ut would only be for the students with be- havioral problems or the chuldren of weaithy parets whôc an pay for thek cNild's assess- ment. Fuythermore. sUit sald the change would re- suit in fewur placements, thus reduclrag tht number of classos, possily havlng one for ail of Halton. She sa.d parents wotuld eliteM kyli. olksw g.n oats buns whh s.y >ur VW Destinatfion since 1961 j Lb 'W = 4" 213 cI. W. JTWm-6.948.5548 OokviIIVolkswag.n.com J*b vw.ca4n ktol£C .h wSKç Nlp"4w hyu Itoda r rldig S fla me **nas ccii toeo ergs Mwsg Âd Wu , a> t-iSd nlh n s f Unjcs tr o f 2h! I i y--T 7eos -w.