• Ohio Law for Identifying Giftedness


    Ohio's school districts are not required to serve gifted children by law, but they are required to identify students as gifted in grades K - 12. In 1999, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that updated the process for identifying Ohio's gifted students. The Law or Ohio Revised Code specifies, in general terms, how gifted students are to be identified, and how they may be served. The Rule or Ohio Administrative Code provides the specifics that must be followed in identification. The Rule also provides specifics on how districts may serve gifted children. Ohio districts must comply with both the Law and the Rule.

    "Gifted" means students who perform or show potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience, or environment. Children may identified as gifted in one or more of the following categories:

    • Superior Cognitive Ability
    • Specific Academic Ability
    • Creative Thinking Ability
    • Visual and Performing Arts Ability

    Identifying Gifted Students

    Note: These guidelines have been condensed for simplicity. To read the entire “Identification of Children Who Are Gifted”, contact the school’s gifted intervention specialist, or refer to sections 3324.01 to 3324.07 of the Ohio Revised Code

    Superior Cognitive Ability

    A child shall be identified as exhibiting "superior cognitive ability" if the child did either of the following within the preceding twenty-four months:

    • Scored at or above 130, on an approved individual standardized intelligence test administered by a licensed psychologist; or
    • Accomplished any one of the following:
      • Scored at or above 130 on an approved standardized group intelligence test
      • Performed at or above the ninety-fifth percentile on an approved individual or group standardized basic or composite battery of a nationally normed achievement test, or Attained an approved score on one or more above grade-level standardized, nationally normed approved tests.

    Specific Academic Ability

    A child shall be identified as exhibiting "specific academic ability" superior to that of children of similar age in a specific academic ability field if within the preceding twenty-four months the child performs at or above the ninety-fifth percentile at national level on an approved individual or group standardized achievement test of specific academic ability in that field. A child may be identified as gifted in more than one specific academic area listed below:

    • Math
    • Reading and/or writing
    • Science
    • Social Studies

    Creative Thinking Ability

    A child shall be identified as exhibiting "creative thinking ability" superior to children of a similar age, if within the previous twenty-four months, the child:

    • Scored at or above 115 on an approved individual or group intelligence test and also did either of the following:
      • Attained a sufficient score, as established by the department education on an approved individual or group test of creative ability
        or
      • Exhibited sufficient performance on an approved checklist of creative behaviors

    Visual and Performing Arts Ability

    A child shall be identified as exhibiting "visual or performing arts ability" superior to that of children of similar age if the child has done both of the following:

    • Demonstrated to a trained individual through a display of work, an audition, or other performance or exhibition, superior ability in a visual or performing arts area
      and
    • Exhibited to a trained individual sufficient performance on an approved checklist of behaviors related to a specific arts area.