Criteria for Admission

Gifted & Talented Criteria for Admission

Guttenberg School District

(revised 9/2026)

A gifted and talented student is a well-rounded individual who makes a positive contribution to the Guttenberg school community. Therefore, the Guttenberg School District uses specific criteria to identify and select students for participation in its Gifted and Talented Program.

The Gifted and Talented Program complies with the requirements established by the New Jersey Department of Education. 

Student selection is based on the following criteria:

All Grades:  Admission into the Gifted & Talented Program is determined through a comprehensive assessment process designed to identify students who demonstrate advanced cognitive abilities. As part of the identification process, students are administered the Naglieri assessment, which measures a range of cognitive abilities through verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative reasoning. Student performance across these areas is considered as part of the overall criteria for admission, helping to identify students who demonstrate strengths in reasoning, problem-solving, and higher-level thinking skills that may indicate a need for gifted educational services. 

Teacher referrals are also an important component of the identification criteria, as they provide valuable insight into a student’s classroom performance, academic abilities, learning behaviors, problem-solving skills, and demonstrated potential for advanced learning.

Grades K-3:  Additional assessments may include Benchmarks in both math and language arts, Literacy Screener scores, and Diagnostic Data collected throughout the year through programs such as SuccessMaker or IXL.

Grades 4-8: In addition to the assessments used in K-3, New Jersey state standardized assessments are evaluated as they demonstrate mastery of the grade-leveled student learning standards.