Information about the Quest program

Questioning the
Universe through
Examining
Synthesizing
Tangents

McDuffie County School District endorses the philosophy that education is a means by which each individual has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.  We believe that all students have the right to educational experiences that challenge their individual level of development, whether it is below, at, or beyond the level of peers their age.  Special programs for gifted students are one outgrowth of this commitment.  Students in grades K-12 who demonstrate a high degree of intellectual, academic, and/or creative abilities may be nominated for evaluation to determine eligibility to participate in the program for gifted and talented students, QUEST. 

The aim of the QUEST program is to assist eligible gifted students in reaching their potential through a challenging curriculum and differentiated instruction based on elaborate, complex, and in-depth studies of major themes, ideas, and problems. The instructional goals of QUEST are as follows:

• To meet individual needs of gifted students with rich and rigorous curricula content and learning experiences;
• To nurture critical and creative thinking and problem solving opportunities;
• To encourage citizenship and leadership development;
• To provide students with self-directed and small group learning opportunities that involve planning, interpreting, finding, evaluating, and using reference information and technology; and
• To foster student communication of information, ideas, and solutions clearly and accurately.

How does my child get referred?

• Reported Referral: Nominations can be made by classroom teachers, counselors, administrators, parent or guardian, peers, the student himself/herself, or any other responsible person who has knowledge of the student’s intellectual function. Nomination guidelines and appropriate forms are available from each school’s gifted specialist.
• Automatic Referral: Students who score at specified levels on a norm referenced test or criterion referenced test will be considered. These automatic referrals will be made based on any one of the following criteria:
  • Students who have a composite score at or above the 80th percentile on an achievement test;
  • Students who have a component score at or above the 80th percentile in reading or math on a system wide achievement test;
  • Students who have a composite score at or above the 80th percentile or a component score at or above the 90th percentile on a mental ability test;
  • Students who score in the “distinguished” category of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System and or a state or local formative end-of-grade/course assessment. If you would like for your child to receive testing, please contact your child's teacher via email or myself [email protected]. 
  • Fall testing window is October-November
  • Spring testing window is March-April