In looking at my son's ITBS scores, I'm guessing that GE 8.9 corresponds to a standard score of 250ish. This corresponds to percentiles in the mid 90s for spring of 4th grade. What this means in reality is that your daughter has likely mastered 4th grade material and is ready for 5th grade work.
The thing to be careful of here is that the ITBS does not work like the MAPS. A standard score of 250, say, is not the same for a 3rd grader as it is for a 4th grader or a 5th grader. You really cannot compare across grade levels on the ITBS. The NCE, SS, and GE are all relative to how other kids would have tested or did test on that one grade level test only.
The other thing to consider is that this GE of 8.9 is only on one piece of the language test. If her overall language test/composite language was similarly high, I'd agree that she's needing more in that one area. FWIW, the language test primarily looks at something similar to the English test on the EXPLORE, but for a younger grade of course in this instance. A very high score on the language test indicates a kid who is very good with written conventions (spelling, capitalization, sentence structure, etc.) but may or may not indicate a child who needs acceleration in language arts.
I'd tend to believe that acceleration in LA or GT placement in that area should depend on the content & depth of the child's writing and reading moreso than his/her English conventions achievement.
I'm putting this out there not b/c I believe that the OP's kid is not gifted, just b/c I think that caution is warranted before making decisions about what a child needs based on one high area on one test.
