Section 27.480 Gifted Education Specialist

Section

27.480  Gifted Education Specialist

By October

1, 2024, all candidate for an endorsement in the teaching of Gifted Education

will be required to complete a program aligned to the NAGC-CEC Teacher

Preparation Standards in Gifted Education (2013), published by the National

Association for Gifted Children, 1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001, Washington DC

20005, and available at

https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/national-standards-gifted-and-talented-education/nagc-cec-teacher.

(No later amendments to or editions of these guidelines are incorporated.)  The

standards effective until September 30, 2024 are as follows:

a)         The competent gifted

education specialist, recognizing the learning and developmental differences of

students with gifts and talents, promotes ongoing self-understanding, awareness

of their needs, and cognitive and affective growth of these students in school,

home and community settings to ensure specific student outcomes.  The competent

gifted education specialist:

1)         collects and develops

tools and techniques to engage the full range of profiles of gifted and

talented students, including students with special needs (e.g., students with

disabilities (twice exceptional), English language learners, creatively gifted,

visual-spatial learners, profoundly gifted), in identifying their interests,

strengths and gifts;

2)         assists gifted and

talented students in developing their pride in their gifts and talents and

encouraging their passion in their areas of interest;

3)         develops activities that

can be easily tailored to match each student's developmental needs and

culture-based learning needs or to compensate for areas of deficit, to include students

with special needs;

4)         provides a variety of

research-based grouping practices for use with gifted and talented students

that allow them to interact with individuals of various gifts, talents,

abilities and strengths;

5)         models respect for individuals

with diverse

developmental needs and

culture-based learning needs or to compensate for areas of deficit, to include students

with special needs;

4)         provides a variety of

research-based grouping practices for use with gifted and talented students

that allow them to interact with individuals of various gifts, talents,

abilities and strengths;

5)         models respect for individuals

with diverse abilities, strengths and goals, including those with atypical

gifted profiles (i.e., students with special needs);

6)         provides role models

(e.g., through mentors, bibliotherapy) for gifted and talented students that

match their abilities and interests;

7)         identifies

extracurricular learning opportunities that match students' abilities and

interests, and works to remove barriers to their taking advantage of these

opportunities;

8)         collaborates with

families in accessing resources to develop their child's talents;

9)         designs interventions

for students to develop cognitive and affective growth that is based on

research of effective practices;

10)         develops specialized

intervention services for underachieving gifted and talented students to

accommodate their deficits, remediate barriers to achievement, leverage their

gifts and build their community with other gifted and talented students;

11)         enables students to

identify their preferred approaches to learning, accommodates the students'

preferences and expands them;

12)         provides students with

college and career guidance that is consistent with their strengths; and

13)         implements a scope and

sequence of the curriculum that contains personal and social awareness and

adjustment, academic planning and vocational and career awareness.

b)         The competent gifted

education specialist has a deep understanding of assessment and its ability to

provide information about identification, learning progress and outcomes, and

evaluation of programming for students with gifts and talents in all domains

the curriculum that contains personal and social awareness and

adjustment, academic planning and vocational and career awareness.

b)         The competent gifted

education specialist has a deep understanding of assessment and its ability to

provide information about identification, learning progress and outcomes, and

evaluation of programming for students with gifts and talents in all domains.

The competent gifted education specialist:

1)         identifies gifted and

talented students, including those students with special needs who may be

underserved;

2)         develops environments

and instructional activities that accommodate the full range of learning and

performing found among gifted populations, and encourages students to express

diverse characteristics and behaviors that are associated with giftedness;

3)         uses current,

research-based assessment strategies appropriate for accurately measuring the

progress of all gifted and talented students, including students with special

needs;

4)         establishes

comprehensive, cohesive and ongoing procedures for identifying and serving

gifted and talented students; these provisions include informed consent,

committee review, student retention, student reassessment, student exiting, and

appeals procedures for both entry and exit from gifted program services;

5)         selects and uses

multiple assessments that measure diverse abilities, talents and strengths that

are based on current theories, models and research;

6)         selects assessments that

provide qualitative and quantitative information from a variety of sources,

including "off-level" testing (i.e., not designed for the grade level

of the student), and are nonbiased and equitable, and technically adequate for

the purpose;

7)         possesses knowledge of

student exceptionalities and collects assessment data while adjusting

curriculum and instruction to learn about each student's developmental level

and aptitude for learning;

8)         interprets multiple

assessments

el" testing (i.e., not designed for the grade level

of the student), and are nonbiased and equitable, and technically adequate for

the purpose;

7)         possesses knowledge of

student exceptionalities and collects assessment data while adjusting

curriculum and instruction to learn about each student's developmental level

and aptitude for learning;

8)         interprets multiple

assessments in different domains and understands the uses and limitations of

the assessments in identifying the needs of gifted and talented students,

including those students with special needs;

9)         informs all parents and

guardians about the identification process, obtains parental or guardian

permission for assessments, uses culturally sensitive checklists, and elicits

evidence regarding the child's interests and potential outside of the classroom

setting;

10)         selects and uses

non-biased and equitable approaches for identifying gifted and talented

students, which may include using locally developed norms or assessment tools

in the child's native language or in nonverbal formats;

11)         understands and

implements district and State policies designed to foster equity in gifted

programming and services;

12)         provides parents and

guardians with information in their native language regarding diverse behaviors

and characteristics that are associated with giftedness, including unique

characteristics associated with gifted students with special needs;

13)         provides parents and

guardians with information in their native language that explains the nature

and purpose of gifted programming options;

14)         uses differentiated

pre- and post-performance-based assessments to measure the progress of gifted

and talented students;

15)         uses differentiated

product-based assessments to measure the progress of gifted and talented

students;

16)         uses off-level

standardized assessments to measure the progress of gifted and talented

students;

17)         uses and interprets

qual

14)         uses differentiated

pre- and post-performance-based assessments to measure the progress of gifted

and talented students;

15)         uses differentiated

product-based assessments to measure the progress of gifted and talented

students;

16)         uses off-level

standardized assessments to measure the progress of gifted and talented

students;

17)         uses and interprets

qualitative and quantitative assessment information to develop a profile of the

strengths and weaknesses of each gifted and talented student to plan

appropriate intervention;

18)         communicates and

interprets assessment information to gifted and talented students and their

parents or guardians;

19)         ensures that the

assessments used in the identification and evaluation processes are reliable,

are sensitive to the needs of special populations, are valid for each

instrument's purpose, allow for above grade-level performance and allow for

diverse perspectives;

20)         ensures that the

assessment of the progress of gifted and talented students uses multiple

indicators that measure mastery of content, higher-level thinking skills,

achievement in specific program areas and affective growth;

21)         assesses the quantity,

quality and appropriateness of the programming and services provided for gifted

and talented students by disaggregating assessment data and yearly progress

data and making the results public;

22)         provides the necessary

time and resources to implement an annual evaluation plan developed by

personnel with expertise in program evaluation and gifted education;

23)         ensures that the

evaluation plan is purposeful and evaluates how student-level outcomes are

influenced by one or more of the following components of gifted education

programming: identification, curriculum, instructional programming and

services, ongoing assessment of student learning, counseling and guidance

programs, teacher qualifications and professional development, parent and

guardian and commu

hat the

evaluation plan is purposeful and evaluates how student-level outcomes are

influenced by one or more of the following components of gifted education

programming: identification, curriculum, instructional programming and

services, ongoing assessment of student learning, counseling and guidance

programs, teacher qualifications and professional development, parent and

guardian and community involvement, programming resources, and programming

design, management, and delivery; and

24)         disseminates results of

the program evaluation, orally and in written form, and explains how results

will be used.

c)         The competent gifted

education specialist applies the theory and research-based models of curriculum

and instruction for gifted and talented students and responds to his or her

students' needs by planning, selecting, adapting and creating culturally

relevant curriculum materials or curricula and by using a repertoire of

evidence-based instructional strategies to ensure specific student outcomes.

The competent gifted education specialist:

1)         uses local, State and

national standards to align and expand curriculum materials or curricula and

instructional plans;

2)         designs and uses a

comprehensive and continuous scope and sequence to develop differentiated plans

for gifted and talented students in prekindergarten through grade 12;

3)         adapts, modifies or

replaces the core or standard curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and

talented students and those with special needs;

4)         designs differentiated

curricula that incorporate advanced, conceptually challenging, in-depth,

distinctive and complex content that can be modified to meet the needs of all

gifted and talented students, including students with special needs;

5)         uses a balanced

assessment system, including pre-assessment and formative assessment, to

identify students' needs, develop differentiated education plans and adjust

plans based on continual progress monitoring;

6)         u

ng, in-depth,

distinctive and complex content that can be modified to meet the needs of all

gifted and talented students, including students with special needs;

5)         uses a balanced

assessment system, including pre-assessment and formative assessment, to

identify students' needs, develop differentiated education plans and adjust

plans based on continual progress monitoring;

6)         uses pre-assessments and

paces and differentiates instruction based on the learning rates and needs of

each gifted and talented student, accelerating and compacting learning as

appropriate;

7)         uses information and

technologies, including assistive technologies, to individualize instruction for

gifted and talented students, including those who are twice-exceptional;

8)         collaborates with school

service personnel and special educators to design and deliver curricula in

cognitive, affective, aesthetic, social and leadership domains that are challenging

and effective for gifted and talented students, including students with special

needs;

9)         uses meta-cognitive

models to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

10)         selects, adapts and

uses a repertoire of instructional strategies and materials that differentiate

instruction for gifted and talented students and respond to diversity;

11)         uses school and

community resources that support differentiation;

12)         provides opportunities

for gifted and talented students to explore, develop or research their areas of

interest and/or talent;

13)         uses critical-thinking

strategies to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

14)         uses creative-thinking

strategies to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

15)         uses problem-solving

model strategies to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

16)         uses open-ended inquiry

models to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

17)         develops and uses

challenging, culturally responsive curriculum materials or curri

students;

14)         uses creative-thinking

strategies to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

15)         uses problem-solving

model strategies to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

16)         uses open-ended inquiry

models to meet the needs of gifted and talented students;

17)         develops and uses

challenging, culturally responsive curriculum materials or curricula to engage

all gifted and talented students;

18)         integrates career

exploration experiences into learning opportunities for gifted and talented

students (e.g., biography study, speakers);

19)         uses curriculum

materials or curricula for deep explorations of cultures, languages and social

issues related to diversity; and

20)         demonstrates the

ability to identify and leverage sources for high-quality resources and

materials that are appropriate for gifted and talented students.

d)         The competent gifted

education specialist creates learning environments that foster personal and

social responsibility, multicultural competence, and interpersonal and

technical communication skills for leadership in the 21

st

century to

ensure specific student outcomes.  The competent gifted education specialist:

1)         maintains high

expectations for all gifted and talented students, as evidenced in meaningful

cognitively and creatively challenging activities;

2)         recognizes, accommodates

and helps to remediate the limitations of gifted students with special needs in

meeting production demands;

3)         provides opportunities

for self-exploration, development and pursuit of interests and development of

identities supportive of achievement (e.g., through mentors and role models);

4)         creates

environments that support trust among diverse learners;

5)         provides feedback that

focuses on effort, evidence of potential to meet high standards and mistakes as

learning opportunities;

6)         provides examples of

positive coping skills and opportunities to apply them;

7)

lopment of

identities supportive of achievement (e.g., through mentors and role models);

4)         creates

environments that support trust among diverse learners;

5)         provides feedback that

focuses on effort, evidence of potential to meet high standards and mistakes as

learning opportunities;

6)         provides examples of

positive coping skills and opportunities to apply them;

7)         understands the needs of

gifted and talented students for both solitude and social interaction;

8)         provides opportunities

for gifted and talented students to interact with intellectual and artistic and

creative peers, as well as with chronological-age peers;

9)         provides students with

special needs with opportunities to interact with both intellectual and

emotional-age peers and with other gifted and talented students with special

needs;

10)        assesses and provides

instruction on social skills needed for school, community and the world of

work;

11)        establishes a safe and

welcoming climate for addressing social issues and developing personal

responsibility;

12)        provides environments

for developing many forms of leadership and leadership skills;

13)        promotes opportunities

for leadership in community settings to effect positive change;

14)        models appreciation for

and sensitivity to students' diverse backgrounds and languages;

15)        censures discriminatory

language and behavior, and models appropriate strategies for addressing social

issues, including discrimination and stereotyping;

16)        provides structured

opportunities to collaborate with diverse peers on a common goal;

17)        provides opportunities

for advanced development and maintenance of first and second languages;

18)        provides resources to

enhance oral, written and artistic forms of communication, recognizing

students' cultural context; and

19)        ensures access to

advanced communication tools, including assistive technologies, and use of

these tools for expressing h

rs on a common goal;

17)        provides opportunities

for advanced development and maintenance of first and second languages;

18)        provides resources to

enhance oral, written and artistic forms of communication, recognizing

students' cultural context; and

19)        ensures access to

advanced communication tools, including assistive technologies, and use of

these tools for expressing higher-level thinking and creative productivity.

e)         The competent gifted

education specialist is aware of empirical evidence regarding the cognitive,

creative and affective development of gifted and talented students, and programming

that meets their concomitant needs. Competent teachers use this expertise

systematically and collaboratively to develop, implement and effectively manage

comprehensive services for students with a variety of gifts and talents to

ensure specific student outcomes.  The competent gifted education specialist:

1)         regularly

uses multiple alternative approaches to accelerate learning;

2)         regularly uses

enrichment options to extend and deepen learning opportunities within and

outside of the school setting;

3)         regularly uses multiple

forms of grouping, including clusters, resource rooms, special classes or

special schools;

4)         regularly uses

individualized learning options, such as mentorships, internships, online

courses and independent study;

5)         regularly uses current

technologies, including online learning options and assistive technologies, to

enhance access to high-level programming;

6)         demonstrates support for

gifted programs through equitable allocation of resources and demonstrated

willingness to ensure that gifted and talented students receive appropriate

educational services;

7)         collaborates with

educators in gifted, general and special education programs, as well as those

in specialized areas, to collaboratively plan, develop and implement services

for gifted and talented students;

8)         regularly engag

equitable allocation of resources and demonstrated

willingness to ensure that gifted and talented students receive appropriate

educational services;

7)         collaborates with

educators in gifted, general and special education programs, as well as those

in specialized areas, to collaboratively plan, develop and implement services

for gifted and talented students;

8)         regularly engages

families and community members for the purposes of planning, programming,

evaluating and advocating;

9)         tracks expenditures at

the school level to verify appropriate and sufficient funding for gifted

programming and services;

10)         develops thoughtful,

multi-year program plans in talent areas relative to students in

prekindergarten through grade 12;

11)         creates policies and

procedures to guide and sustain all components of the program, including

assessment, identification, acceleration practices and grouping practices, that

are built on an evidence-based foundation in gifted education;

12)         provides professional

guidance and counseling for individual student strengths, interests and values;

and

13)         facilitates

mentorships, internships and vocational programming experiences that match

student interests and aptitudes.

f)         The competent gifted

education specialist formally assesses professional development needs related

to standards, develops and monitors development plans, systematically engages

in training to meet identified needs and demonstrates mastery of standards

through the assessment of relevant student outcomes

d vocational programming experiences that match

student interests and aptitudes.

f)         The competent gifted

education specialist formally assesses professional development needs related

to standards, develops and monitors development plans, systematically engages

in training to meet identified needs and demonstrates mastery of standards

through the assessment of relevant student outcomes.  The competent gifted

education specialist:

1)         participates in ongoing,

research-supported professional development that addresses the foundations of

gifted education, education of gifted students with special needs,

characteristics of students with gifts and talents, assessment, curriculum

planning and instruction, learning environments and programming;

2)         provides professional

development for teachers that models how to develop environments and

instructional activities that encourage students to express diverse

characteristics and behaviors that are associated with giftedness;

3)         stays current regarding

key issues affecting gifted students, such as anti-intellectualism, and trends

in gifted education, such as equity and access;

4)         provides human and

material resources needed for professional development in gifted education

(e.g., release time, funding for continuing education, substitute support,

webinars, mentors);

5)         expands the support

system for gifted and talented students and their families by connecting them

to organizations and publications relevant to gifted education;

6)         assesses his or her

instructional practices on an ongoing basis and, based on these assessments,

continues his or her professional development related to gifted education

through the school district's staff development, professional organizations and

higher education settings;

7)         assesses evidence of the

impact of new instructional approaches both on teacher practice and student

learning;

8)         leverages multiple modes

of delivering professional development,

e assessments,

continues his or her professional development related to gifted education

through the school district's staff development, professional organizations and

higher education settings;

7)         assesses evidence of the

impact of new instructional approaches both on teacher practice and student

learning;

8)         leverages multiple modes

of delivering professional development, including online courses, online

gifted-related communities, workshops, professional learning communities and

book "talks";

9)         identifies and addresses

areas in his or her professional development plans for personal growth in the

teaching of gifted and talented students;

10)         responds to cultural

and personal frames of reference when teaching gifted and talented students;

and

11)         complies with rules,

policies and standards of ethical practice.