COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 76

March 31, 2006

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Patricia I. Wright Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Release of the Reference Guide for the Development and Evaluation of Local Plans for the Education of the Gifted

The Virginia Advisory Committee for the Education of the Gifted (VACEG), with the support of the Virginia Department of Education, is pleased to release the complete Reference Guide for the Development and Evaluation of Local Plans for the Education of the Gifted. The reference guide reflects the Department of Educations most current advice to local school divisions regarding the development of local plans for the education of the gifted that divisions must submit for approval to the department every five years.

The reference guides template provides critical information to assist school divisions in their fulfillment of expectations found within the Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students (8VAC20-40-10 through 8VAC20-40-70). Each applicable regulation is amplified by current research in the field. The remainder of the template indicates where the regulation must be documented in the local plan and in applicable benchmarks.

Additionally, the reference guide includes an extensive glossary providing operational definitions for most terms used in gifted education in the commonwealth. The glossary is arranged by areas of interest: Areas of Giftedness, Identification of Students, Delivery of Services, Curriculum and Instruction, Professional Development and Teacher Designations, Parent and Community Involvement, and Miscellaneous Terms. For example, the reference guide includes a definition for humanities that emphasizes the the delivery of services in English/language arts and history/social sciences.

The complete Reference Guide for the Development and Evaluation of Local Plans for the Education of the Gifted is available through the departments Web page at the following site:

www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/Gifted/referenceguide.pdf.

A complete document, in .pdf format, will be e-mailed to each gifted education coordinator.

Questions about the reference guide may be addressed to Dr. Barbara McGonagill, specialist for Governors Schools and Gifted Education, Office of Middle and High School Instruction, by e-mail at Barbara.McGonagill@doe.virginia.gov, or by telephone at (804) 225-2884.

PIW/BM/yba