Gifted Education
Students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) dove into the role of historian using Document Based Questions from The DBQ Project
. Fourth graders learned to build persuasive arguments based on primary source analysis to explain the cause of widespread deaths in the Jamestown settlement. Students bucketed evidence from the primary sources to support their thesis, used the evidence to write persuasive essays, and presented their work to parents and classmates.
See more Gifted Education Highlights
School divisions are required to identify gifted K-12 students and provide instructional services to meet their needs. The Virginia Board of Education adopted the Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students-This is a PDF document., which outline the requirements that school divisions need to include in their local plan for gifted education. Each school board approves a comprehensive plan for the education of gifted students that includes the components identified by the regulations. In addition, school divisions are required to submit a copy of their approved plan at the time of the VDOE’s request for a technical review.
- Local Gifted Education Technical Review Process-This is a PDF document. Superintendent's Memo 265-21
- Local Plan Submission Schedule to the Virginia Department of Education-This is a Word document. Superintendent's Memo 265-21, Attachment A
Information related to gifted education services is reported annually to the Virginia Department of Education by each school division. The information is combined to produce a statewide annual report which includes student demographics, program service options, and gifted education teacher or program administrator data. At the state level, the Virginia Advisory Committee for the Education of the Gifted (VACEG) provides guidance to the Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction about the educational needs of gifted students.
Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted
Division school boards are required by 8 VAC 20-40-60A to approve a comprehensive Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted that includes the components identified in the regulations. The following documents are currently under revision to reflect changes made in the regulations. These linked documents do not yet reflect regulation changes. Each school division has a gifted education coordinator assigned the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the local gifted plan. Each year, the VDOE conducts a technical review of local gifted plans, reviewing each school divisions’ gifted plan every five years.
- Format for Gifted Local Plan-This is a Word document. – template revised March 2017
- Reference Guide for the Development and Review of Local Plans for the Education of the Gifted-This is a PDF document. – new guide August 2011
- Technical Review of Local Gifted Education Plan-This is a PDF document. – new guide June 2013
Resources
Gifted Education in VA
- Understanding the Virginia Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students-This is a PDF document.
- Frequently Asked Questions about Gifted Education
- Myths about Gifted Students
Local Roles & Responsibilities
- Local School Division Gifted Education Coordinators-This is a Word document.
- Local School Boards: Roles and Responsibilities in Gifted Programs-This is a PDF document.
- Roles and Responsibilities of Local Gifted Education Advisory Committees-This is a PDF document.
VDOE & VACEG Publications
- Supporting the Identification and Achievement of Twice-Exceptional Students
- Navigating Gifted Education and Governor’s School Programs as a Military Transfer Student Briefing (PDF)
- Educational Opportunities for Gifted Students at the High School Level (PDF)
- Educational Opportunities for Gifted Middle School Students-This is a PDF document.
- Increasing Diversity in Gifted Education Programs in Virginia-This is a PDF document. – NEW
Instructional Resources
- Project PROMISE – Federal Javits Grant (2004-2008)
Project PROMISE was a collaborative and integrated model for teaching and learning in the primary grades (K-3) to enhance instructional flexibility, develop science curriculum, and improve the identification of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds for gifted education services.
External Websites
- Belin-Blank Center, The University of Iowa
- Center for Gifted Education, College of William and Mary
- Center for Talented Youth, Johns Hopkins University
- Connecting Young Thinkers Around the World, Johns Hopkins University
- Council for Exceptional Children – TAG
- Davidson Institute for Talent Development
- Gifted and Talented, Stanford University
- National Association for Gifted Children
- National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools
- Northwestern Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University
- Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted
- Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth, Vanderbilt University
- Virginia Association for the Gifted
- World Council for Gifted Children