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Building the Future
Providing Appropriate Educational Opportunities for Kentucky's Gifted and Talented Youth
A Publication of the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education
Copyrighted material from the brochure, Building the Future, reproduced on this Web site with permission from the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education.
In striving to provide excellence to education for all students, attention must be given to the unique challenges and educational needs presented by Kentucky's children who are gifted and talented.
Who are the Gifted and Talented?
As defined in 704 KAR 3:285, Kentucky's gifted and talented students include those who are identified as possessing demonstrated or potential ability to perform at an exceptionally high level in general intellectual aptitude, specific academic aptitude (e.g., mathematics, science), creativity, leadership skills, or in the visual or performing arts.
As a result, all Kentucky school districts are required to adopt and implement policies and procedures which provide for the identification and diagnosis of student strengths and needs, and which provide appropriate services matched to those strengths and needs.
Why Serve Gifted Youth?
Gifted students are included as a category of exceptional children requiring accommodation in the Kentucky Education Reform Act. The purpose of identifying and serving gifted youth within schools is to ensure appropriate levels of instruction in order to maximize the potential of every child. Contrary to the myths, gifted children will not "make it on their own." It is imperative that the talents of youth be nurtured in order to maintain this most precious resource for the future.
As an immediate benefit, providing appropriate educational experiences to gifted students will dramatically improve assessment scores for the school. By moving these students to the high levels that their potentials demand, their performance will move into proficient and distinguished categories as tangible evidence of improvement of the educational setting within the school. Looking beyond the present, providing services matched to student needs builds the skills and leadership needed for the future. Everyone benefits from providing appropriate educational opportunities for all, including GIFTED STUDENTS!
Gifted students shall be provided articulated services from primary through grade twelve that are qualitatively differentiated to meet individual needs. These services will not only result in educational experiences commensurate with the students' interests, needs, and abilities, but they will also facilitate the attainment of high level goals.
How Do Schools Meet the Needs of Gifted and Talented Students?
For gifted students, who learn at a faster pace, access to advanced level instruction is necessary to provide continuous progress and to assure the attinment of high level goals appropriate to each individual student.
In order to achieve appropriate educational programming for gifted students, gifted students shall be grouped for instructional purposes based on their abilities, needs, or interests.
In addition to instructional grouping, various service delivery options shall be provided to differentiate, replace, supplement, or modify curricula in accordance with individual gifted student services plans.
What Does This Look Like in School?
According to Gifted Regulation, 704 KAR 3:285, gifted students shall be grouped for instructional purposes based on their abilities, needs, or interests.
By grouping students with appropriately trained personnel, the curriculum can realistically be modified to address the strengths and needs of students.
Each school shall differentiate, replace, supplement, or modify curricula, using multiple service delivery options such as the following:
- acceleration
- honors and Advanced Placement
- collaborative teaching
- special counseling services
- distance learning
- enrichment services
- independent study
- mentorships
- resources services
- seminars
- travel study options
- special schools or self-contained classes
- cluster grouping
How are Services Matched to Student Strengths and Needs?
For gifted and talented students, their strengths present educational needs. Under the Kentucky Education Reform Act, continuous progress is a critical attribute of Kentucky education for all children, including gifted students.
It is therefore essential that each student's strength is accurately diagnosed in order to articulate a gifted student services plan which ensures continuous progress in all areas.
The Gifted Regulation 704 KAR 3:285 requires that grouping and articulation of services be based on student strengths and needs in order to facilitate attainment of high level goals.
Every student presents an array of strengths and needs, with gifted services (and the accompanying service delivery options) provided to maximize potential and meet those needs.
The team who works with the student (classroom teachers, g/t resource teacher, administrator, school council) all share responsibility for meeting student needs.
Students identified as gifted in this area may be most like the "typical" gifted student—the youth who seems to learn rapidly, remembers easily, and understands complex ideas before peers (or even adults)!
These students are identified for services based upon a score within the ninth stanine on a full scale comprehensive test of intellectual ability, or a composite score in the ninth stanine on a standardized or normed achievement test.
General Intellectual Ability
Students gifted in general intellectual ability present a range of instructional needs which must be met through modifications in their school programs.
These modifications must include adjustments in the level and pacing of instruction (fewer repetitions are needed for mastery and the material presented may need to be more complex to match student needs.)
General intellectual students need services in the area of leadership, as these students will be expected to assume leadership roles within their chosen fields. These students require special counseling services designed to address the diverse needs these youth bring to the educational setting.
Honors courses, acceleration, independent study, and other service delivery options may be appropriate for students gifted in general intellectual ability.
704 KAR 3:285
Specific Academic Aptitude
Students who are gifted in specific academic aptitude are those who have demonstrated or have potential to demonstrate exceptional strength in a specific academic area.
Specific academic aptitude students are recognized as students with exceptional ability in one or more subject areas, performing far beyond the norm for their age group.
These students are identified by composite scores in the ninth stanine on one or more subject test score(s) (such as math, science, social studies, language arts) of an achievement test.
Specific academic aptitude students require programming that ensures continuous progress in their area(s) of great strength, with care taken to be sure that the area of strength does not mask needs in other areas. These students may demonstrate intense interest in their area of strength, possibly to the exclusion of other areas. Special counseling services, mentoring in the area of strength, subject-level acceleration, enrichment, and other options may be appropriate for these students.
Creativity
The student's capacity for originality of thought, fluency, elaboration, and flexibility of thought are all qualities seen in students who are gifted in creativity.
These students are identified using formal and informal assessment measures which show evidence of these qualities of creativity.
Services for students identified in creativity include training in creative and critical thinking skills, problem-solving strategies in order to strengthen and enhance those skills, opportunity and training in creative writing, cluster grouping, leadership training, mentorships, and other service delivery options. Students identified in creativity benefit from experience with time-management and study skills, research built around the lives of creative individuals, invention fairs, science fairs, as well as additional strategies geared to the unique strengths and needs of highly creative individuals.
704 KAR 3:285
Leadership
Students identified as gifted in leadership or psychosocial ability possess either potential or demonstrated ability to perform at exceptionally high levels in social skills and interpersonal qualities.
These students have the ability to set goals and organize others to reach those goals successfully. Identification of leadership ability shall be determined using a variety of informal measures administered by teachers knowledgeable in leadership characteristics. Evidence gathered to demonstrate leadership ability may include behavioral checklists, sociograms, documentation of leadership roles assumed, and other demonstration of displayed leadership qualities. It should be noted that leadership qualities may be demonstrated in either positive or "negative" leadership, indicating significant need for intervention and training for student leaders.
Services to gifted students should include training in specific leadership strategies, guided opportunities for leadership at appropriate levels to provide continuous progress, leadership seminars, research analysis of the lives and leadership styles of past and present leaders, and leadership experiences for students gifted in ALL categories, because these students will be expected to serve in leadership roles within their chosen fields.
704 KAR 3:285
Visual and Performing Arts
Students identified as gifted in visual or performing arts demonstrate the ability to perform at an exceptionally high level in the visual or performing arts. These students demonstrate outstanding aesthetic production, accomplishment, or creativity in art, dance, music, drama, and speech.
Visual or performing arts gifted students are identified through evidence of performance assessed by those with expertise in the arts area of strength including a portfolio of student work, auditions, and critiques.
Services for students identified in visual and performing arts must provide for continuous progress for the student in his/her strength area(s) utilizing resources within the school and facilitating possible connections with expertise beyond the school which will ensure continuous progress.
Performance classes with supplemental performance opportunities, mentorships, access to higher level art or experiences, and arts connections within traditional content areas are all possible service options for gifted visual and performing arts.
704 KAR 3:285
All Students Have a Right to Appropriate Educational Opportunities, Including Gifted Students, So...
How Can It Become a Reality?
It takes teamwork to provide the best possible educational experience for every child. Each member of the team plays an important role in providing quality education.
The School District--Must develop policies and procedures and resources in compliance with 704 KAR 3:285 which provide the guidance to school councils, administrators, and teachers in moving toward the highest possible level of achievement for all children, including gifted children.
Gifted/Talented Coordinator--Must provide support and guidance in implementation of district policies and procedures. May oversee the development of gifted student services plans and provide oversight in their implementation.
Administrators and Councils--Must provide support and guidance with grouping, scheduling, and classroom level implementation so that the various service delivery options are available as appropriate to meet student needs.
Teachers--Must implement gifted student services plans, providing differentiated instruction in compliance with 704 KAR 3:285 and perpetuating the excitement that grows out of watching students maximize their potentials.
Parents--Must communicate with the school regarding the strengths and needs of the student. Must support the student as gifted services move beyond the comfort zone to an appropriate level of challenge and as schoolwork becomes "work." Must explore opportunities for student growth beyond the school day.
Student--Must accept that an appropriate level of challenge may move beyond the comfort zone. Must be willing to learn to work at an appropriate level of challenge, to stretch, and to build skills yet untapped. Must be a life-long learner.
Underserved and At-Risk Populations
Gifted students are found among all segments of the population, and each of those segments has unique needs as a part of gifted services.
The processes for identification and provision of services must be alert to locating gifted students who might otherwise be overlooked.
Twice-Exceptional--Students who are gifted/learning disabled or gifted with another disability require further modification in order to be sure that continuous progress occurs. Remember, not all gifted students are great readers and great mathematicians. Diversity is enhanced as strengths are acknowledged and nurtured.
Minority/Disadvantaged/Rural--Identification and service of all high potential students require the use of assessment instruments that are culturally fair. Services need to be matched to the unique needs of students who may face conflict with peers or family if they appear to value learning and education in a setting where it is not valued or it threatens the status quo.
Underachieving Gifted--Lack of appropriate challenge and devaluing genuine achievement creates underachievement in a high percentage of gifted students--identified and unidentified. Training of teachers, counselors, and parents in the recognition of symptoms of underachievement and strategies for reversing underachievement could dramatically improve assessment scores and "save" high potential students who disappear into mediocrity.
How are Gifted and Talented Students Identified?
- The procedures and instruments used for identification of gifted and talented students will vary according to the category of giftedness. The assessment tools used must match the area(s) of giftedness demonstrated by the student.
- A combination of informal assessments may be used to determine placement in the district's talent pool within the primary program (K-3), with formal, normed measures used to diagnose levels of instructional service needed and to evaluate student progress.
- Formal identification for students in grades four through twelve shall include a combination of formal and informal measures, including at least one normed individual or group measure.
- District procedures for appropriate services shall be based upon a balanced multiple criteria approach, striving for early identification, diagnosis, and service of strengths, gifted behaviors, and needs.
- District policies shall provide a system for diagnostic screening and identification of strengths, gifted behaviors and talents of all students--including racial and ethnic minority students, disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.
704 KAR 3:285
Terms and Tidbits
Certification and Training:
Classroom teachers who instruct gifted and talented students shall have appropriate professional development to address the needs, interests, and abilities of these students; gifted education teachers shall have the appropriate certification in gifted education.
Acceleration:
various forms of advancing through material or grade levels prior to the prescribed time based on early mastery--curriculum compacting, dual enrollment in different grade levels, early exit from school, and grade-skipping are all forms of acceleration.
Honors Courses:
provision of more challenging material through higher levels of content, process and product.
Cluster Grouping:
grouping of a cluster of identified students in a heterogeneous classroom with a teacher trained in the appropriate instruction of these special needs students, specifically gifted and talented, for the purpose of receiving a differentiated educational experience matched to the students' needs, interests, and abilities.
Seminars:
sessions on specific topics focusing on advanced content and higher level process skills.
Differentiation:
any systematic adjustment of the level, pace, process and product of the curriculum designed to accommodate the unique needs of individuals or groups of students.
704 KAR 3:285
Resources
704 KY Administrative Regulation 3:285.
Programs for the Gifted and Talented
A Publication of the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted and Talented Education
