Gifted Education

Consideration: Definitions Pertaining to Gifted Education

Definitions as per Chapter 16 and Gifted Education Guidelines:

• Gifted Student: (i) A student who is exceptional under section 1371 of the School Code (24 P. S. § 13-1371) because the student meets the definition of ‘‘mentally gifted’’ in this section, and needs specially designed instruction beyond that required in Chapter 4 (relating to academic standards and assessment). (ii) The term applies only to students who are of ‘‘school age’’ as defined under § 11.12 (relating to school age).

• Twice Exceptional: A term used to describe a student who is both gifted and disabled. These students may also be referred to as having dual exceptionalities or as being gifted with learning disabilities (GT/LD). This also applies to students who are gifted with ADHD or gifted with autism. It is important to remember that if a student is determined to be both gifted and eligible for special education, the procedures in Chapter 14 of the PA School Code take precedence (Chapter 16.7b).

• Regular Education Classroom: A specific instructional grouping within the regular education environment.

• Regular Education Environment: The regular classroom and other instructional settings in which students without a need for gifted education receive instructional programs and the full range of supportive services normally provided to these children.

• Specially Designed Instruction: Adaptations or modifications to the general curriculum, instruction, instructional environments, methods, materials or a specialized curriculum for students who are gifted.

• Enrichment: In-depth learning experiences that provide interaction with new ideas, skills and topics that enhance the curriculum. These experiences are based upon individual student strengths, interests and needs.

• Acceleration: Access to higher level learning activities and skill development than typically provided in regular education to students of the same age. The pacing, complexity, and depth of planned coursework is modified as indicated by individual needs. Acceleration may include: planned course compacting/telescoping, subject acceleration, specially designed instruction, credit by examination or performance, interdisciplinary planned courses, distance learning courses, higher education level courses, independent or self-directed study.

Consideration: FAPE Considerations Pertaining to Gifted Education

FAPE under Chapter 14 of the PA School Code does not apply to students identified as gifted under Chapter 16 of the PA School Code. However, for twice exceptional students, it is important to remember the following when considering FAPE:

• Chapter 16.7 (Special Education under Gifted Education)

  • (b) If a student is determined to be both gifted and eligible for special education, the procedures in Chapter 14 take precedence. For these students identified with dual exceptionalities, the needs established under gifted status in this chapter shall be fully addressed in the procedures required in Chapter 14.

Consideration: General Considerations for Gifted Education

• If you are offering Flexible Instructional Days (FID) for districts/schools with approved plans, online/digital learning opportunities, or non-digital learning opportunities (e.g., materials sent home with students) as part of a continuation of education to your district’s students, the recommendation is that schools provide specially designed instruction for gifted learners that adapts or modifies curriculum and instruction planned for the general education students.

• This will require collaboration between the gifted support teacher and the general education teacher. Gifted support teachers should focus on the areas of academic strength that are already identified in the GIEP for students identified as gifted. Many of the same resources currently provided to general education teachers can provide ideas or jumping off points for enrichment, but the process should be purposeful, making sure that there is no duplication of efforts (gifted support teacher and general education teacher assigning the same task), aligned to learning targets, and challenge student thinking through more complex tasks. If the general education task is already rigorous and the student identified as gifted has not demonstrated achievement of the learning targets, specially designed instruction may not be necessary.

Consideration: Adherence to the Timelines Outlined in Chapter 16

• Meeting the gifted timelines outlined in Chapter 16 can be difficult while schools are practicing social distancing. Some ways to conduct meetings include:

  • Phone calls

  • Online meeting software such as Zoom, Skype , Google Hangouts or GoToMeeting

• If a meeting is unable to happen, schools should document everything. Make a handwritten note on meeting invitations or other documents that the shutdown has made it impossible to have the meeting.

• Any official guidance regarding compliance with Chapter 16 regulations will be coming from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Consideration: Roles and Responsibilities of Educators When Providing Continuity of Education, Pertaining to Gifted Education

District Administration Building Administration General Education Teacher

Gifted Support Teacher Counselor/School Psychologist

Consideration: Implications to Curriculum and Instruction for Students Who are Identified as Gifted

• Curriculum: Only the K-12 curricula that is approved by the LEA is subject to accommodations/modifications for the purposes of providing gifted services (Centennial School District v. Commonwealth Department of Education).

• The following key principles from the Gifted Guidelines provide a guide for program development for the gifted:

  • Curricula for the gifted should focus on and be organized to include more elaborate complex and in-depth study of major ideas, key concepts, and themes that integrate knowledge within and across disciplines. Present comprehensive, reinforcing, related experiences within an area of study.

  • Curricula for the gifted should have a strong foundation based on demonstrated abilities, strengths, and interests of the group and individual.

  • Curricula for the gifted should be an extension of core learning, using both acceleration and enrichment strategies. Streamline curriculum that the student is able to master quickly.

  • Curricula for the gifted should encourage exposure to, selection and use of varied, challenging and specialized resources.

  • Curricula and instruction should provide opportunities for students to recognize complex relationships and arrive at sound generalizations.

  • Curricula for the gifted should stress higher-level thinking, creativity, and problem solving skills.

  • Curricula for the gifted should set high standards that demand rigorous expectations for student work and performance demonstration.

• Instruction:

  • Instruction for the gifted should promote in-depth learning and investigation that deal with real-life problems and issues. Select concepts and content that promote the students’ involvement as practitioners of the discipline.

  • Instruction for the gifted should allow for the development and application of productive thinking skills to enable students to re-conceptualize existing knowledge and/or generate new understanding.

  • Instruction for the gifted should be flexibly paced and matched to the student’s ability, pre-assessment data, learning style, interest, and motivation.

Consideration: Providing Enrichment

• This checklist provides general education teachers a step-by-step guide on how to infuse enrichment level tasks into current units. The infusion of these enrichment level tasks should be based on the Specially Designed Instruction spelled out in the student’s GIEP. One process that supports delivering service through differentiated enrichment level tasks is Curriculum Compacting.

Consideration: Role of Curriculum Compacting in Supporting all Learners

• Curriculum Compacting is a strategy that is most often used when addressing the needs of gifted learners. In this current and very unusual situation, this strategy may help teachers support all learners when deemed developmentally appropriate based on age and academic level.

• Curriculum Compacting provides clearly defined steps for designing instruction that lend themselves to transferring face-to-face instruction to an online format for all learners using a differentiated approach. See these eight steps as presented by the University of Connecticut, National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented.

• This particular strategy could be employed if a decision has been made by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to move Pennsylvania school districts to an online format for instruction. Until a decision is made, teachers can offer activities for students that provide extensions to their course of study only as enrichment activities and not as mandatory instruction. It should be noted that the term “enrichment” is being used in this context of the COVID-19 school closings, to refer to activities that may be suggested and provided for all students prek-12, not in the legal definition that may be referenced in Chapter 16 (since one does not exist).

Eight Steps to Curriculum Compacting*:

1. Select relevant learning objectives in a subject area or grade level.

2. Find an appropriate way to pretest the learning objectives.

3. Identify students who should take the pretests or pretest all students.

4. Pretest designated students.

5. Streamline practice or instructional time for students who show mastery of the objectives.

6. Provide small group instruction for students who have not yet mastered all of the objectives but are capable of doing so more quickly than their classmates.

7. Offer academic alternatives for students whose curriculum has been compacted.

   1. See checklist for adjusting enrichment level tasks in a unit for further information regarding tiered tasks.

8. Keep records of the compacting process and instructional options for compacted students.

Consideration: Does curriculum compacting align with the Understanding by Design (UbD) unit planning approach?

• The eight steps to curriculum compacting can provide the foundation for working with the PA Academic Standards in a particular content area especially in relationship with unit planning. In addition, if a district uses an Understanding by Design approach to unit planning, the eight steps can be integrated into the unit plan and also transferred to a LMS.

Resources: Resources for Gifted Support

• Helpful Resources, Books, and Blogs to Get You Started - For general education teachers or gifted support teachers new in their role with gifted students.

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