Twice Exceptional Learners
“Twice-exceptional students” means those students identified as gifted by the identification and placement committee for the school division’s gifted education program and identified with a disability as defined by federal and state special education regulations.
Twice-exceptional students are children, kindergarten through twelfth grade, who are identified as gifted by the identification and placement committee for the school division’s gifted education program and are also identified as a child with a disability as defined by Virginia’s special education regulations. The gifted identification qualifies the student for educational service options that support performance at increasing levels of complexity that differ significantly from those of their age-level peers. Identification as a child with a disability entitles the student to an individualized education program (IEP) in accordance with state and federal guidelines or a 504 Plan. The IEP specifies the individual educational needs of the child and what special education and related services are necessary to meet the child’s educational needs (8VAC20-81-110).
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) defines gifted students as “those in public elementary, middle, and secondary schools beginning with kindergarten (through twelfth grade) who demonstrate high levels of accomplishment or who show the potential for higher levels of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment” (8VAC20-40-20).
If your child demonstrates several characteristics common of gifted learners, contact your child's teacher and/or guidance counselor for more information about the referral process.