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Instructional Setting Accomplishment in Gifted and Talented Education
Instructional Setting Accomplishment in Gifted and Talented Education
School system employees whose practice demonstrates exceptional impact on gifted or advanced learners within a classroom, grade level, counseling setting, pull-out program, or other small instructional context. The nominee exemplifies responsive, differentiated, and advanced practices that extend beyond standard position expectations and meaningfully support the academic and/or social-emotional development of gifted or advanced learners, including underserved or underrepresented populations.
This award honors educators and support professionals who are doing the work in ways that may serve as a model for others. While the impact may occur within a single classroom or small setting, the nominee’s practice reflects intentionality, expertise, and a level of implementation that contributes to understanding of how to effectively serve gifted or advanced learners.
This award recognizes classroom- or setting-level excellence and may include emerging collaboration or influence within the local instructional context. It is not intended to recognize schoolwide or district-level leadership.
Scope:
Scope:
This award recognizes classroom- or small-setting impact through direct practice with gifted or advanced learners.
Eligibility
Eligibility
Eligible nominees include school system employees working directly within instructional settings that serve gifted or advanced learners, including:
Teachers
Psychologists
Counselors
Paraprofessionals
Department Chairs
Specialists providing targeted services (e.g., executive functioning groups, social-emotional groups, advanced pull-out services)
Strong nominations demonstrate direct impact within a classroom, grade level, counseling group, pull-out program, or other small instructional context.
Nomination Guidance
Nomination Guidance
Provide a detailed explanation of how the nominee meets the criteria below. Strong nominations demonstrate clear evidence of meaningful impact on gifted or advanced learners. While the nominee will show strength across multiple criteria, exceptional instructional impact may outweigh more limited evidence in another area. Due to the variability of eligible roles, the Considerations provide examples and are not requirements.
Criterion 1: Impactful and Responsive Practice
Criterion 1: Impactful and Responsive Practice
Strong nominations demonstrate responsive, advanced, or specialized instructional or support practices that directly address the academic and/or social-emotional needs of gifted or advanced learners beyond standard position expectations.
Considerations:
Considerations:
Plans and implements differentiated, accelerated, or specialized curriculum aligned to the needs of gifted or advanced learners.
Provides opportunities for depth, complexity, enrichment, acceleration, or targeted support beyond the regular curriculum.
Designs or adapts instruction, counseling, or intervention services to meet unique cognitive, creative, executive functioning, or social-emotional needs.
Implements small-group or pull-out services specifically tailored to advanced learners.
Demonstrates measurable or observable impact on student growth, engagement, or well-being.
Evidence:
Evidence:
Unit plans, group outlines, syllabi, instructional materials, or videos of practice.
Descriptions of differentiated projects, advanced learning opportunities, or targeted group services.
Documentation illustrating student growth, progress, or engagement.
Criterion 2: Growth and Applied Expertise
Criterion 2: Growth and Applied Expertise
Strong nominations demonstrate ongoing growth in knowledge and expertise and applies that growth to strengthen services for gifted or advanced learners. Professional learning, when appropriate, may occur within gifted or advanced education and/or within the nominee’s content or specialty area when it enhances their ability to effectively serve advanced learners.
Considerations:
Considerations:
Seeks professional learning, growth opportunities, or learning experiences specific to gifted and talented, advanced, or twice-exceptional learners beyond mandated requirements.
For education professionals: pursues content-area, pedagogical, counseling, or specialty-focused professional learning that deepens expertise and strengthens services for advanced learners.
Presents, publishes, or contributes to professional conversations (e.g., conferences, workshops, professional organizations) in ways that reflect applied expertise relevant to advanced learners.
Applies new learning to refine instructional strategies, curriculum, counseling practices, or student support structures for gifted or advanced learners.
Demonstrates growing expertise in understanding and responding to the academic and/or social-emotional needs of advanced learners within their context.
Possible Evidence:
Possible Evidence:
Documentation of workshops, graduate courses, certifications, conference participation, or professional presentations.
Examples of instructional or programmatic changes resulting from learning or applied expertise.
Presentation materials, publications, or artifacts demonstrating applied expertise.
Reflections or artifacts illustrating how learning or applied expertise improved services for gifted or advanced learners.
Evidence of learning through collaboration, applied practice, or problem-solving within the instructional setting (e.g., adapting services, refining groups, improving supports).
Criterion 3: Collaborative Influence Within the Instructional Setting
Criterion 3: Collaborative Influence Within the Instructional Setting
Strong nominations demonstrate collaboration or emerging leadership that strengthens gifted or advanced learner services within their immediate instructional context.
Considerations:
Considerations:
Shares strategies, resources, or practices with colleagues serving gifted or advanced learners.
Collaborates to improve identification, placement, access, or responsiveness within the classroom or grade level.
Supports colleagues in understanding the academic or social-emotional needs of advanced learners.
Creates or facilitates meaningful outreach to families of gifted or advanced learners to strengthen understanding, access to resources, or support for students’ academic and social-emotional development.
Contributes to a culture in which the needs of gifted or advanced learners are recognized and appropriately addressed.
Possible Evidence:
Possible Evidence:
Agendas or materials from grade-level collaboration, informal learning, or applied expertise.
Examples of shared resources or collaborative planning.
Documentation of outreach to families or colleagues related to gifted or advanced learner services.
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