Chapter 16 Special Education for Gifted Students, Basic Education Circular, and Legal Decisions January 11 & 12, 2007

Requirements - law Regulatory: –Chapter 16 Special Education for Gifted Students –Chapter 4: Standards and Assessments Case Law: –Commonwealth Court decisions –Appeal Panel decisions –Due Process decisions

PDE Guidance Documents – not law Basic Education Circular – BEC Gifted Guidelines Informational Documents Parent Guide GWR & GIEP Annotated/Models

Who Gets Evaluated ? Students within the district including students educated in other than public school bldgs. School age children in K-12 –Earliest age of admittance to school is 4 (§11.14)

What Does It Mean ? School districts must conduct gifted identification for kindergarten School districts must provide a GIEP for all identified gifted students K-12, including those in K, 1, and 2

Gifted Education Must Be: Individualized Substantive (of meaningful benefit) Matched to ability, achievement level, and needs Include acceleration and/or enrichment or both

Definition - Mentally Gifted An IQ of 130 or higher and multiple criteria which includes: –Achievement test scores –Acquisition and retention rates –Demonstrated achievement, performance or expertise in one or more academic areas –High level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude or technology expertise Evidence that intervening factors are not masking gifted abilities

And Below 130 ? Admission must be supported with multiple criteria As the IQ number decreases the intensity and number of multiple criteria must increase Disabilities and bias factors may mask gifted. Examine discrepancies between ability assessment results and demonstrated skills or academic achievement.

The school district must provide each gifted student an individualized program. A district is not relieved of its duty to meet the regulations because it finds the task difficult. Appeal Pane decision 1156

Individualization Adaptation or modification of the regular curriculum –Compacting –Acceleration in subject or grade –Dual placement in subject &/or grade level currentGIEP based on present levels---current levels of academic functioning/ instructional levels

Individualization “Reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress” –Accommodate individual academic abilities

Gifted Educational Placement Placement should be matched to student’s ability and achievement and therefore needs –Group across grades –Group according to academic talent –Group on performance characteristic

Educational Placement Early admission –Kindergarten –High school or college courses Early graduation Early to college Credit by examination Graduation planning even for young gifted students

Web Addresses Gifted Liaison Network Information Appeal Panel Decisions

Web Addresses Pennsylvania Department of Education Gifted Education –click K-12, –click Curriculum & Instruction OR Special Education OR Student Services, –click Gifted Education

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