Gifted Education
Mission
Our mission at the Brownsville Area School District is committed to providing opportunities which promote the growth of skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary for identified gifted students to reach their potential and fulfill their future roles in our changing and global society. Inherent in that commitment is the recognition of the unique abilities, talents, interests, and needs of intellectually gifted students which require special educational considerations.
Educating the gifted student is the shared responsibility of all educators, the student's parents, and the student.
Qualifications
Your child may be eligible for gifted education if your child:
Is a year or more above grade achievement level for the typical age group in one or more subjects
Demonstrates an observed or measured rate of acquisition retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability (i.e., how quickly your child learns new concepts or information, and how long he or she remembers it)
Demonstrates achievement, performance, or expertise in one or more academic areas
Shows early and measured use of high-level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude, or technology expertise
Has documented, observed, validated, or assessed the evidence that intervening factors such as English as a second language, disability, gender, race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation are masking gifted ability
The school is responsible for identifying all “children with exceptionalities”. No one test or type of test may be used as the only measure to determine giftedness. Multiple criteria are required for determining eligibility for gifted services for all students. For example, IQ scores may not be the only measure for students with limited English proficiency, or for students with racial-, linguistic-, or ethnic-minority background. This ensures the testing and evaluation will be fair to children of different races and cultures, as well as children with learning or physical disabilities (See §16.22(g)(3)(i)).
Programs for gifted children fit into the array of special programs available for all exceptional children. These programs reflect individual differences, equal educational opportunity and desire for the optimal development of each child. Programs that are based on sound philosophical, theoretical and empirical foundations are those most likely to benefit gifted students.
To learn more about Gifted Education, the evaluation process, information about the development of a Gifted Individualized Education Program (GIEP), dispute resolution procedures and more, please contact the Special Education ConsultLine at 1-800-879-2301. Read the Understanding Gifted Special Education Due Process Hearings: A Guide for Parents.