2464 GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS (M)

The Board of Education recognizes its responsibility to identify gifted and talented students within the school district and to provide these students with appropriate instructional adaptations and services.  To that end, the Board directs each such student in the school district be identified and offered an appropriate educational program and services.

Definitions

“Gifted and talented student” means a student who possesses or demonstrates a high level of ability in one or more content areas when compared to their chronological peers in the school district and who requires of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.

“Instructional adaptation” means an adjustment or modification to instruction enabling a student who is gifted and talented to participate in, benefit from, and demonstrate knowledge and application of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in one or more content areas at the instructional level of the student, not just the student’s grade level.

The Somers Point Board of Education shall ensure that appropriate instructional adaptations and educational services are provided to gifted and talented students in kindergarten through grade eight (8) to enable them to participate in, benefit from, and demonstrate knowledge and application of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards at the instructional level of the student.

Gifted and Talented Program

The Somers Point Board of Education directs that the Superintendent of Schools and appropriately trained and qualified staff members designated by the Superintendent shall:

A.      Ensure that appropriate instructional adaptations are designed for students who are gifted and talented;

B.      Make provisions for an ongoing kindergarten through grade 8 identification process for gifted and talented students that includes multiple measures in order to identify student strengths in intellectual ability, creativity, or a specific academic area. The district shall ensure equal access to a continuum of gifted and talented education services. The identification process shall include consideration of all students, including those who are English language learners and those with individualized education plans (IEP’s) or 504 plans;

C.      Develop and document appropriate curricular and instructional modifications used for gifted and talented students indicating content, process, products, and learning environment, and including, but not limited to, additional education activities such as academic competitions, guest speakers, and lessons with a specialist; 

D.      Take into consideration the Gifted Programming Standards, Position Statements, and White Papers of the National Association for Gifted Children in identifying and serving gifted and talented students;

E.       Provide the time and resources to develop, review and enhance instructional tools with modifications for helping gifted and talented students acquire and demonstrate mastery of the required knowledge and skills specified by the standards at the instructional level of the student; and

F.       Actively assist and support professional development for teachers, educational services staff, and school leaders in the area of gifted and talented instruction including their efforts to meet mandatory professional development requirements (see board policy…..and N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3).

Gifted and Talented Curriculum and Instruction

The Somers Point Board of Education shall provide appropriate kindergarten through grade 8 (K-8) educational services for gifted and talented students.

The Superintendent of Schools shall develop and the Somers Point Board of Education shall approve criteria for identifying all gifted and talented students in kindergarten through grade 8. The identification process shall include multiple measures. Gifted and talented students shall be provided with appropriate instructional adaptations and services to encourage development of their special abilities in achieving the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

The Superintendent of Schools or designee shall ensure that the curriculum and instruction are designed and delivered in such a way that all students are able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills specified by the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. The curriculum and instruction shall provide educational challenges to students identified as gifted and talented and shall be reviewed regularly.

Curriculum and instruction shall be designed with consideration for the individual learning styles of each student as well as the capacity of a gifted student to create concepts, respond to stimuli in a unique and creative manner, and develop higher level thinking. Appropriate accommodations, instructional adaptations, and/or modifications as determined by the IEP or 504 team shall be made for students with disabilities or 504 plans.

Because early discovery of a gift or talent is important, it is essential that the identification of these students be carried on as a continuing process, since special abilities and skills appear at different times in the development of many children.

The Superintendent of Schools shall coordinate the development of appropriate curricular and instructional modifications used for gifted and talented students indicating content, process, products and learning environment. The Somers Point Board of Education directs the Superintendent of Schools to take into consideration the pre-kindergarten through grade12 Gifted Programming Standards of the National Association for Gifted Children in developing school and district programs for gifted and talented students.

The Superintendent of Schools shall devise indicators of achievement to evaluate the success of each program presented to the Somers Point Board of Education for adoption.

The Superintendent of Schools shall take the appropriate measures to ensure that minority and female students are not underrepresented in gifted and talented programs or accelerated/advanced courses.

Coordinator for Gifted and Talented Services

The state coordinator for gifted and talented services is appointed by the commissioner of education, and shall be responsible for reviewing the information about gifted and talented services provided by the district. The Superintendent of Schools or designee shall file a report with the coordinator on a schedule that coincides with the district’s New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJ QSAC) review. The report shall include, but not be limited to:

A.      The gifted and talented continuum of services, policies, and procedures implemented in the school district;

B.      The total number of students receiving gifted and talented services in each grade level kindergarten through grade 8 disaggregated by race, gender, special education designation, and English language learner designation;

C.      The professional development opportunities provided for teacher, educational services staff, and school leaders about gifted and talented students, their needs, and educational development; and

D.      The number of staff employed by the school district whose job responsibilities included identification of and providing services to gifted and talented students.

Complaint Process

Any individual who believes that the district has not complied with the provisions in the law or administrative code related to gifted and talented services may file a complaint with the Somers Point Board of Education. The complaint shall be submitted in writing to the board office. The Superintendent of Schools or designee shall take the necessary actions to correct or remediate the complaint and report such action to the board. The Somers Point Board of Education shall issue a decision, in writing, to affirm, reject, or modify the district’s action in the matter.

If the complaint is not resolved to the individual’s satisfaction or the individual is not satisfied by the written decision of the Somers Point Board of Education, the individual may then file a petition of appeal of the Somers Point Board of Education’s written decision to the Commissioner of Education through the Office of Disputes in accordance with law (N.J.S.A. 18A:6-9) and the procedures set forth in the State Board of Education regulations.

The complaint policy shall be linked to the homepage of the board’s website.

Information Available on Website

Detailed information shall be available on the district’s website regarding the policies and procedures used to identify students as gifted and talented and the continuum of services offered to gifted and talented students. The information shall include the criteria used for consideration for eligibility for gifted and talented services, including the multiple measures used in the identification process to match a student’s needs with services, and any applicable timelines in the identification process.

Key Words

Gifted
Talented

Resources

National Association for Gifted and Talented, www.nagc.org

Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards, http://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/national-standards-gifted-and-talented-education/pre-k-grade-12

Legal

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-4.15 Findings, declarations

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-14.6 Instruction in chess; guidelines

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-34 Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Act

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-35 Definitions relative to gifted and talented students

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-36 Instructional adaptations, educational services for gifted and talented students

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-37 Coordinator for gifted and talented services

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-38 Complaint for noncompliance

N.J.S.A. 18A 35-39 Information available on website

N.J.S.A. 18A 61C-11 Acceptance of course credit

N.J.S.A. 18A 61C-15 Eligibility to receive college credits

N.J.S.A. 18A 61C-16 Awarding of credits

N.J.S.C. 6A 8-3.3 Enrollment in college courses

N.J.S.C. 6A 8-3.1 Curriculum and instruction

N.J.S.C. 6A 32-14.1 Distribution

N.J.S.C. 6A 8-1.3 Definitions

N.J.S.A. 18A:61A-2; 18A:35-4.16

N.J.A.C. 6A:8-1.3; 6A:8-3.1(a)5

P.L. 108-382, Sec. 10201 et seq. 

Adopted:05/17/18

Revised: 11/17/22