Policy IGBB PROGRAMS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
Policy IGBB: PROGRAMS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS Status: DRAFT Original Adopted Date: 06/10/2015 | Last Revised Date: 12/14/2019 25B UPDATE EXPLANATION MSBA has amended this policy for clarity and brevity. Many of the details have been removed from the policy not because they are unimportant, but because the requirements and recommendations for gifted programs change. To ensure that the policy remains current, MSBA is simply referencing guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The most current guidance can be found at https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/gifted- education. The details of the district's gifted program are best left to the administrative procedure IGBB-AP, which district staff can amend as needed. Districts should be aware that although gifted programs were previously optional, § 162.720, RSMo., has made them mandatory if three percent or more of students enrolled in the district are "identified as gifted and their development requires programs or services beyond the level of those ordinarily provided in regular public school programs." The law requires that teachers providing gifted services in districts of more than 350 students must be certified in gifted education but does not address what the consequences might be if the district cannot find suitable staff with those qualifications. School districts with 350 or fewer students are not required to have a teacher with a gifted education certificate. Another certificated staff member may provide gifted instruction in these schools, but the law does require that teacher to annually receive at least six hours of district-paid professional development focused on gifted instruction. What if my district does not have a gifted program? If your district does not have a gifted program, then a gifted policy is not required. However, please be aware that state law requires school districts to establish a gifted program if three percent or more of students enrolled in the district are identified as gifted and the district's programs do not meet those students' needs. See § 162.720, RSMo. The board of education is committed to improving student learning opportunities for all students in the district and authorizes a program for meeting the educational needs of identified gifted students in an educational environment beyond that offered in the regular classroom. The board of education will make every effort to provide the level of monetary support necessary to sustain the gifted program. The superintendent will designate a coordinator to operate the gifted education program in accordance with law and guidance issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The program will: 1. Provide a minimum of 150 minutes per week of contact time per student in which gifted program personnel work exclusively with identified gifted students.
2. Include a systematic process for the identification and selection of gifted students at all grade levels. The identification process will include alternative identification plans designed to identify gifted students who are traditionally underidentified and underserved, such as students with language differences, cultural differences, special educational needs and those from families living in poverty.
3. Utilize instructional personnel with the appropriate certification for the gifted program services they are providing.
4. Have class sizes and caseloads in accordance with Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidelines.
5. Include activities beyond the level usually provided in regular school programs that particularly contribute toward meeting the identified unmet needs of participating students. The superintendent will designate a member of the district's administrative staff, or assistant superintendent of student services, to supervise gifted education. The administrator is responsible for: 1. Overseeing the gifted education program. Board Policy Manual Clayton 1
2. Facilitating the process by which parents/guardians may request a review of the decision that determined their student did not qualify to receive services through the district's gifted education program.
3. Completing and submitting the application for a gifted education program through Core Data in a timely manner.
4. Reporting instructional positions and assignments of gifted program personnel through Core Data in a timely manner.
5. Completing an annual evaluation report before June 30 of each year that will be available in the central office.
6. Maintaining in the central office a description of the program's goals, learner objectives and activities as well as the annual program evaluation report. Identification The gifted education coordinator will create a systematic process for the identification of gifted students that includes universal screening and evaluation and will notify district staff and parents/guardians of the process. The identification process is open to students living in the district who are not currently enrolled in the district or who are enrolled on a part-time basis. The process will address the re-evaluation and services provided to transfer students previously identified as gifted, including children in foster care and children of military families. Parent/Guardian Request for Review The district will inform pParents/Gguardians who receive notice that their student has not met the eligibility requirements to receive gifted services will be informed that they may request a review of that decision by contacting the district's assistant superintendent of student services. The assistant superintendent will convene a multidisciplinary team to review existing data related to the student as detailed in procedure IGBB-AP1. The team will determine whether the student does or does not qualify for gifted services, or if further data collection is needed to make a final decision. The team's decision at the end of the review process is final. Portions © 2025, Missouri School Boards' Association Version IGBB-C.1F.CLT (05/25) 2