Gifted Education

The Exceptional Children's Education Act (ECEA) defines "gifted" children as:

Those persons between the ages of four and twenty-one whose aptitude or competence in abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment in one or more domains are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted children are hereafter referred to as gifted students. Children under five who are gifted may also be provided with early childhood special educational services. Gifted students include gifted students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural populations. Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas of giftedness:

• General or specific intellectual ability
• Specific academic aptitude
• Creative or productive thinking
• Leadership abilities
• Visual arts, performing arts, musical or psychomotor abilities 12.01(16)

ECEA defines "identification" as:
The assessment process used by the AU for identifying students who meet the definition specified in section 12.01(16) and for identifying the educational needs of gifted students. 12.02(2)(c)

ECEA Areas of Gifted Identification: (12.01(16)(a-e)

• General Intellectual Ability
• Specific Academic Aptitudes
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • World Languages

• Specific Talent Aptitudes
  • Creative or Productive Thinking
  • Leadership
  • Dance
  • Music
  • Performing Arts (theater, speech and debate)
  • Visual Arts
  • Psychomotor