Please do not make these changes in the VA Gifted Plan.  Gifted children have special needs too, and can easily become unmotivated and not work up to their potential if not challenged.  They are often neglected already due to lack of funding.  It would be too much temptation at the local level to appropriate more funding toward raising SOL scores or to meet the requirements of NCLB. 

Five year gifted plans should continue to be developed and approved at the state level, this way there could be some continuity among localities.  There has been and will continue to be disparity among school divisions, this change would further hinder smaller divisions from providing the same level of  instruction a larger division could offer.   This also gives the localities a chance to see what improvements can be made to the program, but it is given enough time to implement these changes. 

Although we currently have a very capable director of the gifted and talented program, who looks out for this sector of our school system,  this could change through retirements, etc. and in most divisions, the G/T person also wears other hats which means the next person may not have the same level of experience and expertise in this arena.  This could cause the gifted program to be swept to the corner and our students would be the real losers,  Please consider the education of all students – even the gifted.