This is the hidden, crown jewel of the new proposed gifted education regulations. Thank you so much for including it:

“8VAC20-40-60  14. Procedures for the annual evaluation of the effectiveness of the school division’s gifted education program, including review of student outcomes and the intellectual and academic growth of gifted students. Such evaluations shall be based on multiple criteria and shall include multiple sources of information for gifted students.”

I am also impressed by and appreciative of this provision:

“8VAC20-40-60  10.…Parents and legal guardians shall receive assessment of each gifted student’s intellectual and academic growth;”

As accountability, standards and measurement are key to any effective educational program, this new language is a fabulous start by policymakers but it needs to be more formally aligned with scientifically-based best practices in gifted education. The key words “outcome” and “academic growth” must be defined in specific terms. The evidendence must not be limited to individual student or teacher portfolios, teacher comments, at level SOL or standardized achievement testingtesting or even grades, but the evidence for effectiveness must incorporate nationally-normed, nationally standardized out of level achievement testing.  Academic growth, ideally at least the equivalent of one grade level of academic growth per year, is a core right of students.

I am writing to propose more meat on the bone as they say and therefore I believe these proposed regulations as a whole need to be put on hold so that a more systematic, inclusive development and review process can take place.

Please expand the 8VAC20-40-60 14. provision by requiring that the local school divisions, with the oversight of DOE, to report their comprehensive, measurable, specific academic goals for gifted education and evaluate the gifted programs and the annual academic and intellectual growth of individual students based on the annual results of nationally standardized, norm referenced above grade level achievement assessments.  

I believe that 5 year plans are acceptable, but specific, measurable ANNUAL evaluation of gifted education and student academic growth utilizing above grade level assessment tools must be required.

At a minimum, goal-setting, assessment and evaluation should be required to evaluate the effectiveness of gifted program especially programs in the area of language arts and/or mathematics as nationally standardized above grade level tests are easily administered in these two core academic areas. 

Accountability is critical in education, even for gifted students.  How specifically does a school board determine a reasonable, measurable goals for and assessment methods for measuring “accelerated learning by gifted students” or “accelerated and enrichment opportunities”?   Without required above grade level achievement testing, how specifically does a school board determine a goal for and measure the effectiveness of academic programs that provide opportunities for students to “work at increasing levels of complexity that differ significantly from their age-level peers”?   Without required access to above grade level nationally standardized academic testing, how will parent and legal guardians and school divisions access data that demonstrates the “intellectual and academic growth of gifted students” and how will school divisions demonstrate that “programs of study and advanced course are at a pace and sequence commensurate with the learning needs of the student”?

Interestingly I noted that the comments posted by some leading opinion leaders in Virginia gifted education call for the DELETION of the following phrase in “8VAC20-40  14. including review of student outcomes and the intellectual and academic growth of gifted student”.    Why they would choose to delete the more progressive part of the new proposed regulations?  While I suspect this deletion is due to the fact that proper assessment and  evaluation of outcomes and academic growth is currently unfunded and undeveloped, in my opinion outcomes and growth are paramount to gifted program gifted regulations.  It is critical that policymakers make an informed decision on this and that the regulation for evaluation and assesssment of growth be comprehensive and specific.

For any educational program to achieve optimal effectiveness and success, academic growth, even if it is above grade level, must be measured in a specific, comprehensive manner.  Gifted education is no exception.

Laura O’Brien

Parent of a Gifted Child

Glen Allen, VA