I emphatically defer to and support Recommended Changes to Proposed Revisions (Chap.40)  Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students put forth and detailed by the Virginia Association of the Gifted.  In particular, I would like to emphasize the following: 

First:

“8VAC20-40-60. Local plan, local advisory committee, and annual report.

A. Each school division board shall submit to the Department of Education for approval a review and approve annually a comprehensive plan for the education of gifted students that includes the components identified in these regulations. Modifications to the plan shall be reported to the Department of Education on dates specified by the department. The development process for the school division’s local plan for the education of the gifted shall include opportunities for public review of the school division’s plan. The approved local plan shall be accessible through the school division’s website and the school division shall ensure that printed copies of the comprehensive plan are available to citizens who do not have online access.

B. Each school division shall establish a local advisory committee composed of parents, school personnel, and other community members who are appointed by the school board. This committee shall reflect the ethnic and geographical composition of the school division. The purpose of this committee shall be to advise the school board through the division superintendent of the educational needs of all gifted students in the division. As a part of this goal, the This committee shall have two responsibilities: (i) to review annually the local plan for the education of gifted students, including revisions, and (ii) to determine the extent to which the plan for the previous year was implemented. The findings of the annual program effectiveness and the recommendations of the advisory committee shall be submitted annually in writing through to the division superintendent to and the school board.”

Changes note that the School board shall review and approve a school division’s local gifted education plan that will also be reviewed by a local gifted advisory committee.  However, this advisory committee is to be appointed by the school board.  Anyone who has ever followed local politics can see the potential incestual relationship here without an outside “referee” offering an objective evaluation.

Second:

 8VAC20-40-70. Funding. (Repealed.)  

• Reinstate: State funds administered by the Department of Education for the education of gifted students shall be used to support only those activities identified in the school division’s plan as approved by the Board of Education.

Again, without a clear designation of funds for gifted education, the temptation to divert these funds to meet the needs of school boards battling over funds with local governments is too great and too easy to indulge.

Also: 

If the school division elects to identify students with specific academic aptitudes, it shall include procedures for identification and service in one or more of the following: English/ language arts, mathematics, history/social science, or science.

And finally:

Reinstate the Criteria for Identification Option permitting "individual or group achievement test" for identification of students in specific academic areas with the suggested revision of "individual or group nationally norm-referenced aptitude and/or achievement tests."