When the Commonwealth values a program or a group of people, they demonstrate their support by placing strong oversight and controls over such program, or for the protection of said population. I strongly believe that the State should require retain external oversight and 5 year planning of Gifted and Talented educational plans.
As a previous parent commented, “…a commission should be empanelled, comprised of school board members, VDOE advisors, G/T teachers, classroom teachers, administrators and G/T parents to see what can be done to strengthen, overall, the standards of learning for the G/T community of students”, and these are sentiments which I echo.
I also support the Virginia Association for the Gifted (VAG) position on these proposed revisions. Specifically, “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.”
Moreover, I support a recommendation that the State ought to, “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."
