by Roberta Braverman, Vice President of Advocacy This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Did you know that the New Jersey Department of Education evaluates each school district every three years on multiple areas? The new instrument of evaluation for monitoring is called the Quality Single Accountability Continuum or QSAC. In the section on "required programs", 2 points are dedicated to gifted education services. The requirements are based on New Jersey Administrative Code, that requires each local school district to identify and serve its gifted children during the school day in a way that modifications are evident in content, product, process and learning environment, also known as placement, such as cluster grouping, subject or grade skipping, or advanced classes.

The school district evaluates itself first. There are multiple signers on the final document including administrators, teachers, the teachers' association, parents, PTO officers, and board members. Obviously, we would hope that teachers and/or PTOs would not approve if the information provided is not accurate or if it does not fulfill requirements.

Then a county superintendent and education specialist review the report and the outside evaluation team confirms or questions each section in order to assign a score. As of this time, the information is not being publicly shared, but districts that have been monitored are subject to the Open Public Records Access laws [OPRA] so this information can be sought and publicized. So far, about a third of the 610 school districts in our state have gone through this monitoring process. Approximately 200 or more districts will be evaluated each year.

If county superintendents' offices receive inquiries from parents and educators (or complaints) about a district that is not identifying and serving its gifted students in grades K-12, it will raise a red flag when the district is monitored. Continued inquiries from concerned parents and educators will heighten awareness and hopefully bring districts to compliance to the law and to improve service to gifted students.

Find your county superintendent's contact info here:
http://www.state.nj.us/education/counties/

The NJAGC web site, www.njagc.org has both the administrative code and the QSAC page related to gifted education. Please print both and offer your district help in order to effect positive changes that will benefit gifted children in your district. Read through and print and share the NJDOE's FAQs about programs that run outside of the school day and other practices that would warrant concern. Check out all of the ADVOCACY pull out tabs from the left side main menu under "GT in NJ". Bring these items to the attention of your local district's administrators.

In a recent Philadelphia Inquirer supplement called "Report Card on the Schools" it amazed me how many districts listed gifted percentages as NONE or a very high number. Both of these responses show that the districts do not understand the NJ Department of Education's state definition of gifted children.

So the answer that "we differentiate instruction for all children in the regular classes" will not hold up unless there are varied materials, pacing, ways to determine challenge level/ aka appropriate instructional level, and a LIST of names (not public) of identified gifted students. Not required, but certainly logical, would include professional development and instruction for the regular classroom teachers (and administrators, guidance counselors) on the special needs of gifted children. See related information on the NJAGC website about "gifted in local budgets."

A very part time pull out enrichment program may not suffice, nor would a strictly after- school program. It is clear that a district must address needed modifications in the Core Content areas in the regular classes. Although gifted education programs are often the lifeline at school for our children, the professional development of ALL of our educators about the academic and social emotional needs of our gifted children is necessary for correct placement and each student's entitlement to Adequate Yearly Progress (a requirement of Federal Law NCLB.) Day to day modifications are needed in the subjects in which our children excel. The National Association for Gifted Children now uses as its mantra, "Every child learning something new every day," and this is a fair goal.

Remember, please, there is strength in numbers. Go in to talk with district administrators with a few/several parents of gifted children. Be polite. Ask, don't tell. Offer concrete suggestions and be willing to work on a committee to effect changes. Try to set up a time line during your meeting for the next steps or answers to your questions. Bring the "Top 20 questions" form and share your results with NJAGC. Do you know of families that have left the district for private school or home schooling due to gifted needs not being met? Share those concerns with your district administrators. “Surely we want our most able students to stay in district and grow and help our district look great on those ever-present state tests and comparative assessments. We want to share the info of what we do for all of our children in our schools, as a "sale-ability" factor for local real estate.” Please write up everything that you said and heard from your meeting to include in a thank you letter, as record of promises or denials of help.

Good luck and keep us informed of your progress, by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . See the NJAGC forums to read more about this. Become a registered user to post comments.