Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A.
LEAs shall submit a gifted education program plan for the next fiscal year to
the department every other year by a department-assigned date. A gifted
education program plan shall be deemed complete if it addresses all elements
specified in Subsection B of this section. The gifted education program plan
shall describe the efforts the LEA will make to identify gifted students from
all demographic groups, including racially and ethnically diverse students,
economically diverse students, culturally diverse students, students with
limited English proficiency, and students with disabilities.
B. A gifted education program plan shall:
(1) describe how the LEA will communicate
with parents and school personnel about the gifted program plan described in
this subsection;
(2) describe the
identification process the LEA will use to identify gifted students. The
identification process shall recognize a student's exceptional abilities or
potential, interests, and needs to guide student instruction and individualized
programming. The description of the identification process shall include:
(a) procedures to equalize access to
screening and to improve proportionality of representation for all demographic
groups pursuant to Subsection A of this section;
(b) referral and screening
procedures;
(c) multiple sources of
qualitative and quantitative data;
(d) qualification criteria;
(e) GIEP team procedures;
(f) methods and timeline for communicating
with parents about results and next steps of a student's eligibility, and GIEP
development and review; and
(g)
dispute resolution processes to address parent disputes over gifted
identification or parent disputes over gifted services. The dispute resolution
process shall be pursuant to Section 14 of this rule.
(3) describe the programming components the
LEA will use to address the educational needs of gifted students. Programming
components shall use evidence-based programs and service models to produce
advanced outcomes, develop the strengths and interests of gifted students, and
address other educational needs as determined by GIEP teams. Anticipating these
needs, programming components shall address:
(a) alignment of current assessment data to
services in the areas of gifted students' needs;
(b) structures by which gifted students'
anticipated individual needs shall be met at each grade level;
(c) support for gifted students' general
education teachers in differentiated instruction methods;
(d) social, affective, and guidance support
systems for gifted students;
(e)
alignment of general education and gifted education instructional content with
gifted students' areas of strength;
(f) articulation to meet gifted students'
needs as they are promoted to the next grade;
(g) articulation to meet gifted students'
needs as they graduate from high school and continue in a postsecondary
learning setting;
(h) pre-advanced
placement or precollege support;
(i) whole-grade and single-subject
acceleration policy or procedures; and
(j) GIEP development and annual review
conducted through GIEP teams.
(4) describe how the LEA will:
(a) assess and monitor gifted students'
commensurate growth in academic achievement;
(b) assess and monitor gifted students'
affective development;
(c) ensure
assessment and reporting of gifted students' academic achievement are
consistent with accreditation requirements;
(d) periodically conduct a program evaluation
of the gifted program, including evaluation feedback from the advisory
committee pursuant to Section 8 of this rule, and review programming components
including but not limited to gifted policy, goals, identification processes,
programming components, staffing, budget and reporting practices, and the
impact of programming on gifted student achievement and progress; and
(e) inform parents, educators, and other
required GIEP team members of the program evaluation.
(5) describe the staffing plan and
qualifications of those who provide instruction, counseling, coordination, and
other support for gifted students. Qualified gifted education personnel shall
have professional knowledge about characteristics and needs of gifted students
and appropriate instruction methods, and shall demonstrate professional
competencies in gifted education pursuant to 6.64.18 NMAC;
(6) describe how the LEA will manage and
coordinate implementation of the program plan;
(7) describe professional development
activities to:
(a) improve and enhance the
skills, knowledge, and expertise of teachers and other personnel who provide
instruction and other services to gifted students; and
(b) recruit and train new qualified gifted
education teachers to fill any anticipated vacancies, if applicable;
(8) describe efforts to
collaborate with postsecondary educational institutions to provide professional
learning for gifted education teachers;
(9) provide evidence of the LEA's efforts to
achieve equity by reporting:
(a) the number of
formally identified gifted students served through gifted programming by grade
level, gender, race, ethnicity, twice-exceptionality, and linguistic
diversity;
(b) the number of
non-identified students served through gifted programming;
(c) the percentage of all students identified
as gifted through formal identification processes;
(d) the number and proportion of gifted
education teachers to gifted students; and
(e) methods and tools used to monitor the
effectiveness of services as evidenced by gifted students' achievement and
commensurate growth.
C. Department approval or disapproval of a
gifted education program plan shall remain in effect for two years or until a
revised gifted education program plan is evaluated by the department.
D. Nothing in this section shall preclude a
school district or charter school from offering additional gifted programs for
students who fail to meet the eligibility criteria. However, the state will
only provide state funds for department-approved gifted programs for those
students who meet the established criteria.