Rule R277-711. Educational Programs for Gifted and Talented Students.

As in effect on August 1, 2009

Table of Contents

• R277-711-1. Definitions.
• R277-711-2. Authority and Purpose.
• R277-711-3. Program Standards.
• R277-711-4. Fiscal Standards.
• KEY
• Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment
• Notice of Continuation
• Authorizing, Implemented, or Interpreted Law

R277-711-1. Definitions.

A. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

B. "Gifted and talented students" means children and youth whose superior performance or potential for accomplishment requires a differentiated and challenging education program to meet their needs in any one or more of the following areas:

(1) general intellectual: students who demonstrate a high aptitude for abstract reasoning and conceptualization, who master skills and concepts quickly, and who are exceptionally alert and observant;

(2) specific academic: students who evidence extraordinary learning ability in one or more specific disciplines;

(3) visual and performing arts: students who are consistently superior in the development of a product or performance in any of the visual and performing arts;

(4) leadership: students who emerge as leaders, and who demonstrate high ability to accomplish group goals by working with and through others;

(5) creative, critical or productive thinking: students who are highly insightful, imaginative, and innovative, and who consistently assimilate and synthesize seemingly unrelated information to create new and novel solutions for conventional tasks.

C. "Accelerated" means enabling students to move through academic programs based on their performance level.

D. "Enrichment" means classes or programs that provide greater depth and breadth of experiences and information than students would receive in traditional classes.

E. "Accelerated learning programs" means programs for: gifted and talented students, concurrent enrollment students, and students enrolled in the College Board Advanced Placement Program.

F. "Programs for gifted and talented students" means differentiated and challenging educational programs designed to meet the needs of gifted and talented students in one or more areas identified in Section 1(B).

R277-711-2. Authority and Purpose.

A. This rule is authorized by Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3 which vests general control and supervision of public education in the Board, Section 53A-17a-120 which directs the Board to adopt rules for the expenditure of funds appropriated for accelerated learning programs, Section 53A-1-402(1) which authorizes the Board to adopt rules for special programs and Section 53A-1-401(3) which authorizes the Board to adopt rules in accordance with its responsibilities.

B. The purpose of this rule is to specify standards and procedures for using a portion of accelerated learning program funds to develop programs and services for gifted and talented students.

R277-711-3. Program Standards.

A. Appropriately qualified people shall direct and implement the district's program(s) for gifted and talented students.

B. Each district shall have a process for identifying students in one or more of the areas listed in Section 1(B) based upon at least three assessment instruments. These instruments shall not be solely dependent upon English vocabulary or comprehension skills and shall take into consideration abilities of culturally diverse, handicapped and underachieving students.

C. Each school district shall have a process for appropriately placing students identified as gifted and talented.

D. Each school district shall develop and submit, to the Utah State Office of Education for review annually, a plan for educating gifted and talented students. This plan shall reflect a time frame appropriate to the district. The district plan shall contain provisions to:

(1) develop a written philosophy for the education of gifted and talented students that is consistent with the goals and values of the school district and the community;

(2) select a district coordinator who is responsible for the program;

(3) recognize a variety of areas in which a student may be identified as gifted;

(4) provide carefully integrated, and articulated curricula throughout the district;

(5) identify and use teaching strategies that are appropriate to the learning styles and emotional needs of gifted and talented students;

(6) adopt flexible pacing at all levels and allow students to advance as they master content and skills;

(7) offer program options that reach through and beyond the normal institutional boundaries: across disciplines, across grade levels, and across levels of intelligence;

(8) provide guidance to assist students in addressing personal and interpersonal needs, in program selection and in career and college choices;

(9) balance acceleration with enrichment activities for diverse types and degrees of intelligence;

(10) provide information regarding special services, programs, and other appropriate educational opportunities; and

(11) utilize appropriate community and private resources.

E. Provisions shall be made in the district plan for staff development and support.

F. Each district shall evaluate its program to assure accountability, assess the success of individual program elements, and determine student growth and achievement.

R277-711-4. Fiscal Standards.

A. Each school district shall receive its share of funds in the proportion that the district's number of weighted pupil units for kindergarten through grade twelve and necessarily existent small schools bears to the state total.

B. Funds shall be used in any of the following areas:

(1) planning, program development, and identification of students;

(2) salaries, in-service education costs, and the costs of conferences, workshops, and other educational activities designed to enable teachers to better serve gifted and talented students;

(3) supplies, materials, and equipment to supplement and enhance the education programs for gifted and talented students.

C. Funds allocated for programs for gifted and talented students shall not be used for Advanced Placement or Concurrent Enrollment programs.

D. The Utah State Office of Education shall have fiscal and pupil accounting procedures to assess programs for gifted and talented students.

KEY

gifted children, accelerated learning*

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment

1990

Notice of Continuation

November 23, 2005

Authorizing, Implemented, or Interpreted Law

53A-1-402(1); 53A-1-401(3); 53A-17a-120