Definition of Gifted
Pennsylvania gifted education regulations, found in Chapter 16, define "gifted" in terms of
appropriateness: Is the district's regular education curriculum approrpiate for the student? 'Gifted' isnot defined by the intrinsic abilities of and achievements by the student. Chapter 16 concerns itself with those students
for whom their district's unmodified regular education curriculum may be inappropriate for reasons not involving a learning disability
or other health impairment.
That is to say, under Chapter 16, including the revision in 2008, a child is identified
'gifted' only if the school district's regular curriculum, left unmodified, is unlikely to provide that
child an education 'of meaningful benefit'.
There are specfiic procedures and timelines for the district and
parents to follow to determine whether a child meets the regulatory definition of 'gifted'. Those policies and procedures
are documented in the 'PDE-Gifted Guidelines' which are linked below. Please review the Gifted Guidelines along with the other
suggested reading material.
There is a distinction between 'gifted' in the general sense, and 'gifted' from a Gifted IEP standpoint.
As you become a more effective partner in your child's educational planning, remember that distinction. The regulatory requirement is simple: The district must propose a Gifted IEP that explains how your child islikely to receive education of meaningful benefit based on their needs this year. Much of this site deals with the process
that goes into creating a Gifted IEP that meets that simple requirement
