Education & Distance Learning Enthusiasts- National standards for teachers of gifted and talented students: becoming involved

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National standards for teachers of gifted and talented students: becoming involved

Gifted Child Today Magazine - June 22, 2004

In May, the National Association for Gifted Children and The Association for the Gifted, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, invited higher education institutions to discuss national teacher standards in the field of gifted education. Of the approximately 78 universities in the United States that offer teacher education programs, more than half were represented.

While many topics were discussed, including case-based approaches, distance learning, and performance-based assessment, the major focus of the group's work was the examination and development of initial and advanced standards that will be used during program reviews by various states and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Initial standards are those that prepare individuals for entry-level practice in gifted education and may be at the undergraduate or postbaccalaureate level. Future teachers of gifted students need to become competent in 10 basic areas: foundations, development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, instructional strategies, learning environments and social interactions, language, instructional planning, assessment, professional and ethical practice, and collaboration. Listed within each of these areas are knowledge (what teachers need to know) and skills (what they need to be able to do). For example, within "instructional planning," teachers must "understand theories and research that form the basis of curriculum and development in instructional practice" (knowledge) and then "design, implement, and assess differentiated learning experiences for gifted students" (skill).

Advanced standards are those that involve people who already have an initial certificate in the field of gifted education and are pursuing a master's, specialist, or doctoral degree at the graduate level. These standards are related to-the initial standards, but provide greater depth, breadth, and comprehensiveness in application. For example, while teachers with initial certificates might implement curricula for gifted students within their classrooms, with an advanced certificate, they might develop and implement curricula districtwide. In addition, teachers who meet advanced standards will be more actively engaged in research within their classrooms, other settings, or both.

Within the next 2 years, these standards will be validated by a systematic review of the research and by practicing professionals in the field of gifted education. Three types of supporting research will be used in the validation process: literature/theory-based, research-based, and practice-based. Literature- and theory-based research includes knowledge and skills derived from sources such as position papers, policy analyses, and descriptive reviews of the literature. Research-based studies include peer-reviewed articles that use appropriate research methodologies to address questions of cause and effect and that researchers have independently replicated and found to be effective. Practice-based research includes lighthouse studies, professional wisdom, and emerging practices that arise from teachers' classroom experiences and are validated through some degree of action research (all definitions are from the Professional Standards and Practice Committee of the Council for Exceptional Children).

Teachers, administrators, and university professionals will review all of these standards. If you would like to become involved in this important process, please e-mail me at Susan_Johnsen@baylor.edu. Remember that standards not only legitimize gifted education as a field, but also improve the education of each gifted and talented student.

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