Using the National Gifted Education Standards for PreK-12 Professional Development

"This is a highly useable guide to align inservice training coursework with the new national standards. The latest thinking on high-quality gifted education is invaluable; I can be sure that I am teaching what my teachers need!"

—Christine Nobbe, Gifted Education Specialist

Rockwood School District, MO

"The great leveler for new and veteran teachers of gifted and talented learners begins with an understanding of the foundation for the field and current best practice. This guide helps professional development specialists bring their programs in line with the same national standards that are being used in teacher candidate preparation programs."

—Cindy Sheets, Gifted Facilitator

Shawnee Mission School District, KS

Reshape the professional development of teachers in gifted education!

The ten NAGC, CEC, and TAG knowledge and skills standards represent the best research-based practices in gifted education and identify what teachers of the gifted should know and be able to do. To ensure that students with gifts and talents realize their full potential, it is crucial that gifted education teachers receive ongoing professional development that reflects standards-based practices. This unique resource shows PreK–12 education leaders how to plan and implement inservice training programs or realign existing programs based on the newly approved gifted education standards.

Authored by the organizations that developed the standards, this volume features a wealth of helpful material for developing objectives, activities, and assessments of professional development, including four different observation instruments, a sample needs assessment survey, a sample individual professional development plan, a checklist for meeting the knowledge and skills standards, and a CD-ROM with an annotated bibliography of the research base used to develop the standards. Staff developers will be able to:

Determine professional development objectives based on standards Understand and assess teacher needsDesign and evaluate the effectiveness of activities and onsite programs Implement standards for addressing diversity Using the National Gifted Education Standards for PreK–12 Professional Development

is an essential companion for staff developers and administrators faced with the challenge of giving classroom teachers the necessary training to provide exceptional instruction.