The Florida State Standards are the basis for the Exceptional Student Education Rules. In order to meet federal regulation, the Florida State Board of Education approved the revised Development of Educational Plans for Exceptional Students who are Gifted in March, 2004. It is important to understand the language that guides educators of the gifted to develop appropriate curriculum for this specific population. When discussing gifted children, there are frequently used terms that help to describe their characteristics and behaviors. There is also language that is used to signify instruction and environment related to gifted. It is beneficial for you to understand, refer to, and use the appropriate vocabulary when dealing with your gifted students. You may want to print the list of gifted terminology to keep handy.
Take the time to review the State’s standards, policies and rules. Also, you may want to read the Question & Answers document that accompanies Rule 6A-6.030191 Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services. Retrieved September 11, 2007, from Your Florida Department of Education.
As you proceed through this course, you will find several essential documents to help prepare you to teach gifted students. The first document lists and explains the Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education developed by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). This document is designed to assist teachers in their preparation as educators of the gifted.
Two other documents were created in Florida specifically to assist teachers in creating challenging lessons that correlate to the Sunshine State Standards. The first of these is the Florida Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners. This guide combines research and best practices developed by experts in the field of gifted education. It is intended to assist gifted teachers in planning for appropriate student outcomes for their gifted learners.
The other document available here is the Florida Checklist for Challenge and Rigor. This document was designed to assist teachers in evaluating their lessons to make sure they are meeting the challenging level necessary and outlined in the Frameworks. Teachers should utilize both documents as they plan their lessons.