New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 6 - PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION › Chapter 31 - SPECIAL EDUCATION › Part 3 - GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS › Section 6.31.3.9 - GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM PLAN

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. LEAs
				shall submit a gifted education program plan for the next fiscal year to the
				department every other year by a department-assigned date. A gifted education
				program plan shall be deemed complete if it addresses all elements specified in
				Subsection B of this section. The gifted education program plan shall describe
				the efforts the LEA will make to identify gifted students from all demographic
				groups, including racially and ethnically diverse students, economically
				diverse students, culturally diverse students, students with limited English
				proficiency, and students with disabilities.
B. A gifted education program plan shall:
(1) describe how the LEA will communicate
				with parents and school personnel about the gifted program plan described in
				this subsection;
(2) describe the
				identification process the LEA will use to identify gifted students. The
				identification process shall recognize a student's exceptional abilities or
				potential, interests, and needs to guide student instruction and individualized
				programming. The description of the identification process shall include:
(a) procedures to equalize access to
				screening and to improve proportionality of representation for all demographic
				groups pursuant to Subsection A of this section;
(b) referral and screening
				procedures;
(c) multiple sources of
				qualitative and quantitative data;
(d) qualification criteria;
(e) GIEP team procedures;
(f) methods and timeline for communicating
				with parents about results and next steps of a student's eligibility, and GIEP
				development and review; and
(g)
				dispute resolution processes to address parent disputes over gifted
				identification or parent disputes over gifted services. The dispute resolution
				process shall be pursuant to Section 14 of this rule.
(3) describe the programming components the
				LEA will use to address the educational needs of gifted students. Programming
				components shall use evidence-based programs and service models to produce
				advanced outcomes, develop the strengths and interests of gifted students, and
				address other educational needs as determined by GIEP teams. Anticipating these
				needs, programming components shall address:
(a) alignment of current assessment data to
				services in the areas of gifted students' needs;
(b) structures by which gifted students'
				anticipated individual needs shall be met at each grade level;
(c) support for gifted students' general
				education teachers in differentiated instruction methods;
(d) social, affective, and guidance support
				systems for gifted students;
(e)
				alignment of general education and gifted education instructional content with
				gifted students' areas of strength;
(f) articulation to meet gifted students'
				needs as they are promoted to the next grade;
(g) articulation to meet gifted students'
				needs as they graduate from high school and continue in a postsecondary
				learning setting;
(h) pre-advanced
				placement or precollege support;
(i) whole-grade and single-subject
				acceleration policy or procedures; and
(j) GIEP development and annual review
				conducted through GIEP teams.
(4) describe how the LEA will:
(a) assess and monitor gifted students'
				commensurate growth in academic achievement;
(b) assess and monitor gifted students'
				affective development;
(c) ensure
				assessment and reporting of gifted students' academic achievement are
				consistent with accreditation requirements;
(d) periodically conduct a program evaluation
				of the gifted program, including evaluation feedback from the advisory
				committee pursuant to Section 8 of this rule, and review programming components
				including but not limited to gifted policy, goals, identification processes,
				programming components, staffing, budget and reporting practices, and the
				impact of programming on gifted student achievement and progress; and
(e) inform parents, educators, and other
				required GIEP team members of the program evaluation.
(5) describe the staffing plan and
				qualifications of those who provide instruction, counseling, coordination, and
				other support for gifted students. Qualified gifted education personnel shall
				have professional knowledge about characteristics and needs of gifted students
				and appropriate instruction methods, and shall demonstrate professional
				competencies in gifted education pursuant to 6.64.18 NMAC;
(6) describe how the LEA will manage and
				coordinate implementation of the program plan;
(7) describe professional development
				activities to:
(a) improve and enhance the
				skills, knowledge, and expertise of teachers and other personnel who provide
				instruction and other services to gifted students; and
(b) recruit and train new qualified gifted
				education teachers to fill any anticipated vacancies, if applicable;
(8) describe efforts to
				collaborate with postsecondary educational institutions to provide professional
				learning for gifted education teachers;
(9) provide evidence of the LEA's efforts to
				achieve equity by reporting:
(a) the number of
				formally identified gifted students served through gifted programming by grade
				level, gender, race, ethnicity, twice-exceptionality, and linguistic
				diversity;
(b) the number of
				non-identified students served through gifted programming;
(c) the percentage of all students identified
				as gifted through formal identification processes;
(d) the number and proportion of gifted
				education teachers to gifted students; and
(e) methods and tools used to monitor the
				effectiveness of services as evidenced by gifted students' achievement and
				commensurate growth.