• GIFTED

    In accordance with the Board's philosophy to develop the special abilities of each student, the district shall provide gifted education services and programs designed to meet the individual educational needs of identified students.[1][2][12]

    The Board directs that the district’s gifted education program shall provide the following:

    1. System to locate and identify all students within the district who are thought to be gifted and in need of specially designed instruction.[4] 
    2. Screening and evaluation process to determine student’s educational needs that meet state requirements.[4] 
    3. Procedures to determine whether a student is mentally gifted.[4]
    4. Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) developed, and subsequently modified, for each student based on his/her unique needs and the written report of the Gifted Multidisciplinary Team (GMDT).[5][6][7]
    5. Safeguards for the due process rights of gifted students.[8] 
    6. Notification to teachers of their responsibilities to each of their identified gifted students, as provided in the student’s Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP).

    The district shall provide all required notices and information to parents/guardians of gifted students, document all consents and responses of parents/guardians, and adhere to all established timelines.

    • Guidelines

    The district shall make the Permission to Evaluate Gifted Student Form readily available to parents/guardians. If an oral request is made to an administrator or professional employee, s/he shall provide the form to the parents/guardians within ten (10) calendar days of the oral request.[4]

    Gifted Guidelines PDE           

    Caseloads/Class Size

    The Board directs the Superintendent and designated administrators to annually assess the district’s delivery of gifted services and programs, in order to:

    1. Ensure the ability of assigned staff to provide the services required in each identified student’s GIEP.
    2. Address the educational placements for gifted students within the district.
    3. Limit the total number of gifted students that can be on an individual gifted teacher’s caseload to a maximum of seventy-five (75) students. Beginning July 1, 2010, the maximum teacher caseload shall be sixty-five (65) students.
    4. Limit the total number of gifted students that can be on an individual gifted teacher’s class roster to a maximum of twenty (20) students.

    Notwithstanding the above, the Antietam School District shall have the right to make a written request to the Secretary of Education to waive the applicable caseload and class size maximums in extenuating circumstances.[9] 

    Confidentiality of Student Records 

    All personally identifiable information regarding a gifted student shall be treated as confidential and disclosed only as permitted by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), its implementing regulations, State Board of Education Regulations, and Board policy.[10][11]

    Awareness Activities

    The Superintendent or designee shall annually conduct awareness activities to inform parents/guardians of school-aged children residing within the district of its gifted education services and programs, and how to request these services and programs.[4]

    Awareness activities may include providing written notice of the district’s gifted education program through local newspapers other media, student handbooks and the district web site.

    • Legal
    1. 24 P.S. 1371
    2. 22 PA Code 4.28
    3. 22 PA Code 16.21
    4. 22 PA Code 16.22
    5. 22 PA Code 16.23
    6. 22 PA Code 16.32
    7. 22 PA Code 16.63
    8. 22 PA Code 16.41
    9. 22 PA Code 16.65
    10. Pol. 216
    11. 22 PA Code 16.1 et seq

    22 PA Code 11.12

    Pol. 113