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Different Place Home How To Use This Site Historical Perspective Giftedness Defined Equal Educational Opportunity Purpose of Gifted Services in Kansas Characteristics of Giftedness Bright Child/Gifted Learner General Education Interventions Differentiated Curriculum Differentiated Classroom Individualizing the Curriculum Modifying Content, Process and Product Types of Products Multiple Intelligences Products Curriculum Assessment Using Rubrics to Guide Evaluation Rubric Examples |
Historical Perspective "Kansas has been a quiet, but effective leader in the education of gifted students. In 1949, the Kansas legislature authorized special education for exceptional children. The legislature listed ten specific types of exceptionality, including "intellectually superior" children. School districts were encouraged to modify school curriculum and instruction for meeting the needs of gifted students. The Kansas Board of Education in the fiscal year 1961 passed the first formal guidelines for gifted programs. In 1969, services were state mandated for the disabled/ handicapped and in 1971 for the learning disabled. Guidelines for these mandates contained regulations that required comprehensive planning in all areas of the exceptionality, including giftedness. During the 1974 legislative session, services for all program areas of exceptionality were mandated (Special Education for Exceptional Children Act, KSA 71-966); and a state plan formulated outlining implementation procedures. The Kansas State Board of Education in the fiscal year 1975 adopted the state plan, with gifted education identified as one area of service to exceptional children. After much planning, discussion, and written proposals, the 1978 legislature mandated the implementation of Gifted Education Services in the state of Kansas, effective July 1980. These services were to provide special education for all students identified as gifted at the elementary and secondary levels. For more than 40 years, the Kansas State Board of Education
has recognized the importance of gifted education and has established guidelines for
identifying students with giftedness and for licensing personnel who provide services to
meet the individualized needs of these identified students. In 1977, the State
Department developed a list of competencies that were to be met by those certified in
education for the gifted. Several hundred teachers have been prepared through
university programs to meet the special needs of these students. Inservice and staff
development for those teachers have been provided primarily through universities and local
education agency personnel specializing in the education of gifted students. As of
2000, approximately 425 specialists in Kansas served approximately 15,000 students
identified as "gifted." All italicized text is from
"Effective Practices for Gifted Education in Kansas" manual. You
will be able to access the document in its entirety at the Kansas State Department of
Education (Handbook is out of date and is no longer available online) Please e-mail me with your feedback and let me know how you have used this site. You may also suggest activities that you have found to add to A Different Place. Thanks for visiting. Nancy Bosch Do you have any questions? Comments? |
