30-Hour Foundational Training - Gifted and Talented

Supporting Gifted and Talented Students for Success

The goal of a Gifted and Talented program is to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication that are advanced in relation to other students. This course will show you how we identify students who will benefit the most from program services. We will also explore various instructional strategies that provide the structure and challenges that advanced students need in order to be successful.

Course Topics

This course covers the following key topics:

• Foundational understandings of the needs of gifted students
• Nature and needs of diverse student populations
• The Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students
• Differentiated instruction
• Creative and critical thinking of gifted students
• Depth and complexity in instruction
• The Texas Performance Standards Project

State Requirements

This training meets the state requirement for 30 hours of initial training for teachers who serve gifted and talented students. Teachers who already serve gifted and talented students have one semester to complete this course work to be in compliance with state law. This training includes the required topics of nature and needs of gifted learners and assessment procedures for the gifted program.

Note: The Gifted and Talented program revisions by the SBOE took effect on September 13, 2024. The ESC is currently updating our professional development materials to align with the new program requirements. Updated materials will feature 'Revised to Include Sept. 2024 SBOE Revisions' in the title.

Training Details

This is a self-paced, facilitated online course. You will have access to the course for a scheduled period of time during which you can progress through pages, assignments, and discussions at your own pace. A facilitator will review and score your course work to provide support in understanding the topics presented. All course work needs to be completed before the course due date in order to gain access to a certificate.