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Gifted Education Professional Standards

The Initial and Advanced Preparation Standards for Gifted Education Professionals lay out the knowledge and skills that professionals in gifted education should master.

For over a decade, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), our The Association for the Gifted (TAG) Special Interest Division, and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) have worked collaboratively to develop standards for the preparation of gifted education professionals. Ensuring that highly able learners are recognized and subsequently served through systematic programming is critical for developing high-quality, classroom-based opportunities for advanced student learning. 

As of March 2018, CEC, in collaboration with its TAG Division, became the Specialized Professional Association (SPA) of record for gifted educator preparation programs, which allowed teacher preparation programs to continue to seek National Recognition through the  Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) accreditation process. As part of this effort, CEC established a partnership with CAEP similar to the partnerships already established for the review and development of CEC’s Standards for special educators.

Initial Gifted Education Professional Preparation Standards

2 young kids doing science experiment

The Initial Preparation Standards for Gifted Education Professionals define what a gifted education candidate must know and be able to do to begin teaching. 

Advanced Gifted Education Professional Preparation Standards

adult female teacher with group of high school students

The Advanced Preparation Standards for Gifted Education Professionals lay out the knowledge and skills that teachers in gifted education should master as part of their preparation for advanced professional practice.

Last Updated:  20 August, 2020

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