Welcome to Gifted Education

Gifted Education champions the academic, intellectual, and affective development of Arizona’s gifted and advanced learnings through ensuring gifted learners in Arizona receive an appropriate gifted education commensurate with their abilities and potential.

"Gifted education" means appropriate academic course offerings and services that are required to provide an educational program that is an integral part of the regular school day and that is commensurate with the academic abilities and potential of a gifted pupil. 

"Gifted pupil" means a child who is of lawful school age, who due to superior intellect or advanced learning ability, or both, is not afforded an opportunity for otherwise attainable progress and development in regular classroom instruction and who needs appropriate gifted education services, to achieve at levels commensurate with the child's intellect and ability. ARS §15-779

Effective January 1, 2007, Gifted Education for Gifted Children has mandated public-school districts create a Gifted Scope & Sequence outlining the identification process and provision of gifted services. ARS §15-779

AZ State Board Approved Test List for Identification of Gifted Students adopted June 22, 2015

    The following resources for identifying Gifted Learners are provided by Project Bright Horizon by the Jacob K. Javits Gifted & Talented Education Grant Program, supported through a research and demonstration grant by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.

    1. Key Identification Considerations for Diverse Gifted Learners
    2. Common Identification Characteristics of Positive and Challenging Classroom Behaviors
    3. Gifted Characteristic Checklist for Underrepresented Populations
    4. Coaching Tool for Classrooms Supporting Gifted Education

    The Arizona legislature again appropriated $850,000 to the Department of Education (ADE) to procure an assessment that Arizona public schools could choose to use to evaluate all their 2nd grade students for Gifted Education programs at no cost during this school year (SY24-25). Participation in this new universal screening opportunity is available, and optional, for all Arizona public schools. 

    Following a competitive procurement process, ADE has identified the Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®), from Riverside Insights as the 2nd grade screening tool for this program.

    Schools can choose to test their students using traditional paper/pencil versions of the assessment or an online testing option. Given that this program is funded through a one-year appropriation, all testing activities will need to be completed within this fiscal year, or by June 2025. ADE will be billed directly for testing materials ordered by participating public schools - so no monies will be required from LEAs to order and access testing materials for this opportunity.

    Starting school year 2021-2022, students that score at or above the 97th percentile, based on national norms (age or grade norms), on a test adopted by the State Board of Education (which includes the CogAT® test for this program) will generate a new Group B add-on per-pupil funding weight – a new “G” weight. Qualifying pupils will generate the new 0.007 Group B add-on funding in FY 2022 and the corresponding funding appear in payments and on payment reports. More details about the new “G” weight may be found on our School Finance website.

    A website hosted by Riverside Insights has been created for LEAs to order testing materials and access comprehensive training and technical assistance and support resources (https://riversideinsights.com/az-gifted):

    Arizona Grade 2 Gifted CogAT Testing Portal

    Universal Screening Questions

    Other funding sources include:

    Title IV, Part A funds, in the ESEA Consolidated Grant, may be leveraged by schools and districts to help "promote access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools*"

    Examples of support may include:

    • Providing funding to cover part or all of the cost of AP Exam fees for students in all schools (not just Title I schools)
    • Increasing student access to, and improving student achievement in, postsecondary level instruction and exams
    • Funding specific AP courses/exams

    *Reference: Non-Regulatory Guidance, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant

    Please visit the Title IV-A website for more information.

    AzEDS Group B Add-on Weight established in HB2898 for FY23 provides 0.007 Group B add-on  gifted funding limited to educational programs for gifted pupils who score at or above the 97th percentile, based on national norms (age or grade) on a test adopted by the State Board of Education.

    Please visit the AzEDS website for more information.

    The following are resources for gifted learners, parents, and educators.

    National Gifted Programming Standards, updated 2019 NAGC Pre-K to Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards

    Arizona Resources:

    National Resources:

    Q.  Are gifted education programs mandated in Arizona?

    A. Yes. gifted education is mandated for all public school districts. All school districts must both identify gifted learners and provide appropriate educational programs and services for gifted learners that are an “integrated, differentiated learning experience during the regular school day” in all grades K-12. Charter schools are not required to provide gifted education services, though some have chosen to do so.

    Q.  Why are identification procedures, programs and services models for gifted education different from district to district? What is a “Scope and Sequence”?

    A. Arizona law requires that all public-school districts must both identify gifted learners and provide appropriate educational programs and services for gifted learners. However, the law does not prescribe the models that district must use to serve their gifted learners. The law does require each school district to create a local plan for gifted education programs and services – a “Scope and Sequence” for the identification process of and curriculum modifications for gifted pupils to ensure that gifted learners receive gifted education commensurate with their academic abilities and potentials (ARS §15-779.02). You may request to view your district’s local plan through contacting your local school district.

    Q.  Why don’t gifted learners have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) and other safeguards similar to special education learners?

    A. Federal law has established policies and procedures for special education, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) – which requires IEPs for special education learners. Gifted education policies and procedures, however, are solely established through state law.

    Q.  What kind of training is required for teachers working with gifted learners?

    A. Teachers who work with gifted learners must be provided with professional development support, based on a plan outlined within a school district’s Scope and Sequence for Gifted Education. Also, teachers whose primary responsibility is teaching gifted learners must have, or be working towards earning, an Arizona Gifted Education K-12 Endorsement.