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Gifted Education - Conceptual Framework

The Georgia Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement is a critical component of the Gifted and Creative Education program because it serves as the gateway through which an educator may provide direct instruction or serve as a facilitator of gifted students in grades P-12 (Georgia Rule 505-2-105).

The mission of the Gifted and Creative Education program is to:

• advance knowledge about the attributes of giftedness and creativity within and across groups that may differ by age, culture, and economics; and
• promote the application of assessment principles, learning and developmental theories, teaching strategies, counseling strategies, and research methodology to the education of gifted and creative individuals.

The conceptual framework that guides the program in accomplishing its mission is based upon the philosophy that:

• giftedness and creativity are expressed in diverse ways among diverse people;
• creativity is a universal potential to be nurtured and enhanced;
• the best knowledge in the field of gifted education incorporates various perspectives, theories, and approaches; and
• the best education for students identified as gifted is tailored to their specific needs and interests for talent development rather than for general instruction.

The delivery of the Georgia Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement preparation program supports an important training goal of the Gifted and Creative Education Program, which is to provide leadership and support for the efforts of PreK-12 education professionals in Georgia and beyond.  Currently, Georgia educators cannot receive their initial certification in gifted education following a traditional program; they must complete the requirements for teaching certification in an approved content area, and then add-on the Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement .  This component of our program includes the completion of four graduate level courses.

• EPSY 7110 Characteristics of Gifted Children and Youth
• EPSY 7060 Assessment of Gifted Children and Youth
• EPSY 7250 Program and Curriculum Development for the Gifted
• EPSY 7230 Strategies and Materials for the Gifted

The Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement sequence has been developed according to the standards and recommendations from research and theory published by the leading organizations in the field of gifted education, including the National Association for Gifted Children (Standards for Graduate Programs in Gifted Education, 1995), The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC Knowledge and Skill Base for All Beginning Special Teachers with Gifts & Talents, 2002).  In addition, the endorsement program is grounded in the mission of the College of Education.

The College of Education prepares exemplary reflective professionals to serve a diverse global community, many who represent the gifted population.  The Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement component of the Gifted and Creative Program contributes to the College of Education’s public contract with citizens of the state and nation to fulfill this monumental preparation task.  As one of its academic preparation programs, we provide specialized training in the education of gifted and creative students in schools and communities.  We also provide leadership in furthering education and life-long learning for professionals who receive the Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement to their teaching certificates.  Many students who have completed the Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement through the Gifted and Creative Education program have continued in their pursuit of knowledge through advanced degrees, excelled in their service to gifted and creative students, and advanced in their careers to assume leadership roles in the field of gifted education. 

Thus, not only is the Gifted In-Field Education Endorsement a gateway for educators to provide services to gifted students, it serves as a conduit and catalyst for the Gifted and Creative Education program to support the College of Education in reaching its goals and to cultivate leadership for the field of gifted education.