The petition for the Endorsement in Gifted Education has been submitted to the New Jersey State Department of Education. We'll keep you posted about the progress of the petition and how you might help in the effort. For now, see our Discussion Forum to add your testimonial.
THE FOLLOWING IS A PROPOSED DRAFT ONLY.
This draft was developed with input from school administrators, teachers, parents and
representatives from universities throughout New Jersey.
GIFTED EDUCATION CERTIFICATE
This endorsement entitles the holder to teach gifted students in all public schools.
Commencing September 1, 2019, the gifted education endorsement shall be required for teachers and coordinators who have full time, shared or part time responsibility for the education of gifted students. An exception may apply when a vacancy occurs in a position in which the duties of a gifted educator are performed, in which case, a board may select, for a period not to exceed two years and commencing on the date of the vacancy, a person who is not a certified gifted teacher/coordinator to continue in the gifted education position on an interim basis.
In order to be eligible for the Standard Certificate, you will need to meet the following:
Instructional Certification
The Gifted Education endorsement is not a standalone certificate. Candidates must hold a CE, CEAS, or standard NJ instructional certificate with an endorsement appropriate to the subject or grade level to be taught.
Test Requirement
Candidates are required to pass the PRAXIS Gifted Education Test (5358).
Professional Teacher Preparation
To meet the endorsement requirements, a candidate for the endorsement in gifted education must complete 15 semester-hour credits in gifted education from a state-approved program delivered through an accredited college or university. As part of the minimum required 15 semester-hour credits in gifted education, candidates shall complete study in the following gifted education topics:
One course in introductory principles of gifted education
One course in the social and emotional development of gifted learners
One course in curriculum and instruction for gifted learners
Two courses in the following areas of gifted education
Developing Gifted Programs
Practicum/Field experience course
Teaching advanced learners in a subject area (math, science, literacy, etc.)
Creativity and gifted education
Gifted Education in the Urban Environment
Applicants must submit official transcripts and verification of course completion.
OR
Record of Professional Experience
A person employed in a position in New Jersey as a teacher or coordinator in a gifted and talented program for at least three continuous years prior to September 1, 2019 may be issued the gifted education endorsement by the New Jersey Department of Education. Verification is required to document this experience. Applicants will submit a record of professional experience form filled out by the district’s superintendent/chief school administrator.
RATIONALE
The following rationale statements contain information to support an endorsement in gifted education.
Current New Jersey Regulations:
The regulations in N.J.A.C. 6A: 8, Standards and Assessment for Student Achievement define gifted students as:
Those students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local district and who require modification of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.
In addition, N.J.A.C. 6A: 8-3.1(a) 5 ii requires local district boards of education to make provisions for an ongoing K-12 identification process and provide appropriate K-12 educational services for gifted and talented students. The regulations further require the development of appropriate curricular and instructional modifications for gifted students that must address appropriate content, process, product and learning environments.
Rationale:
Gifted and talented students have educational and affective needs that are measurably different from their grade level peers as acknowledged in the definition used in N.J.A.C. 6A: 8.
Gifted and talented education is a specialized area of pedagogy and requires knowledge, competencies and training for teachers beyond those typically required in the regular education classroom.
Currently there are no specific requirements for professional learning in gifted education of any kind for gifted education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, counselors and other school personnel that regularly work with gifted students.
Endorsements are required in New Jersey for other comparable student groups with specialized learning needs including; Preschool through Grade Three, Teacher of Supplemental Instruction in Reading and Mathematics, English as a Second Language, Bilingual/Bicultural Education, Blind or Visually Impaired, Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Oral/Aural Communication, and Students with Disabilities.
There is a need to address the equity issue of the underrepresentation of minority and low-income students in gifted programs in New Jersey. When administrators and teachers responsible for making gifted programming decisions are adequately informed, there is a greater chance for the adoption of unbiased identification processes and equitable access to opportunities for talent development for all gifted students in New Jersey.
ESSA includes a provision that requires states to address, in their Title II grant applications, how they will ensure that educators can identify gifted students and provide instruction tailored to meet their unique needs. An endorsement in Gifted Education would meet the requirements of this provision.
Coursework in gifted education is readily available online through Rutgers University and other higher education institutions in New Jersey and out of state.
Background Information:
The purpose of this proposal is to clarify and support teachers through the addition of educational requirements in the form of an endorsement for administrators and teachers who are responsible for the education of gifted students to better align with the competencies needed to effectively serve the needs of this sub-population of students.
We propose a change to the New Jersey Administrative Code to add an endorsement that requires candidates to complete 15 credit hours in specified subjects to enable teachers to qualify for the New Jersey endorsement in gifted education. The course content for the endorsement will focus specifically on preparing teachers to develop, implement and evaluate gifted identification processes, develop programming and appropriately challenging curriculum, and to provide effective instruction to gifted and talented students.
The proposed endorsement would require that a teacher hold a gifted education endorsement in addition to a teaching certificate, or submit documentation of employment in this field for three continuous years in order to teach in or coordinate programs for gifted students in New Jersey.
Recommendations:
Programs leading to an endorsement in gifted education in addition to a teaching certificate shall require a course sequence that aligns with the Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted and Talented Education and the Advanced Standards in Gifted Education Teacher Preparation developed by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and The Association for the Gifted (TAG). The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) approved the NAGC/CEC-TAG standards in 2013.
Candidates for endorsement upon completion of the education requirements will have obtained the following knowledge, understanding and competencies:
1. Understand the variations in learning and development in cognitive and affective areas between and among individuals with gifts and talents and apply this understanding to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities.
2. Create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments so that individuals with gifts and talents become effective learners and develop social and emotional well being.
3. Use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to advance learning for individuals with gifts and talents, and improve programs and services at the classroom and school level. Consider and plan for the needs of minority and low-income students in all programming and service decisions.
4. Use multiple methods of assessment and data sources in making educational decisions about identification of individuals with gifts and talents and student learning. Use valid and reliable assessment practices to minimize bias and ensure equitable identification processes.
5. Select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance the learning of individuals with gifts and talents.
6. Use foundational knowledge of the field and professional ethical principles and programming standards to inform gifted education practice.
7. Collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with gifts and talents, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with gifts and talents across a range of learning experiences.
On or after a specified date, a teaching certificate and the endorsement in gifted education shall be required to authorize a candidate to provide education for gifted and talented students. This authorization requirement extends to gifted program coordinators and teachers who have full time, shared, or part time responsibility for the education of gifted students.
The candidate shall complete the required coursework in gifted education consisting of a total of 15 credit hours from an accredited institution of higher learning that include study of the knowledge and competencies stated above. The candidate must have earned at least a B- or its equivalent in any graduate level course for credit hours to meet this requirement.
Candidates are required to pass the PRAXIS Gifted Education Test (5358) to earn the endorsement.
A person employed in a position in New Jersey as a teacher in a gifted and talented program for three years before September 1, 2019 may be granted the endorsement by the New Jersey Department of Education. Applicants will submit a record of professional experience form filled out by the district supervisor to secure the statement of continued eligibility.