by Jaret Hodges, Ph.D. Identifying students as twice exceptional is hard work. A big reason why this is the case is due to the fact that this group of students constitutes a nonlinearly separable one. In other words, percentages, thresholds, and checklists don’t cut it. These students would need a set of tests nuanced andContinue reading “The Problem of Small Area Estimation and Twice-Exceptional Identification”
Author Archives: GEFN Gifted Education Family Network
Identifying Twice-Exceptional Students: The Reason It’s Hard
by Jaret Hodges, Ph.D. Academics have many terms with which to describe why identifying students as twice exceptional is difficult: non-linear decision surfaces; non-convex class separation, and (one of my favorites) non-linear discriminant structures. All these are fancy ways of saying that the traits of twice-exceptional students overlap with the traits of gifted students andContinue reading “Identifying Twice-Exceptional Students: The Reason It’s Hard”
“How’s High School, Billy?”
Getting Beyond “Nothing” and “Fine” Around the Dinner Table with Depth and Complexity By Clint Von Gundy Merry Back to School to all who celebrate! After a few years away, wandering in the desert of corporate consulting, I made the decision to return to the public school classroom. I will, for the first time, beContinue reading ““How’s High School, Billy?””
Understanding the Parental Expectations from Off-school Programs: A Review of Research
By Selcuk Acar, University of North Texas Research Title: Great expectations: The parental pursuit of optimal gifted programming. Researchers: Celeste D. C. Sodergren, Todd Kettler, & Jessica McKamie. Parents of gifted children often notice their kids’ exceptional talents early on. Whether it’s a knack for math, an interest in reading above their grade level, orContinue reading “Understanding the Parental Expectations from Off-school Programs: A Review of Research”
Lasers! Eight o’clock! Day one!
Nurturing the Moral and Ethical Lives of Gifted Children By Clint Von Gundy In Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic Time Bandits, David Warner plays a character named “Evil Genius.” He is a stand-in for the devil, and spends most of his time locked in a damp subterranean lair, fuming against the beauty of creation and plottingContinue reading “Lasers! Eight o’clock! Day one!”
GEFN Legislative Update: The Time Is NOW to Speak Up for GT
Advocacy for public education and GT education has become more important than ever. Multiple bills have been filed that could impact Texas GT students, and as a parent or educator of GT students, your voice is needed this spring. Please read on for news and easy action steps every GT parent can take right nowContinue reading “GEFN Legislative Update: The Time Is NOW to Speak Up for GT”
Cold as Hail?
Why Parents and Educators Should Be Happy About a Possible TikTok Ban By Clint Von Gundy I don’t use TikTok. I have better things to do… like scroll Instagram. Still, TikTok finds a way to insinuate itself into my life on a near daily basis. It turns out that TikTok users crosspost between platforms andContinue reading “Cold as Hail?”
Research Summary
On Being a Father of a Gifted High-Achieving Millennial Boy An analysis of the article “Paternal Influence on Gifted High-Achieving Millennial Males” By Thomas P. Hébert (published in Journal for the Education of the Gifted) by Dr. Selcuk Acar PhD Parenting gifted youth is attracting increasing attention from researchers, and some of these studies provide valuableContinue reading “Research Summary”
Well… That Happened. What Now? The Future of Gifted Education in the DOGE Era
By Clint Von Gundy Regardless of how one feels about the results of the most recent election, whether rage, elation, or simple ennui, one has to admit that the American political landscape has shifted dramatically. As a nation, we are entering into truly unknown territory. Given the gravity of our current situation, many reading thisContinue reading “Well… That Happened. What Now? The Future of Gifted Education in the DOGE Era”
Texas GT FAQ by GEFN: How Does Texas Fund GT Programs?
As discussed in our last blog post, Texas families are fortunate to live in a state that requires both identification and services for GT students. Unfortunately, not all states provide adequate funding for GT programs—if any dedicated funding is provided at all— which can lead to inconsistencies in the quality and effectiveness of GT servicesContinue reading “Texas GT FAQ by GEFN: How Does Texas Fund GT Programs?”
How Will AI Change Gifted Education?
Selcuk Acar, PhD University of North Texas Since the release of ChatGPT and Google Bard (now Gemini), it has become difficult to dismiss the news, debates, and controversies surrounding AI and its significant impact on many aspects of our lives. AI is poised to continue growing in influence as its power and areas of applicationContinue reading “How Will AI Change Gifted Education?”
Texas GT FAQ by GEFN: Do We Have To Follow ALL of the State Plan?
We are fortunate to live in one of the states that requires both identification and services for GT students. In Texas, all public school districts must determine which students need GT services, and districts must offer those GT services to qualifying students in grades K-12 during the school day and throughout the school year. TexasContinue reading “Texas GT FAQ by GEFN: Do We Have To Follow ALL of the State Plan?”
Ask a Trustee: How Can School Boards Support GT?
Every Texas school district has a school board, and each school board is made up of elected Trustees who volunteer their time (unpaid) to make significant decisions for school districts. School boards must vote on issues like purchasing district property, contracts, bonds, the district budget, local school tax rates, and policies that guide the districtContinue reading “Ask a Trustee: How Can School Boards Support GT?”
Texas GT FAQ by GEFN:
We Moved Districts. Will My Child Keep GT Services? Parents sometimes contact us and ask: after my family moves to a new school district, will my child continue to receive GT services? The answer depends on the decisions and policies of the new school district, but we can provide you with information to help youContinue reading “Texas GT FAQ by GEFN: “
So, My Child Accelerated. Now What?
Over the past decade, in the field of gifted education, significant time and resources have been devoted to publicizing the benefits of academic acceleration. Overall, research strongly supports both the short- and long-term benefits of acceleration for students who demonstrate readiness and who meet certain criteria. But what happens when problems develop later on, eitherContinue reading “So, My Child Accelerated. Now What?”
Parent Advocacy in the Development of Black Male Scholars and Scholar-Ballers: a Panel Discussion for Building on Resilience: Models and Frameworks of Black Male Success Across the P-20 Pipeline
In November 2021, the Gifted Education Family Network partnered with the Minority Achievement, Creativity, and High-Ability Center (MACH-III) for an incredible panel discussion on parent advocacy for gifted and high-ability Black males. Watch the recording and learn more about the research on this subject and about the lived experiences of the panelists.
New! Discussing Racism with Gifted Children – shared from NAGC
For help discussing racism and bias with gifted children, please see “Discussing Racism with Gifted Children” from the September issue of Parenting for High Potential, a publication of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). Article linked below and shared with permission from NAGC. Many thanks to NAGC and the authors for making this importantContinue reading “New! Discussing Racism with Gifted Children – shared from NAGC”
Letter to TEA Commissioner: Requesting GT inclusion in TEA district guidance for Fall 2020
August 3, 2020 Commissioner Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of EducationDeputy Commissioner Matthew Montano, Special PopulationsNiloy Gangopadhyay, Director of Special PopulationsMonica Brewer, Statewide Coordinator, Gifted/Talented Education COVID-19 SupportTexas Education Agency1701 N. Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701 Dear Commissioner Morath, As representatives of families with children who require Gifted and Talented services across the state of Texas, weContinue reading “Letter to TEA Commissioner: Requesting GT inclusion in TEA district guidance for Fall 2020”
Article: “But how will we serve them now?” By Meredith Austin, Ed.D.
With some certainty emerging about the “look” of Texas public schools next year, gifted education leaders must review current practices, adapt our models, and ensure that each of our students learns something new every day. Click here to read the full article on Medium.com
NEW! Free Parent Resource on Full Grade Acceleration
Get the PDF “Most parents have heard of ‘skipping grades.’ They may not know, however, that research recommendations can help educators and parents determine whether a grade skip – also called full grade acceleration – may be in a student’s best interest. What does research tell us about this practice, and how does this researchContinue reading “NEW! Free Parent Resource on Full Grade Acceleration”
Gifted Education Family Network 