Networks & Special Interest Groups

Belief
The Arts Network recognizes the arts disciplines - creative writing, dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts - as essential to gifted education, affording well-rounded development and self-actualization. Further, the impact of the arts in gifted education extends beyond the individual, benefiting our collective futures. The network believes artistic expression reflects an equitable and thriving citizenry where civic dialogue is promoted, and heritage and diversity are honored.

Commitment
Working specifically at the intersection of gifted education and arts education, the network is committed to research-based practices and programming that work to reverse underrepresentation in the arts--finding and nurturing artists from potential, to competency, to expertise.

Focus
To promote excellence and equity, the Arts Network will:

• Encourage research and publication to connect the fields of psychology and education concerning artistically gifted and talented. Focus areas include Talent Development models, programs and evaluation, equitable identification, and supported access to high quality education, appropriate professional development, curriculum, psychosocial skill instruction and mentoring, and developmentally productive experiences in schools and other settings.
• Nurture leadership and grow our Network community to build reciprocal partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, state leaders and researchers in a way that bridges educational organizations and spurs greater communication, collaboration, and increased support.
• Cultivate and contribute to professional training and informational resources to support parents, educators, administrators and counselors in fostering continual social-emotional growth, achievement, and career preparation for artists with talent potential.

Belief
Computers and other types of information technology constitute an intrinsic and immensely powerful aspect of learning in our world today. Appropriate use of such tools provides greatly enhanced control over information access for learners of all types.

Commitment
To initiate, develop, and implement practices and materials that will promote the use of all types of information technology to improve the teaching and learning process.

Focus

• Promote the recognition and acceptance of, and the commitment to, information technology skills as a fundamental area of training for gifted and talented students.
• Promote research in areas relating to the use of information technologies in education.
• Provide practical strategies and activities to foster the use of information technologies in education.
• Prioritize these interests:
  • Empirically sound instructional technology strategies to integrate into the gifted education classroom.
  • Promote the use of technology in educating the gifted.
  • Instructional technology-focused professional development for teachers of the gifted.
  • Identifying appropriate instructional technology resources.

Belief
Computers and other types of information technology constitute an intrinsic and immensely powerful aspect of learning in our world today. Appropriate use of such tools provides greatly enhanced control over information access for learners of all types.

Commitment
To initiate, develop, and implement practices and materials that will promote the use of all types of information technology to improve the teaching and learning process.

Focus

• Promote the recognition and acceptance of, and the commitment to, information technology skills as a fundamental area of training for gifted and talented students.
• Promote research in areas relating to the use of information technologies in education.
• Provide practical strategies and activities to foster the use of information technologies in education.
• Prioritize these interests:
  • Empirically sound instructional technology strategies to integrate into the gifted education classroom.
  • Promote the use of technology in educating the gifted.
  • Instructional technology-focused professional development for teachers of the gifted.
  • Identifying appropriate instructional technology resources.

Belief
Creativity is a basic and necessary function of healthy and productive individuals, and that the health and productivity of a society is reflective of the degree of creativity among its citizens.

Commitment
To initiate, develop, and implement practices and materials that will promote the creative potential of all persons.

Focus

• Promote the recognition, acceptance of, and the commitment to creativity as a critical area of giftedness.
• Promote research in the area of creativity and creative approaches to research.
• Provide practical strategies and activities to foster creativity.
• Increase the public's awareness and acceptance of creative thinking as an essential skill.

Award
E. Paul Torrance Creativity Award. Acknowledges significant contributions by individuals and groups whose work facilitates the enhancement and spread of creativity, especially among gifted children, and who are themselves creative thinkers. Open April 1 - May 31.

Belief
Work in the area of curriculum forms the core basis for programs for gifted learners and must be carried out in a thoughtful, comprehensive, and articulated way.

Commitment
Create and facilitate best practices in curriculum, organized to allow gifted learners to move at their own rates, to provide in-depth experiences, to offer exposure to new knowledge areas, and to make interdisciplinary connections.

Focus

• Develop standards for curriculum development processes including evaluation, scope, and sequence.
• Develop a working relationship and mutual projects with other national curriculum groups.
• Provide a clearinghouse of appropriate curriculum materials for gifted students.
• Promote research and development in curriculum for gifted students.

Awards
Annual Curriculum Awards. Recognizes exemplary curriculum units in gifted education that meet the specific criteria, including that they are evidence-supported curricula field tested with gifted students and demonstrate student growth. Open April 1 - May 31. 

Belief
All young children are curious and ready learners. But some young children have advanced strengths and talents beyond their chronological-aged peers, and these gifts and talents must be nurtured.

Commitment
To promote high quality, developmentally appropriate and differentiated learning for young children exhibiting giftedness from birth through age 8.

Focus
Developing resources for young gifted children, including children from underserved populations (e.g., twice exceptional, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic groups), who have high ability, advanced cognitive development, or the potential for advanced learning experiences and academic achievement.

Belief
Gifted coordinators provide an essential role to ensure that all gifted and talented children have the appropriate opportunities and supports to reach their potential.

Commitment
To facilitate collaboration among gifted coordinators at all levels and all regions; to promote idea sharing of ideas, strategies, and best practices to further gifted coordinator work with educators, students, and parents; and to collaborate with other NAGC networks.

Focus

• Build and provide a network of support for gifted coordinators, so they have a systematic way to connect with other coordinators.
• Create a system for routine collaboration throughout the year, which may include meeting space, scheduled interactive discussions (topical), and webinars.
• Provide coordinator-specific resources, including best practices for various services and professional development for teachers.
• Connect research to practice and practice to research.
• Collaborate with state directors, state organizations, and state board to share information with coordinators.

Belief
Gifted and talented are concerned about the world they live in and its future. They need opportunities to grow in understanding of different cultures and global interdependence and by providing them with the tools and experience to participate in the shaping of their destinies.

Commitment
Help gifted children learn about, understand, and develop global perspectives, cultural diversity, and positive attitudes toward interdependence among all people, natural resource conservation, and social interaction around the world.

Focus

• To serve as a source of information and inspiration regarding global issues that impact gifted education and children in the world.
• To serve the psychological needs of gifted and talented children by creating avenues that generate hope and enable active involvement in constructive change.
• To enable educators to infuse the learning environment for the gifted and talented with global issues.
• To explore, develop, and disseminate curricular materials and methodologies for integrating ethical considerations into curricula for the gifted and talented.
• To collect, develop and disseminate global-issues-related materials and curricula for use in classes for the gifted and talented.
• To serve as a network among organizations for the gifted and talented and to link with global-awareness communities of other organizations.
• To provide opportunities for educators of the gifted and talented to act upon their commitment to global cooperation in their professional lives.

Award
Anne Marie Roeper Global Awareness Award. Recognizes an individual, organization, or institution that honors the legacy and work of Anne Marie Roeper by working to respond to the concerns of gifted and talented children about the future of the world they live in.

Belief
We embody NAGC’s ongoing development of policies and practices that back widely varied marginalized groups and, like NAGC, we encourage research, staff development, advocacy, communication, and collaborative efforts on behalf of our gifted LGBTQ+ youth, other high-potential students, and the youth whom our students encounter.

Commitment
We dedicate ourselves to NAGC’s openness, its support of marginalized groups, and its broad perspective. The network is broadly open to parents, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who stand behind gifted LGBTQ+ students, as these youth strive to do their best in a sometimes less-than-accepting world.

Focus
The purposes of the network are informational, advocacy- and governance-related, and social. Goals are:

• Disseminating information to educators and parents, concerning the nature and needs of gifted LGBTQ+ youth.
• Serving as advocates for the needs of gifted LGBTQ+ youth, their parents and teachers, and gifted youth with LGBTQ+ parents and teachers.
• Welcoming LGBTQ+ supporters into the network.
• Clearly and effectively governing the network's efforts to assist LGBTQ+ students, their parents and educators, and gifted youth with LGBTQ+ parents and teachers.

The network accomplishes its goals by:

• Communicating information related to LGBTQ+ youth within NAGC.
• Advocating for LGBTQ+ youth to entities outside NAGC.
• Socializing with other LGBTQ+ supporters within our broader organization.
• Keeping the network well-managed for both its supporters and its parent organization.

Belief
Families of gifted students and resources within their communities are a crucial part of the growth of gifted individuals.

Commitment
To enhance parent effectiveness and to network community resources.

Focus

• Building partnerships with families, schools, businesses, industries, civic and service groups, helping professionals, and other communities.
• Facilitating education, assistance, and support for families of the gifted.
• Locating, developing, and disseminating relevant resources, programs, and materials.
• Assisting educators in working with gifted students, parents, families, and communities.
• Increasing public recognition of and support for the needs of the gifted.
• Linking gifted individuals with other gifted individuals in the wider community.
• Encouraging and assisting the development of local and state organizations to support gifted education.
• Linking with other networks and organizations to help fulfill common goals.

Belief
The quality of services offered to the gifted, creative, and talented students is dramatically impacted by the quality and effectiveness professional training programs for working with this unique population.

Commitment
Improve the quality of personnel preparation programs and to further the development of leadership within the field of gifted education, with particular emphasis on in- service and staff development, leadership and administration, and higher education.

Focus

• Synthesizing and disseminating information that will expand the knowledge base in professional teacher training for education of the gifted/creative/talented.
• Providing in-service education at the professional-development level in order to encourage and stimulate professional growth.
• Serving as a public advocate of quality programs for training professionals to work with gifted students or to administer programs designed to meet their special needs.
• Providing and disseminating recommended standards for the development and implementation of pre-service, in-service, and graduate training opportunities in gifted education.

Award
Professional Learning Award. Recognizes an individual(s), institution, or organization for planning and implementing sustained professional development on gifted education. The program may relate to any age level within the gifted education context and be given to educators and service providers in PreK-12 or higher education. Open April 1 - May 31.

Belief
There is a critical need to draw attention to the affective needs of gifted individuals.

Commitment
This network is dedicated to addressing the social and emotional growth of the gifted and talented.

Focus
Emphasis is placed on planning and implementing a variety of systems and services for meeting these needs.

Belief
“Special populations” refers to gifted children who have additional circumstances or characteristics that can interfere with academic achievement, social/emotional growth, and optimal development of their potential.

Definition
Special populations of gifted children include, but are not limited to, children who are:

• From Cultural/Linguistic/Ethnically diverse backgrounds
• Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered/Questioning (GLBTQ)
• Twice-exceptional (2e) Gifted Children with Disabilities
• Highly and Profoundly Gifted
• Experiencing the impact of gender issues
• From Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) backgrounds
• Impacted by geographic issues, such as urban and rural settings

Commitment
To advancing awareness, information, networks, and advocacy for special populations of gifted and talented children.

Focus

• Compiling and disseminating resources.
• Developing a network of resource people.
• Presenting sessions at conferences.
• Serving as advocates.
• Generating articles for various publications.
• Acknowledging exemplary programs successfully serving special populations.
• Recognizing and encouraging research with special populations.

Awards
Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted AND __________ Award. Recognizes 1-2 individuals who have contributed to the mission of Special Populations, advanced the recognition of the talents and abilities of special populations, and have had an impact among gifted children from special populations. Open April 1 - May 31.

Dr. Marcia L. Gentry Special Populations Early Career Award. Recognizes 1-2 individuals early in their careers who have: (a) contributed to the mission of the Special Populations Network; (b) advanced the recognition of the talents and abilities of specific populations, while recognizing the impact of other factors on the process of talent development; and (c) created change with an impact among gifted children from special populations. Open April 1 - May 31.

Dr. Martin D. Jenkins Scholar Award. Named in honor of Dr. Jenkins, considered the father of research on gifted Blacks, this award honors the achievements of highly gifted Black students who excel academically. Open April 1 - May 31.

Belief
Gifted/talented students are served in a variety of alternative settings, such as private independent schools, magnet, or specialty schools; Saturday or summer programs; and university-sponsored schools and institutes. These private and publicly funded special schools and programs are vital to the ongoing research and comprehensive delivery of services addressing the needs of gifted individuals.

Commitment
To promoting alternative, experimental, comprehensive services to gifted individuals beyond the scope of traditional public school settings, and reporting in a scholarly way the findings and activities developed and practiced in the special schools and programs in order to benefit all gifted students.

Belief
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are critical to the U.S. economy, its national security, and its global leadership in innovation and research.

Commitment
Our key resource lies in students with STEM promise and we are committed to nurturing these students.

Focus

• To strengthen STEM education research.
• To enhance recognition for gifted, talented, promising, and creative students.
• To increase opportunities for these students inside and outside of school.

Belief
Standardized tests play a critical role in gifted education: 1) They strengthen identification of gifted students, especially those children whose needs may not be apparent in the classroom: the highly, exceptionally, and profoundly gifted; the twice exceptional; underachieving gifted students; and gifted students from diverse backgrounds. 2) They clarify instructional needs for educational planning. 3) They enhance diagnosis of learning deficits often concealed by the gifted child's ability to compensate.

Commitment
Because standardized tests are revised frequently and sometimes substantially, and gifted assessment is not a primary market for test developers, a permanent NAGC committee is needed to monitor assessment options and offer guidance for their use with gifted students.

Focus

• Optimize the use and interpretation of current standardized instruments measuring the abilities and achievement of gifted children.
• Support the ongoing development of improved instruments for the gifted.
• Propose aspirations for yet-to-be-developed instruments intended for use with the gifted.

Belief
Racially under-represented populations (e.g., Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaska Natives) in gifted and advanced programs are almost half of U.S. schools, and they will be the numerical majority in a few years as they already are in many districts, cities, and states. However, the increase in U.S. schools’ racial diversity is not equitably reflected in gifted and advanced programs, particularly among Black and Hispanic/Latino/a students who are most under-represented. Lack of success in achieving equitable racial diversity in gifted and advanced programs is a function of teacher under-referrals, parent under-referrals, test and instrument selection, as well as screening, identification, and placement policies and procedures (e.g., cutoff scores and criteria).

Commitment
To promote accountability for equitable racial diversity in gifted and advanced programs and inspire commitment to equity by NAGC leadership, committees, networks, SIGs, in addition to education professionals, policy makers, business and community leaders, parents, and students.

Focus

• Promote and increase representation for the Dr. Martin Jenkins Scholars Program.
• Promote and increase the representation of teachers of color and those from Title I schools for the Javits-Frasier Scholarship Program.
• Provide resources on current research and best practices relevant to G-RACE purpose.

Belief
Native American/Alaska Native and Indigenous Peoples who are gifted and talented are a unique population that is greatly underserved. The gifted community needs to increase awareness, advance research initiatives, and improve practitioner practices for this group of gifted students.

Commitment
Advance the research and knowledge for identifying and serving gifted, creative, and talented Native American and Indigenous youth, and promote practitioner practices that 1) promote a positive classroom environment 2) honor each student’s cultural and linguistic background and their learning preferences and 3) afford them opportunities for growth cognitively, academically, emotionally, socially, and in their areas of abilities and talents.

Focus

• Uncover and disseminate knowledge about the many different first nations people and cultures to promote recognition and development of giftedness, creativity, and talent development.
• Increase the number of Native American/Alaska Native and Indigenous NAGC Javits-Frasier Scholars.
• Promote inclusion of these people in the research and programming efforts of the organization and its scholars
• Develop a white paper.
• Publish information and resources for the gifted community.

Belief
Rural locations impact gifted learners, teachers, and program offerings. Existing in every state, rural populations vary in many ways, including economic status, racial makeups, cultural groups, traditions, and spirituality, yet some commonalities can be found with reference to ideas about sense of place, family and/or community.

Commitment
Encourage a focus on this underserved group of students, and the intersectionality of race, language, culture and poverty that may potentially place additional barriers to the identification and services to this group of gifted students.

Focus

• Serve to promote professional discussion and collaboration regarding gifted students in rural settings.
• Promote accountability in educational programming through collaborative experiences that engage rural gifted learners, parents, educators, and researchers.
• Foster equity and access to gifted programs to rural gifted students.

Belief
The expression “Rompiendo Barreras” means breaking down barriers, often experienced by Hispanic/Latino students. Such barriers include among many others being vulnerable to experiencing micro and macro-aggressions, facing systemic racism, and interpersonal forms of discrimination such as being denied entrance to advanced educational opportunities. The term "Hispanic/Latino" encompasses Spanish-speaking populations and descendants from Latin America.

Commitment
Rompiendo Barreras/Breaking Down Barriers for Gifted Hispanic/Latino Populations will develop initiatives that will promote leadership development of Hispanic/Latino practitioners, researchers, and scholars in gifted education within NAGC leadership, including the Board of Directors. In addition, it also seeks to increase the recognition of Hispanic/Latino gifted students and promote equitable services, advocacy, and recommendations for advanced learning that will address their diverse cognitive needs, academic achievement, social/emotional growth, and optimal development of their potential.

Focus

• Spread awareness and information to educators, administrators, parents, and lawmakers concerning the nature and needs of gifted Hispanic/Latino youth.
• Serve as advocates for the needs of gifted Hispanic/Latino youth, their parents, and teachers.
• Welcome supporters of Hispanic/Latino gifted students into the SIG by honoring and validating their diversity, contributions, challenges, hopes, and dreams.
• Proactively promote the SIG’s efforts with other NAGC Networks, SIGs, and stakeholders to increase equity, retention, and inclusion of Hispanic/Latino youth and their parents in gifted programs.
• Support Hispanic/Latino scholars to elevate their perspectives and voice to advance gifted education research on issues related to gifted Hispanic/Latino students.

Belief
Twice-exceptional students represent a unique group of learners with diverse programming and emotional needs due to the fact that they may have both gifts and disabilities.

Definition
Twice-exceptional learners are students who give evidence of the potential for high achievement capability in areas such as specific academics; general intellectual ability; creativity; leadership; AND/OR visual, spatial, or performing arts AND also give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria such as specific learning disabilities; speech and language disorders; emotional/behavioral disorders; physical disabilities; autism spectrum; or other health impairments, such as ADHD.

Belief
There is an opportunity for university professionals to enhance NAGC's mission “to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research.”

Commitment
Through research, teaching, and service—especially through service to the NAGC—members of the University SIG support the NAGC goals to influence minds, policies, and practices that affect the education of learners with gifts and talents. In addition, we support the broader goals of gifted education, including understanding the nature, development, characteristics, and educational needs of gifted and talented, emphasizing both individual and institutional outcomes of our educational efforts.

Focus

• To support members of the research and higher education community.
• Enhance opportunities for collaboration among members of the higher education community to broaden the impact of that community’s efforts in areas of concern to higher education personnel such as theory to practice; promoting social justice, diversity, and equity in the field.
• Foster professional preparation standards that emphasize best practices; and teacher preparation curriculum relevant to gifted education, including professional learning programs developed by NAGC.