What We Heard from You: Insights from the 2026 Member Needs Assessment
At NAGC, we are committed to ensuring that our members feel supported, valued, and equipped with the tools they need to advocate for and serve gifted learners. Each year, we conduct a Member Needs Assessment to better understand what’s working well and where we can improve. Your feedback helps shape our priorities, and we’re excited to share some key takeaways from this year’s results.
What You Value Most
We appreciate hearing the ways that you value your membership with NAGC. Many of you deeply appreciate the volunteer opportunities, access to community, and publications that come with your membership, and we’re glad to see you continue to engage with our professional learning and networking resources. Our annual convention remains a highlight, providing valuable connections and learning experiences. We also heard that, in this challenging time for the education field, NAGC’s work to preserve and strengthen gifted education continues to be a major reason why you continue to be active in your membership.
For the fourth year in a row, our quarterly journals, Teaching for High Potential, Parenting for High Potential, and Gifted Child Quarterly are highlights within our publications. We're happy to hear that these journals continue to provide valuable information and resources for your work. We’re also thrilled to see that you value our Networks and Special Interest Groups (SIGs), spaces where members can find community and resources around specific marginalized identities or facets of the field.
What You Had to Say
“I love being part of NAGC because of the tremendous work it does on behalf of supporting gifted learners. The organization is highly valuable for my professional work in teacher education and preparation.”
“I've been a NAGC member for a short time; however, I have come to rely on the NAGC website for up-to-date information, current research, and upcoming webinars.”
“I have enjoyed my time with NAGC so far. The connections I made at the 2025 National Conference helped me to gain context and confidence in the world of gifted education. I look forward to continuing to build that network as I advance in my career.”
“I can't imagine not being part of NAGC. The resources, the connections, and the PD are critical to ensuring equitable access in gifted education across the country.”
“This is exactly what I was looking for. I wish I was more involved earlier.”
Where We Can Improve
While many members find great value in NAGC, we also heard that some feel membership benefits could be more tangible and accessible year-round. In the same vein, some of you shared that you weren’t fully aware of all the benefits available to you or found it difficult to access resources.
We’re also aware that this is a difficult landscape for securing funding for professional development, and many of you shared that you would benefit from access to more free resources. We’re currently planning ways to make our publications more accessible and expand access to our group membership for schools of all sizes and budgets. We’ve already uploaded free supplemental discussion guides for many of our webinars, and we’re continuing to add more in the coming months.
What You Had to Say
I’d like to see...
“Increased advocacy/updates on how you are advocating for gifted education besides position papers.”
“More pratical applications that I can take back into my district to teachers and other administrators.”
“More info on the emotional and social needs of gifted kids.”
“More micro-credential opportunities.”
“More presentations by gifted education teachers and more support for teachers of multi-lingual learners.”
What’s Next?
2026 marks the first full year with our new Engage community platform, and we’re excited to see so many members connecting and sharing ideas together! We’ve seen significant increases in members knowing how to access, send messages, and join Networks and SIGs through Engage, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of you join the conversation. Join the conversation here.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can do so through our website by navigating to NAGC.org and selecting “NAGC Engage” on the top right. Browse Communities to find spaces that align with your interests, and check out the Roundtable to connect with peers and colleagues from across the country and world. Check out our How-To Guides to learn more!
In addition, this year we introduced the Ignite Educator Learning Network, which provides district-wide access to foundational gifted education learning and resources, —so all educators, not just specialists, have the tools to recognize and support gifted learners. Click here to learn more about Ignite and see if it’s a good fit for your district! We also continue to offer Premier Bundle memberships, which allow your team members to access all the benefits of an NAGC Premier Membership with flexibility if your staff changes during the year. Learn more about the Premier Bundle here!
Thank you!
We appreciate everyone who took the time to share their thoughts in this year’s survey. Your input is invaluable, and we are committed to enhancing your membership experience by strengthening advocacy, improving access to resources, and fostering a more connected community.
Thank you for being a part of NAGC, —we’re listening, and we’re excited to grow together!
Meet our drawing giveaway recipients!
As a small thank you for taking part in this survey, we offered some giveaways to some folks that shared their feedback on this form. Thank you to all those that shared their experiences with NAGC. A shoutout to those below who were randomly selected to win one of our giveaways.
NAGC26 Complimentary Registration Recipient: Brian Stuhlman, Middle School Coordinator at Mizzou Academy, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Mizzou College of Education and Human Development, Programmer/Teacher at Missouri Scholars Academy
“I completed the survey because I'm concerned about all things education at the moment, and I am hopeful about what NAGC continues to do to meet mounting challenges head-on. I'm excited to return to the NAGC convention this year for a few reasons. I am hoping to participate more in the work of the Arts Network. I am excited to be part of conversations about how higher education might work more proactively with K12 gifted stakeholders. I am most excited to learn from others about opportunities and best practices for working with gifted students.”
Congratulations to our other drawing recipients!
Cheryl Franklin-Rohr, Angelina Barela, Alison Price, Jill Plonka, Julie Klusas Gasper
