National Standards in Gifted and Talented Education
Why Does Gifted Education Need Standards?
Standards provide a foundation for the policies, rules, and procedures necessary to deliver high-quality, systematic programs and services for high-ability students. While standards may be implemented in a variety of ways, they offer essential guidance for designing and developing effective options for gifted learners at the local level.
Read the full NAGC Programming Standards PDF or view them in infographic form below.
Programs & Services
Pre-K to Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards
The 2019 Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards were developed with input from a variety of stakeholders and review of current research and best practices. The standards use student outcomes for goals, rather than teacher practices, keeping them aligned with general education standards. Grounded in theory, research, and practice paradigms, they provide an important foundation for gifted learners at all stages of development. Endorsed by the Council for Exceptional Children's The Association for the Gifted (CEC-TAG).
New to NAGC's gifted education programming standards? Be sure to review Applying the Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Education Programming Standards: Guiding Questions to ensure effective implementation.
General Education Standards
Preservice General Education Standards in Gifted Education.
The Preservice General Education Standards in Gifted Education are designed to outline the knowledge, pedagogical skills, and professional dispositions preservice teachers need to develop to meet the comprehensive, distinct profiles of learners with gifts and talents.1 Specifically, these standards aspire to cultivate a transformative mindset in all preservice teachers, not just those training for specialized gifted education roles, and to recognize and respond to the complex, multidimensional nature of advanced ability across various populations and talent domains.
Rather than prescribing static competencies, the standards serve as a dynamic developmental framework that prepares future K-12 teachers to engage in reflective, equity-centered, and evidence-informed practice. The standards are intended to function together to ground preservice teachers in a solid understanding of learner variability represented in all classrooms, including the intersectional identities and asynchronous development of learners with gifts and talents. NAGC's intent is that these standards will be used to create a standalone course that prepares preservice teachers to meet the academic and affective needs of this often-overlooked population of learners who will inevitably be present in their classrooms.
Read the Preservice General Education Standards in Gifted Education.
Gifted Educator Standards
Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Gifted Educators
Released in 2024, the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Gifted Educators is a revision and update to the 2012 Initial Gifted Educator Preparation Standards (the NAGC-CEC Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education). Created in collaboration with CEC’s Special Interest Division, The Association for the Gifted (TAG), and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), these comprehensive standards are designed to enhance the preparation and ongoing professional development of educators who work with students demonstrating gifts and talents and/or exceptionalities.
Learn more at exceptionalchildren.org/standards and download the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Gifted Educators
Advanced: Advanced Standards in Gifted Education Teacher Training
After mastering initial standards for the preparation of teachers of the gifted, many educators in gifted education continue their professional growth toward mastery of advanced professional standards at the post-baccalaureate levels. For some, this means deepening their expertise and adding new responsibilities for classroom leadership. Other educators assume functions outside the classroom, moving into specializations, administering gifted education programs and services, or moving into teacher preparation and research roles.
These standards may be used to plan and implement advanced degree programs in gifted education; develop advanced competencies in school personnel; teach advanced courses in gifted education; share with leadership and administrators; and guide the hiring of gifted education coordinators.
Download the Advanced Standards in Gifted Education Teacher Training.
Faculty Standards
Standards for Faculty in Gifted Education Teacher Preparation Programs
Faculty in teacher preparation programs in gifted and talented education assume responsibility for the development of PreK-12 teachers who are well-prepared in recognizing and responding to the needs of gifted, talented, and high-potential students. Read the Standards for Faculty in Gifted Education Teacher Preparation Programs.