P.O. Box 255
Irmo, S.C. 29063

info@scgifted.org

Founded in 1978, the South Carolina Consortium for Gifted Education has been a primary source of professional development training for school district personnel involved in the design and implementation of educational services for gifted and talented students.

Through collaborative efforts with the state’s eighty-five school districts and the South Carolina Department of Education, the officers and Board of Directors of SCCGE have provided frequent opportunities for South Carolina educators to learn from world-renowned experts in the fields of gifted education, curriculum design and delivery, psychology of learning, student identification, character and needs, student assessment, gifted program development and program evaluation.

SCCGE promotes excellence and provides vital leadership in education through workshops, state and regional meetings and an annual conference. It serves as a resource network for school district, college and university personnel to disseminate information on pending legislation, current research and evolving trends and issues in gifted education.

Each year since its incorporation as a state professional development and advocacy agency, the membership of SCCGE and its influence has increased as educators have become more aware of the characteristics and educational needs of gifted students.

The consortium leadership affiliates with numerous national and global organizations to provide its membership with current research and developments in programming and curriculum design. The officers and Board Members disseminate information on events and resources through this Web site and print communications.

SCCGE seeks to empower, endow and enrich the instruction and leadership abilities of South Carolina teachers of gifted in their mission to enhance and nurture the potential of gifted and talented students.


SCCGE Position Paper

The South Carolina Consortium for Gifted Education, an organization devoted to the professional development of teachers and the educational development and welfare of students with high academic and artistic potential, affirms the following beliefs:

This organization supports South Carolina State Regulation 43-220 which

·         Describes the attributes of an appropriate curriculum for high ability students;

·         Mandates specialized training for teachers of our most able students;

·         Sets maximum class sizes, minimum time requirements, and approved models for gifted and talented classes;

·         Defines the criteria and outlines a process for identifying gifted and talented students.

This organization believes that

·         Gifted and talented children are found in all ethnic and socio-economic groups in our state;

·         Development of the abilities and talents of its most able students is in the best economic and social interest of South Carolina

·         A challenging curriculum and effective instruction must be provided for all gifted and talented students.

This organization endorses

·         Advanced and enriched content for all gifted learners;

·         Accommodations for gifted learners in the regular classroom;

·         A scope and sequence of content and skills for grades 3-12 in each district to ensure a comprehensive program for gifted learners;

·         Opportunities for acceleration, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual credit courses;

·         Accountability for student performance within rigorous programs of study.

This organization recommends

·         Awareness training for all district superintendents and chief academic officers to include the mandates of Regulation 43-220, the nature of the gifted learner, and appropriate program options for gifted and talented children and youth;

·         The establishment of regional centers for gifted and talented for the purposes of staff training and parent education;

·         A minimum requirement in all undergraduate teacher education programs in the state to address the special needs of gifted and talented students;

·         Appropriate program options, including acceleration;

·         District accountability for providing the mandated program according to South Carolina Regulation 43-220.

This organization urges the State of South Carolina to

·         Fully fund the gifted and talented program that State Regulation 43-220 defines;

·         Remove gifted and talented monies from the “flexibility funding” clause;

·         Continue, through state mandate and through the budgetary process, to support South Carolina’s efforts to provide a rigorous and challenging program of study to gifted and talented students.

The South Carolina Consortium for Gifted Education, whose mission is to promote the education of academically and artistically gifted and talented students and to provide professional development for teachers of the gifted, is proud of the gains made in our state in accomplishing these goals and enlists your support for providing a challenging and exemplary program of study for every gifted child in South Carolina.

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