The rights of gifted students to receive differentiated services to support their learning and growth is protected by law (Article 9B, Academically or Intellectually Gifted Students). This article is a mandate that defines giftedness.

Legally, an academically and/or intellectually gifted student don’t have to perform at much higher levels than their peers, as long as they show the potential to perform. Meaning that low grades or low test scores are not necessarily indication that a child in not gifted. Giftedness may show in intellectual areas (Intellectually Gifted = IG), specific academic fields (Academically Gifted = AG), or both (AIG).

It is important to note that the law emphasizes that students with exceptional abilities are present in all communities, regardless of cultural background, socio-economic status, or life circumstances.

The state provides guidelines for the AIG program

Each local district is required to develop their own plan, both for identification and for providing the services. The DPS AIG plan can be found here. The local plan is critical because it details how the district is implementing their legal requirement for their own specific population.

According to state law, gifted students should be given services beyond the mainstream curriculum to facilitate their growth and learning to their full potential. These services may look different in different districts, different grade levels and different schools.