Gifted Education Glossary

2E

Short for Twice Exceptional. A person is both gifted and has an additional exception, such as a learning disability or mental health disorder, including ADHD. Same as Dually Identified

504 Plan

This law enables a student with a disability identified under this Act to receive accommodations to assist their academic success. The 504 Plan is covered under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Acceleration

Moving through education at a faster rate than the established pace of standard curriculum.

Achievement Test

An achievement test is designed to measure a person’s level of skill, accomplishment, or knowledge in a specific area. It is different than an IQ test and commonly understood as a measurement of that the student has already mastered.

ACT

The American College Test is a standardized test used to evaluate students’ educational development and whether they can complete college-level work. The test covers four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

ADHD (ADD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Attention Deficit Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The symptoms or problems include inattention, fidgeting, impulsivity, and executive function difficulties; it is a medical (psychiatric) diagnosis.

AE: Age Equivalent Score

A person’s score is described by an age number in which most others would demonstrate the same level of performance.

AP or Advanced Placement

An accelerated high school courses that earns college credit. Typically, this allows students to skip the same course in college.

AS or Aspie

Asperger Syndrome and a nickname for someone with the syndrome, now called Autism Spectrum Disorder. Often considered High Functioning Autism.

CBT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy modality centered around modifications to thinking, thoughts, and behaviors or actions.

Charter school

An independently run public school. The “charter” is a contract that describes school aspects such as the mission, instructional program, governance, personnel, etc., and how these are measured. National Charter School Resource Center.

Chronological age (CA)

The age of a child according to the number of years since birth.

Cluster Grouping

Also known as ability grouping. Intentionally placing groups of kids with similar ability levels in the same classroom.

Compacting

Curriculum compacting is a flexible, research-supported instructional technique that enables high-ability students to skip work they already know and substitute with more challenging content.

CTY

Center for Talented Youth: at the  Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, a nonprofit organization for gifted individuals, which offers summer, online, international, and family programs.

Dabrowski’s

Refers to the five “overexcitabilities” identified by Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dabrowski.

Davidson (Young Scholars)

The Davidson Institute’s Young Scholars program. Is a program that supports the development of students who are identified as profoundly gifted.

DD/DS

Dear Daughter / Dear Son (frequently used in online forums).

GD/GS

Gifted Daughter / Gifted Son (frequently used in online forums).

PGD/PGS

Profoundly Gifted Daughter / Profoundly Gifted Son (frequently used in online forums).

Differentiation

Providing students’ individualized or ‘different’ classroom education by modifying, enriching, and/or compacting the standard classroom curriculum.

Dually Identified or Twice Exceptional

Same as: 2E. Dual like the number two, a person is both gifted and has an additional exception such as a learning disability or mental health disorder including ADHD.

Enrichment

Programs or curriculum that is added to a typical school curriculum or school day.

FERPA

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.

Flipped Classroom

Students self-learn the classroom lesson or watch an online lecture at home. While during classtime work on the application of the topic or discuss the topic.

GATE

Gifted and talented education.

Grade Acceleration

When a child skips a grade in a subject and studies with a higher class than what his or her same-age peers are in.

Grouping

Placing groups of students together based on their ability in that subject.

GT or G/T

Gifted and talented.

IDEA

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act is “a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.”

IEP

Short for an individual education plan. Used with special education students, this is a tailored plan for the student and may include additional programs or services for the child to be successful. In some states, giftedness is considered special education and will have a GIEP.

IQ or Intelligence Quotient

A number used to represent intelligence or cognitive abilities.

Intelligence Test

A test or evaluation that measures multiple cognitive domains. The most common are the Wechsler Intelligence Scales.

LD

Learning disability or learning disabled.

Magnet School

A public school program that provides and is known for a learning specialty such as math or language (Mandarin Immersion); usually draws students from a large geographical area into the program. There are gifted magnet schools around the country – however none in California.

NAGC

The National Association for Gifted Children supports “those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research.”

Neurotypical

It is a term used to describe a person who is developing or has developed typically within expected ranges. A person who is not experiencing neuro developmental challenges like executive functioning challenges, ADHD, LD, or ASD.

Pull Out

Taking a student out of regular learning for special programming usually for one block or lesson (one hour) once a week.

Radical Acceleration

Skipping three or more grades between K-12.

SENG

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted is a nonprofit organization that “empowers families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.”

Sped or SpecEd

Special education.

STEAM

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math.

STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.

TAG

Talented and gifted — an additional way for saying gifted and talented.

Talent Search

A manner of finding high-potential students either through teacher selection, or above grade level testing.

Telescoping

Covering material in a shorter amount of time such as doing two years of course work in one year. This is different from compacting because it ends in grade-level advancement. Where the student will skip the grades or course work completed.

Twice Exceptional

See 2E and Dually Identified.

Underachieving

Achieving or performing below a person’s known (or expected) ability.