Gifted education - program plans - implementation - qualified personnel - local advisory committees

(1) Each administrative unit shall provide a gifted education program in accordance with this part 2 and the rules of the state board. Each administrative unit shall adopt a gifted education program plan that the administrative unit can implement within the local, state, and federal moneys and resources that are available to the administrative unit for gifted education. Each administrative unit shall submit the program plan to the department, as provided in state board rule. At a minimum, each program plan must: (a) Include procedures for reporting data collection and maintenance concerning implementation of the gifted education program; (b) Include appropriate opportunities for concurrent enrollment, as provided in article 35 of this title, if indicated by a gifted child's advanced learning plan or individual career and academic plan; (c) Satisfy any criteria established by rules promulgated by the state board for the implementation of this part 2; and (d) Be consistent with the advanced learning plans of the gifted children that the administrative unit identifies. (2) Each administrative unit is also strongly encouraged to include in the program plan a universal screening, as defined by state board rule, of enrolled students no later than second grade to identify gifted children and a second screening of gifted children in conjunction with the creation of each child's individual career and academic plan. (3) To implement the program plan that each administrative unit adopts pursuant to this section, each administrative unit shall ensure that its constituent schools and school districts make available the gifted education services specified in each gifted child's advanced learning plan to the extent described in the administrative unit's program plan. (4) To comply with this section, an administrative unit may contract with one or more administrative units to establish and maintain gifted education programs for the education of gifted children, sharing the costs of the gifted education programs in accordance with the terms of the contract. An administrative unit that has fewer than six children who need a particular kind of gifted education program may purchase services from one or more administrative units that provide the appropriate gifted education program. (5) (a) Each administrative unit shall make a good-faith effort to hire and retain on at least a half-time basis at least one qualified person in gifted education to administer the administrative unit's gifted programs and implement the administrative unit's program plan. The qualified person must meet the qualification standards set by rule of the state board. (b) Institutions of higher education that are located within the state are encouraged to work with the administrative units, the state board, and the department to provide endorsement and degree programs, other staff development, and in-service opportunities to increase the number of qualified persons and to increase the capacity of all educators to implement each administrative unit's gifted education program and to implement gifted students' advanced learning plans. (6) To assist an administrative unit in implementing its program plan and providing services to gifted children, each administrative unit is strongly encouraged to establish and maintain a local advisory committee that includes persons who are involved in or concerned with gifted education and concerned with improving the delivery of and communication concerning gifted education.