The State of Gifted Education in Arizona: Insights from NAGC’s State of the States Report

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) released the 2020-2021 State of the States in Gifted Education report as a snapshot of what gifted education looked like across the country at that point in time. While this data is now five years old, the report still serves as a valuable historical reference for trends, patterns, and opportunities – especially regarding state policies and support structures for gifted learners. It is important to note that this report is meant to be a contextual overview of how states approached gifted education during that academic year.

National Highlights

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Gifted Identification: While 46 states had a formal definition of giftedness in 2020-21, only 10 mandated specific identification processes, leaving much of the decision-making to local education agencies (LEAs).
• Funding for Gifted Programs: Some states provided designated funding for screening, programming, and addressing equity gaps in gifted education. However, this varied significantly by state.
• Accountability and Oversight: Approximately half of the states had laws mandating accountability for gifted education programs, though reporting requirements differed widely. Around 60% of states monitored or audited gifted programs at the district level.
• Personnel and Training: About half of the states reported having at least one full-time staff member dedicated to overseeing gifted education at the state level, helping to support local programs.

What This Means for Arizona

Arizona defines a gifted pupil as a child who, due to superior intellect or advanced learning ability, requires services beyond the regular curriculum. Since 2007, the state has required public school districts to create a Gifted Scope & Sequence to outline how they identify and serve gifted students.

As of 2020-2021, Arizona did not have:

• A state law requiring accountability measures for gifted education.
• Dedicated state funding for gifted education programs.

This means- that while Arizona schools were required to identify and support gifted students, they often did so with limited state oversight and without direct financial support. Local districts and educators had to advocate for funding and resources at the school and community levels.

Moving Forward

The findings from the 2020-2021 report offers important context as we consider the current state of gifted education in Arizona. Recognizing that these data points are historical, they still help us understand how far we’ve come – and how far we still need to go. 

Since 2021, AAGT has been actively involved in advocacy efforts that have led to important progress. We helped support legislation for funding universal screening of all second graders and advocated for the inclusion of gifted students in the Group B Gifted Weight funding category. These steps represent significant strides in equity and access for gifted learners in Arizona.

We continue to look for ways to advocate for our gifted learners and deeply appreciate the support of our members and community.

Resources:

• Universal Screening Opportunity for 2nd Grade Continues
• Group B Gifted Weights FAQs

Here’s How You Can Help

• Stay informed about policies affecting gifted education in Arizona.
• Advocate for increased state funding and accountability measures.
• Support AAGT’s efforts to provide resources, training, and networking opportunities for families and educators.

We encourage our members to read the full 2020-2021 State of the States in Gifted Education report and join us in working to improve gifted education in Arizona. For more details, visit NAGC’s State of the States Report.

For a visual overview of the report’s findings, you might find the following webinar informative:

2020-21 State of the States in Gifted Education Webinar