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Gifted & Talented Education · Mississippi
Mississippi Gifted Education: A Mandate for Intellectually Gifted Grades 2-6, Four Eligibility Categories, and an “In Addition To and Different From” Quality Standard
The Mississippi Gifted Education Act of 1989 (Miss. Code §§37-23-171 through 181) mandates gifted services for intellectually gifted students in grades 2-6, with optional programs in four categories across additional grade bands. Programs must be designed to meet individual needs and must be “in addition to and different from” the regular classroom \u2014 a statutory quality test enforced through MDE Regulations and program monitoring.
2-6
mandatory grade band for intellectually gifted programs in every public school district
4
eligibility categories: Intellectually, Academically, Artistically, Creatively Gifted
4-9
student class size standard for grades 2-8 to maintain program integrity
In Addition To
and different from regular classroom \u2014 the statutory quality test under §37-23-175(b)
The defining structural choice
Mississippi’s Framework: A Genuine Mandate Limited to Specific Grade Bands and Categories
Mississippi’s framework is structurally distinctive. Unlike most state mandates that apply across all grade levels, Mississippi mandates only intellectually gifted programs in grades 2-6. The other three eligibility categories \u2014 Academically, Artistically, and Creatively Gifted \u2014 are optional programs that districts may choose to operate. This grade-band-and-category-specific mandate creates a precise compliance landscape: every district must have an IG 2-6 program; no district is required to have any other gifted program. Districts that operate optional programs must follow the same MDE Regulations as the mandatory IG 2-6 program.
The IG 2-6 Mandate is Real Miss. Code §37-23-173 and the current MDE Regulations require every public school district to provide gifted education programs for intellectually gifted students in grades 2-6. Districts that fail to comply may have their accreditation downgraded and state gifted funds withheld until compliance occurs. This is not aspirational language \u2014 the consequences are stated explicitly in the regulations and are enforced through MDE program monitoring visits.
The Other Categories are Optional but Regulated Districts may operate optional programs for Intellectually Gifted (7-12), Academically Gifted (9-12 only), Artistically Gifted (2-12, visual arts), and Creatively Gifted (2-12, performing arts). These are subject to State Board approval. While districts choose whether to operate them, once operated they must comply with the same MDE Regulations as the mandatory IG 2-6 program \u2014 same identification process, same quality standards, same documentation requirements.
Funding context: gifted education under MAEP. Gifted education funding falls under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), where it is currently lumped with funding for special education and vocational education to be used at the discretion of the school districts. There is no separate dedicated G/T per-pupil revenue stream comparable to Minnesota’s reserved $13 per adjusted pupil unit. Districts allocate from the combined fund based on local priorities, with the IG 2-6 mandate providing the legal floor. Non-compliance can result in withholding of state gifted funds.
Miss. Code §37-23-175: four eligibility categories
The Four Eligibility Categories: Definitions, Grade Bands, and Mandate Status
Miss. Code §37-23-175 defines the four eligibility categories Mississippi recognizes. Each has a specific definition, grade band, and mandate status:
Intellectually Gifted (IG)
Mandatory grades 2-6; optional grades 7-12. Children with an exceptionally high degree of intelligence as documented through the identification process. Identification primarily uses individually administered intellectual abilities testing combined with multi-criteria evidence. The IG category is the foundation of Mississippi’s mandate \u2014 every district must serve IG students in grades 2-6.
Academically Gifted (AG)
Optional grades 9-12 only. Children with an exceptionally high degree of demonstrated academic ability. AG programs consist of courses only in grades 9-12 designated as “gifted” by MDE. Important note: a student with an IG eligibility ruling may be served in an AG program in grades 9-12 without obtaining a separate AG eligibility. Districts offering AG courses must also offer comparable courses for non-AG students.
Artistically Gifted
Optional grades 2-12. Children with an exceptionally high degree of creativity AND an exceptionally high degree of ability in the visual arts as documented through the identification process. The visual-arts focus distinguishes Artistically Gifted from Creatively Gifted. Identification typically uses arts portfolios, performance evaluations, and creativity measures alongside the standard cognitive screening process.
Creatively Gifted
Optional grades 2-12. Children with an exceptionally high degree of creativity AND an exceptionally high degree of ability in the performing arts as documented through the identification process. The performing-arts focus distinguishes Creatively Gifted from Artistically Gifted. The Creatively Gifted category specifically supports students whose primary talent domain is dance, theatre, music performance, or other performing arts.
The category structure preserves identification precision. Mississippi’s deliberate separation of Artistically Gifted (visual arts) from Creatively Gifted (performing arts), and of Intellectually Gifted from Academically Gifted, recognizes that giftedness is not unitary. A student exceptionally talented in performing arts is not necessarily exceptionally talented in visual arts. A student with exceptional intellectual ability is not necessarily a high academic achiever in all subjects. The four-category structure allows districts to identify and serve students whose specific talent profile is best matched to one or more categories.
§37-23-175(b): the operational quality standard
The “In Addition To and Different From” Standard: How Mississippi Tests Whether a Service Qualifies as Gifted Programming
Miss. Code §37-23-175(b) establishes the operational quality standard for all Mississippi gifted programs verbatim:
“Such programs shall be designed to meet the individual needs of gifted children and shall be in addition to and different from the regular program of instruction provided by the district.”
This is not aspirational language. It is the statutory test for whether a service qualifies as gifted programming under Mississippi law. A service that duplicates or substitutes for regular classroom instruction does not satisfy the requirement. The MDE Regulations operationalize this standard through several specific requirements:
Class size standard 4-9 students (grades 2-8): The current MDE Regulations establish that the size of each gifted class in grades 2-8 should be in the range of 4-9 students. Maintaining this class-size range protects program integrity and ensures the individualized instruction the §37-23-175(b) standard requires.
Pull-out instructional time minimums: Many Mississippi districts implement IG 2-6 programs as pull-out programs, with minimum instructional time per week. Common district guidance specifies 240-300 minutes per week of dedicated gifted instruction, depending on local program design. Less than this minimum may compromise the “in addition to and different from” standard.
Properly endorsed gifted education teachers: Mississippi requires properly endorsed gifted education teachers to serve identified students. Teacher endorsement is one of the operational mechanisms for ensuring gifted instruction is meaningfully different from regular classroom curriculum.
Mississippi Gifted Education Program Standards rubric: MDE evaluates gifted programs against a rubric of program standards. Written documentation must be submitted with each evaluation rating of 3 or higher. A written corrective action plan approved by the local school board must be submitted with each rating of 1. Falsification of any area of the report could lead to probationary status and possible loss of funding.
Gifted Learner Outcomes: The MDE Suggested Outcomes for Intellectually Gifted Education Programs identifies gifted learner outcomes for communication, creativity, group dynamics, thinking skills, research, and self-directed learning \u2014 all working toward metacognition as the overall goal. Programs must produce evidence of student progress against these outcomes.
MDE identification process
Mass Screening + Individual Referral: How Mississippi Identifies Gifted Students
The MDE Regulations establish two complementary identification processes that work in parallel:
Process 1
Mass Screening Process
All Mississippi districts must screen all students in at least one grade level each year using a normed group measure of intelligence. The process operates in stages: Stage 1 Mass Screening; Stage 2 Data Collection; Stage 3 LSC (Local Survey Committee) Review of Data; Stage 4 Parental Permission for Testing. Students at or above specified percentile cutoffs proceed to Stage 5 (individual intelligence testing). The mass screening structure ensures every student is at least screened once during their elementary years.
Process 2
Individual Referral Process
A student may be referred by a parent, teacher, counselor, administrator, peer, self, or anyone else having reason to believe the student might be intellectually gifted. The person initiating the referral signs and dates the referral form. Once the form is initiated, only the LSC or parents can stop the identification process. Students participating in Individual Referral must satisfy three of the acceptable criteria before moving forward to individual testing \u2014 a multi-criteria standard.
Jacob Javits Act standard applies: “Intellectual ability and academic ability are two distinct and separate areas of performance.” Accordingly, while grades and/or achievement test scores might be an indicator of giftedness, neither grades nor achievement test scores shall eliminate a student from the identification process for the intellectually gifted. This is statutory federal language Mississippi has adopted into its identification framework. It protects students whose academic record may not reflect their intellectual ability \u2014 particularly twice-exceptional students whose disability suppresses achievement, students whose engagement is masked by behavioral or attendance challenges, and students whose academic exposure is uneven.
Equity in identification
The Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist: How Mississippi Addresses Equity
The MDE Regulations explicitly require that students determined to be at a disadvantage for gifted assessment shall be given special considerations during the gifted identification process. The mechanism is the Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist:
Universal application: All students should be considered when using the Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist. The checklist identifies factors that may put a student at a disadvantage when inappropriate instruments are used during assessment \u2014 socioeconomic factors, linguistic factors, cultural factors, prior educational opportunity, and other measurable disadvantages.
Lower percentile threshold for special consideration: Students with special considerations who scored at or above the 84th percentile but lower than the 90th percentile on the normed group measure shall move forward in the gifted identification process. This is structurally a lower threshold than the standard percentile cutoff \u2014 designed to surface giftedness in students whose first-pass scores may be suppressed by disadvantage factors.
Targeted instrument selection: Throughout the identification process, district personnel must select measures that target the specific abilities being assessed while avoiding instruments that systematically disadvantage students. This may include using non-verbal or culture-fair instruments, providing accommodations during testing, and applying alternative scoring criteria.
Address gifted at-risk students: The MDE Program Standards require districts to address the needs of gifted at-risk students. Programs must specifically consider how identification and services will reach students whose giftedness might otherwise be obscured by socioeconomic, linguistic, or cultural factors common across Mississippi’s diverse student populations.
Real challenges
What Mississippi District G/T Coordinators Struggle With
These are the operational challenges we consistently hear from Mississippi district gifted program coordinators:
The 4-9 class size standard at scale
Maintaining class sizes of 4-9 students across multiple grade levels in larger districts requires substantial scheduling and staffing infrastructure. A district with 600 IG-identified students across grades 2-6 needs many separate small-group sessions to satisfy the standard. Operational tools that support flexible grouping and individualized programming reduce the staffing burden.
The "in addition to and different from" standard
Demonstrating to MDE program monitors that gifted instruction is meaningfully different from regular classroom curriculum requires both genuinely differentiated content AND documentation evidence. Districts that rely on the regular curriculum supplemented with extra assignments fail this standard \u2014 they need substantively different content with documented student products.
Mass screening at scale across all districts
The mass screening requirement \u2014 all students in at least one grade level each year \u2014 creates substantial assessment infrastructure burden. For larger districts, this means screening hundreds or thousands of students annually with documented Stage 3 LSC review. Smaller districts often have a single coordinator covering multiple schools and need scalable assessment infrastructure.
Documentation for MDE program monitoring
The eligibility file standard \u2014 individual files maintained in separately locked storage with controlled access \u2014 plus the Program Standards rubric evaluation, plus the corrective action plan requirement for ratings of 1, plus the falsification consequences create substantial documentation infrastructure needs. Year-round structured documentation rather than reporting-time reconstruction is operationally critical.
Platform tools
What Renzulli Learning Provides: Mapped to Mississippi’s Framework
Each tool maps to a specific Mississippi requirement \u2014 with particular strength on multi-criteria identification, “in addition to and different from” content delivery, and program monitoring documentation:
Renzulli Profiler — Multi-Criteria Evidence + Individual Referral Process Support: A 20\u201330 minute strength-based interest and learning style inventory available in 20+ languages through the Global Profiler. The Profiler functions as student-generated multi-criteria evidence complementing the normed group measure of intelligence Mississippi uses for mass screening. Multilingual access supports equity for Mississippi’s linguistically diverse student populations and the Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist’s mandate to address disadvantage factors during identification.
Cebeci Test of Creativity (CTC) — Creatively Gifted Identification + Equity Evidence: A validated, standardized creativity assessment (US Patent 12,087,176) measuring fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. The CTC directly supports Creatively Gifted identification (the optional performing-arts category) by providing scored creativity evidence. For all four eligibility categories, the CTC provides equity-supporting evidence \u2014 particularly for students whose cognitive measures may be suppressed by disadvantage factors. Non-verbal and culture-independent design supports the Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist’s 84th-90th percentile pathway.
Leadership Assessment — Individual Referral Multi-Criteria Evidence: Provides scored evidence of leadership characteristics. Mississippi’s Individual Referral Process requires students to satisfy three of acceptable criteria before moving forward to individual testing. The Leadership Assessment contributes a behavioral dimension to the multi-criteria evidence portfolio. The Mississippi MDE Suggested Outcomes for IG Programs explicitly include leadership as a target gifted learner outcome.
Executive Function Assessment (EFA) — Twice-Exceptional Identification + Jacob Javits Act Compliance: Measures self-regulation, planning, working memory, and metacognition. Mississippi’s adoption of the Jacob Javits Act standard (intellectual and academic ability are distinct) explicitly protects twice-exceptional students. The EFA is the primary diagnostic tool for understanding how a 2E student’s disability may be masking their giftedness \u2014 directly supporting Mississippi’s framework for identifying gifted students whose academic records do not match their intellectual ability.
Enrichment Database — The "In Addition To and Different From" Content Library: Over 40,000 interest-matched, SEM-aligned activities. Miss. Code §37-23-175(b)’s “in addition to and different from” standard requires content meaningfully different from regular classroom curriculum. The enrichment database provides above-grade-level content explicitly designed to extend beyond the general curriculum \u2014 directly satisfying the operational test for compliant gifted programming. The MDE Suggested Outcomes (communication, creativity, group dynamics, thinking skills, research, self-directed learning) map directly to enrichment database activity categories.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) Tools — Metacognition + Gifted Learner Outcomes: SEM-based investigations producing authentic student products and performances. PBL projects deliver the metacognition the MDE Suggested Outcomes frame as the overall goal of intellectually gifted education \u2014 students reflecting on their thinking process and using it more effectively. PBL products provide the authentic student work evidence that Program Standards rubric monitoring requires.
Personal Success Plan (PSP) — Eligibility File + Program Standards Rubric Evidence: A student-driven goal and progress tracker. PSP records consolidate identification evidence, services delivered, progress against goals, and family communication. Mississippi’s eligibility file requirement (individual files in separately locked storage) and Program Standards rubric evaluation both require structured documentation. PSP records aggregate into program-level evidence supporting MDE program monitoring visits, Program Standards self-evaluation, and the “in addition to and different from” standard’s student-product evidence requirement.
Mississippi requirements and Renzulli Learning side by side
How Renzulli Learning Aligns with Miss. Code §§37-23-171 to 181 and the MDE Regulations
Miss. Code §37-23-173 Miss. Code §37-23-175 Title 7, Part 96 MDE Program Standards| Mississippi Requirement | Renzulli Learning Contribution |
|---|---|
| §37-23-173 Mandatory IG programs grades 2-6 Every public school district must provide; non-compliance may result in accreditation downgrade and withholding of state gifted funds | Renzulli Learning provides the identification, programming, and documentation infrastructure that constitutes a compliant IG 2-6 program: Profiler + CTC + EFA + Leadership Assessment (multi-criteria identification); enrichment database + PBL (in addition to and different from content); PSP (eligibility file documentation). |
| §37-23-175 Four eligibility categories IG, AG, Artistically Gifted, Creatively Gifted; each with specific grade band and definition | CTC directly supports Creatively Gifted identification. Profiler, Leadership Assessment, and EFA contribute multi-criteria evidence for all four categories. The platform’s flexibility allows districts to use the same instruments across multiple categories without requiring separate identification systems. |
| §37-23-175(b) "In addition to and different from" the regular program Statutory quality standard for all gifted programs | Enrichment database (40,000+ above-curriculum activities) and SEM-based PBL tools deliver content explicitly designed to be substantively different from regular classroom curriculum. The platform’s alignment with Renzulli’s Schoolwide Enrichment Model directly addresses the “in addition to and different from” standard. |
| Mass Screening Normed group measure of intelligence + Stage 1-4 process All districts screen all students in at least one grade level each year | Renzulli instruments do NOT replace the normed group measure of intelligence districts use for mass screening \u2014 those are state-required and administered by qualified personnel. Profiler contributes complementary student self-report evidence; CTC contributes scored creativity evidence; Leadership Assessment contributes leadership evidence. Together they support Stage 2 Data Collection for the LSC review. |
| Individual Referral Three of acceptable criteria required Parent, teacher, counselor, administrator, peer, self may refer | Profiler, CTC, Leadership Assessment, and EFA together provide four scored, objective criteria types contributing to the three-of-acceptable-criteria standard. Multiple distinct evidence types complement traditional achievement and ability measures. |
| Disadvantaged Checklist Special considerations for at-risk gifted Lower percentile threshold (84th-90th) for students with disadvantage factors | CTC (creativity evidence less dependent on language proficiency and socioeconomic exposure), Profiler in 20+ languages (supports EL identification), EFA (twice-exceptional identification). Together these tools systematically surface giftedness in students whose disadvantage factors may suppress traditional cognitive measures. |
| Class Size 4-9 Grades 2-8 program integrity standard 240-300 minutes per week instructional time | Enrichment database and PBL tools provide scalable content infrastructure that supports flexible small-group programming consistent with the 4-9 class-size standard. PSP documentation supports demonstrating instructional time compliance during program monitoring. |
| Program Standards MDE Program Standards rubric evaluation Eligibility file documentation, corrective action plans for rating of 1 | PSP generates the structured documentation \u2014 identification evidence, services delivered, progress against MDE Suggested Outcomes (communication, creativity, group dynamics, thinking skills, research, self-directed learning, metacognition) \u2014 that supports rubric scoring at 3 or higher and reduces audit risk. |
From Mississippi educators
What Implementation Looks Like in Mississippi Districts
“The 4-9 class size and the ‘in addition to and different from’ standard together set a high bar for IG 2-6. We can’t just give kids extra worksheets and call it a gifted program. We need substantively different content delivered in genuinely small groups, and we need to document that we’re doing it. The platform’s above-curriculum content library plus the structured documentation lets us actually meet the standard rather than approximating it.”Gifted Program Coordinator · Central Mississippi public school district
For larger Mississippi districts Jackson Public Schools, DeSoto County School District, Madison County School District, Rankin County School District, and other large Mississippi districts serve substantial IG 2-6 populations across many schools. District-level reporting infrastructure that produces consistent multi-criteria evidence, supports MDE Program Standards rubric scoring, and documents the “in addition to and different from” standard at scale is operationally critical.
For smaller and rural Mississippi districts Smaller and rural Mississippi districts often have a single G/T coordinator covering multiple schools across grades 2-6. Web-based delivery means a single coordinator can scale evidence-gathering and enrichment across schools, satisfy the 4-9 class-size standard with flexible grouping, and maintain Program Standards documentation across buildings without specialist staffing at every site \u2014 important in Delta and other regions where staffing capacity is limited.
Frequently asked questions
Mississippi Gifted Education: Common Questions
Questions Mississippi district G/T coordinators, classroom teachers, and parents ask most often:
What does Mississippi’s Gifted Education Act of 1989 require?
The Mississippi Gifted Education Act of 1989, as amended in 1993 (Miss. Code §§37-23-171 through 181), mandates that every public school district within the state provide gifted education programs for intellectually gifted students in grades 2-6. This is a genuine state mandate \u2014 not guidance, not encouragement. Districts that fail to comply may have their accreditation downgraded and state gifted funds withheld until compliance occurs. The Act also authorizes optional programs for intellectually gifted students in grades 7-12, academically gifted students in grades 9-12, artistically gifted students in grades 2-12 (visual arts), and creatively gifted students in grades 2-12 (performing arts). All programs must be designed to meet the individual needs of gifted children and must be “in addition to and different from” the regular program of instruction provided by the district.
What are Mississippi’s four eligibility categories for gifted education?
Mississippi recognizes four eligibility categories under Miss. Code §37-23-175 and the current MDE Regulations: (1) Intellectually Gifted (IG) \u2014 children with an exceptionally high degree of intelligence; mandated for grades 2-6, optional for grades 7-12; (2) Academically Gifted (AG) \u2014 children with an exceptionally high degree of demonstrated academic ability; optional for grades 9-12 only; (3) Artistically Gifted \u2014 children with exceptionally high degree of creativity and ability in visual arts; optional for grades 2-12; (4) Creatively Gifted \u2014 children with exceptionally high degree of creativity and ability in performing arts; optional for grades 2-12. A student with an IG eligibility ruling may be served in an Academically Gifted program in grades 9-12 without obtaining an AG eligibility ruling. However, since not all intellectually gifted students are also academically gifted in all areas, careful placement consideration is required.
What does the “in addition to and different from” standard mean?
Miss. Code §37-23-175(b) establishes the operational quality standard for all Mississippi gifted programs verbatim: gifted programs “shall be designed to meet the individual needs of gifted children and shall be in addition to and different from the regular program of instruction provided by the district.” This is not aspirational language \u2014 it is the statutory test for whether a service qualifies as gifted programming under Mississippi law. A service that duplicates or substitutes for regular classroom instruction does not satisfy the requirement. The MDE Regulations operationalize this through specific instructional time standards, class-size limits (4-9 students per class in grades 2-8), and program review rubrics that examine whether instruction is meaningfully different from regular classroom curriculum.
How does Mississippi’s identification process work?
The MDE Regulations establish two complementary identification processes: Mass Screening and Individual Referral. The Mass Screening Process requires all Mississippi districts to screen all students in at least one grade level each year using a normed group measure of intelligence. The process operates in stages: Stage 1 Mass Screening; Stage 2 Data Collection; Stage 3 LSC (Local Survey Committee) Review of Data; Stage 4 Parental Permission for Testing. The Individual Referral Process accepts referrals by parent, teacher, counselor, administrator, peer, self, or anyone else having reason to believe the student might be intellectually gifted; the student must satisfy three of the acceptable referral criteria before moving forward to individual testing. The Jacob Javits Act standard applies: intellectual ability and academic ability are distinct, so neither grades nor achievement test scores shall eliminate a student from the identification process. Students determined to be at a disadvantage for gifted assessment receive special considerations through the “Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist.”
How does Mississippi handle out-of-state gifted eligibility transfers?
Each state has unique eligibility criteria. A student moving to Mississippi with a gifted eligibility from another state must satisfy Mississippi eligibility criteria before being considered for placement in a Mississippi gifted program. The eligibility ruling from another state may be used to initiate the referral process \u2014 specifically, once gifted eligibility in another state has been documented, the student moves to Stage 5 of Mississippi’s identification process. There is no temporary placement in the gifted program while the student goes through the eligibility process within the local district. Within Mississippi, students with a valid Mississippi gifted eligibility ruling do not have to be re-evaluated when moving between districts; a Mississippi eligibility determination in any of the four areas shall be accepted by all school districts within the state, provided the receiving district has a program in the area for which the student has eligibility. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact applies to military families.
What are the class size and instructional time requirements?
The current MDE Regulations establish that the size of each gifted class in grades 2-8 should be in the range of 4-9 students. Maintaining this class-size range protects program integrity and ensures the individualized instruction the Gifted Education Act requires. Districts that exceed the recommended class size may compromise the “in addition to and different from” standard. Many Mississippi districts implement intellectually gifted programs as pull-out programs, with minimum instructional time per week (commonly 240-300 minutes per week, depending on local program design and district guidance). Properly endorsed gifted education teachers serve identified students. Non-compliance with class-size standards or instructional-time minimums may result in negative findings during MDE program monitoring visits.
How does Mississippi address equity in gifted identification?
The MDE Regulations explicitly require that students determined to be at a disadvantage for gifted assessment shall be given special considerations during the gifted identification process. The Disadvantaged for Gifted Identification Checklist helps district personnel identify factors that may put a student at a disadvantage when inappropriate instruments are used during assessment. Special considerations include using non-verbal or culture-fair instruments, providing accommodations during testing, and applying alternative scoring criteria. Throughout the identification process, district personnel must select measures that target the specific abilities being assessed while avoiding instruments that systematically disadvantage students based on socioeconomic, linguistic, or cultural factors. Students with special considerations who score at or above the 84th percentile but lower than the 90th percentile on the normed group measure shall move forward in the gifted identification process \u2014 a structurally lower threshold designed to surface giftedness in students whose first-pass scores may be suppressed by disadvantage factors.
How does Renzulli Learning support Mississippi’s framework?
Renzulli Learning provides instruments and content aligned to Mississippi’s Gifted Education Act and current MDE Regulations. The Renzulli Profiler captures interest depth, learning patterns, and motivation indicators \u2014 contributing student-generated data complementing the normed group measure of intelligence Mississippi uses for mass screening. The Cebeci Test of Creativity provides scored creativity evidence supporting both creatively gifted identification (the optional category) and equity for students whose cognitive measures may be suppressed by disadvantage factors. The Leadership Assessment provides leadership data; the Executive Function Assessment supports identification of twice-exceptional students. The 40,000+ activity enrichment database delivers content explicitly designed to be “in addition to and different from” regular classroom instruction \u2014 directly addressing Miss. Code §37-23-175(b)’s operational standard. The Personal Success Plan documents identification, services delivered, and progress \u2014 supporting MDE program monitoring, program standards rubric scoring, and the eligibility file documentation requirement.
Official sources
Mississippi Gifted Education Resources
All identification, programming, and program monitoring decisions should reference primary MDE and statutory sources. Renzulli Learning is designed to complement \u2014 not replace \u2014 the normed group measure of intelligence districts use for mass screening, the Mississippi Gifted Education Program Standards, and your district’s locally adopted procedures.
- Mississippi Department of Education \u2014 Gifted Programs (Elementary Education & Reading; program hub; monitoring tools)
- Regulations for Gifted Education Programs (current 2023 PDF, MDE; purpose, grade bands, identification process, transfers, program standards)
- Mississippi Code §§37-23-171 through 181 \u2014 Gifted Education Act of 1989 (short title; definitions; powers and duties; rulemaking)
- Title 7, Part 96 (Secretary of State Administrative Code) \u2014 Regulations for Gifted Education Programs (full text including identification stages, program standards, class size, evaluation)
- Mississippi Association for Gifted Children (MAGC) \u2014 advocacy, parent resources, professional development, legislative information
Custom District Alignments
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