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Gifted and Talented Education · South Dakota

Gifted and Talented Education in South Dakota: Full Local Design Authority, Federal Title II-A Support, and a Robust Advanced Coursework Ecosystem

South Dakota has no state mandate for gifted and talented identification or programming. Districts hold complete design authority. Federal ESSA Title II-A funds are explicitly available for Gifted and Talented Learner professional development. The South Dakota Center for Virtual Education, Learning Power AP courses, dual credit, and the Advanced Honors Endorsement serve advanced learners statewide regardless of formal G/T identification.

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state mandates: no statute, rule, or accreditation standard requires G/T identification or programming
Title II-A
federal funds explicitly available for Gifted and Talented Learners; listed on SD DOE acceptable use guidance
SDCVE
South Dakota Center for Virtual Education: AP, advanced, and distance courses explicitly for advanced students statewide
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South Dakota 2024 ACT composite average, highest among neighboring states, above national average of 19.4
The South Dakota policy landscape: what exists and what does not

An Honest Map: What South Dakota Has and Has Not Put in Statute for Gifted and Talented Education

South Dakota is one of approximately ten states nationally with no state mandate related to gifted education funding or programming. This is a deliberate policy position, not an oversight. Understanding what currently exists, and what does not, is the starting point for every South Dakota district designing a local program.

South Dakota currently has
Federal support, data infrastructure, and advanced coursework pathways
ESSA Title II-A explicit G/T acceptable use: SD DOE lists Gifted and Talented Learners as an acceptable use area for LEA Title II-A professional development funds.

SD DOE G/T course codes and Gifted Teacher staffing category: Districts that run G/T programs can record and report them consistently through SD DOE data systems.

South Dakota Center for Virtual Education (SDCVE): Online distance learning including AP courses, explicitly described as serving advanced students needing academic challenge.

Learning Power program: Seven free AP courses in science, math, and English for eligible South Dakota students via the virtual school.

Advanced Honors Endorsement (SDCL 13-55-31.1): Diploma endorsement recognizing students who complete rigorous academic coursework consistent with Opportunity Scholarship eligibility.

Dual credit: High school juniors and seniors may enroll in SD Board of Regents college courses for both high school and college credit.
South Dakota does not currently have
State mandate, definition, or required identification system
No state statute requiring G/T identification or services: SDCL 13-33-16, which previously authorized and supported G/T programs, was repealed. No replacement statute has been enacted.

No state administrative rule governing G/T: ARSD 24:03:06 (which previously required written plans, gifted review teams, multi-criteria identification, and appeal procedures) was removed. No equivalent rule is currently in force.

No state definition of gifted and talented: There is no current SD DOE definition. Districts adopt their own.

No state funding allocation: The state match provision that supplemented local G/T funding was removed. There is no dedicated state per-pupil or grant allocation for G/T programs.

No accreditation standard for G/T: School accreditation under ARSD 24:43 does not include a G/T-specific standard. G/T compliance is not reviewed during district accreditation.
Why no mandate is a policy choice, not a gap: The South Dakota legislature deliberately removed its G/T statute and administrative rules in favor of local control. As the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted has noted, under the old model the state matched local funding, but lawmakers chose to remove this state match provision and allow districts to make their own decisions about G/T programming. This means South Dakota districts do not face compliance pressure around G/T, but they also receive no state direction, no required identification framework, and no dedicated state funding. The quality of what a South Dakota gifted student receives depends entirely on where they attend school.
Historical context: what South Dakota had and chose to remove

South Dakota’s Former G/T Framework: A Reference for Districts Designing Local Programs

South Dakota previously had a structured G/T framework that many states still operate under. Understanding that history is useful both for context and as a voluntary design reference for districts building local programs. The former ARSD 24:03:06.01 provisions represent research-aligned best practice regardless of whether they remain legally required:

Late 1980s to mid-1990s
State mandate in effect: SDCL 13-33-16 authorized G/T programs and the State Board of Education adopted ARSD 24:03:06. Rules required every district to submit a written G/T plan to the state, implement identification procedures, form a gifted review team for placement decisions, follow appeal procedures, and evaluate program effectiveness. Plans were reviewed at on-site accreditation cycles.
Former definition
ARSD 24:03:06.01:01: Gifted students were defined as children in grades 1 through 12 who have superior ability or potential demonstrated through documented evidence, and whose educational needs require modification of the regular program. Both demonstrated ability and potential qualified a student.
Former written plan
ARSD 24:03:06.01:02: Required written plan approved by local board and submitted to state DOE. Plan addressed: (1) philosophy of programming; (2) goals and objectives; (3) procedures for screening, referral, evaluation, placement, and discontinuance; (4) program design; (5) staff training; (6) parent involvement; and (7) program evaluation.
Former identification
ARSD 24:03:06.01:04 and .01:05: Identification required multiple criteria (not a single test or measure). A gifted review team made initial placement decisions. Appeal procedures were required. Transfer students’ prior identification was considered.
Repealed
SDCL 13-33-16 repealed. ARSD 24:03:06 for G/T removed. State match funding provision abolished. No equivalent statute or rule enacted. SD moved to full local control model with no state G/T mandate. Districts retain authority to design and fund their own programs using local funds and federal Title II-A dollars.
Still useful as a voluntary framework: The structure of the former ARSD 24:03:06 remains sound as a voluntary design template. A district that develops a written program philosophy, uses multi-criteria identification with a review team, builds appeal procedures, and evaluates program outcomes is following the same evidence-based practices that the National Association for Gifted Children recommends in its Pre-K-12 Gifted Programming Standards. South Dakota districts are free to adopt this structure on their own initiative, without waiting for state direction.
Federal ESSA Title II-A

Title II-A: Federal Professional Development Funds Are Explicitly Available for Gifted and Talented Learners

While South Dakota has no state mandate, federal ESSA Title II-A funds provide a genuine, current mechanism for districts to build G/T capacity. SD DOE’s Title II-A guidance explicitly names Gifted and Talented Learners as one of the acceptable LEA use areas, alongside teaching children with disabilities, early learners, and STEM:

What Title II-A funds can support for G/T Under ESSA, Title II-A LEA funds must address the learning needs of all students, including gifted and talented students. SD DOE’s acceptable use guidance identifies Gifted and Talented Learners as a permitted area. This means districts can use these professional development dollars to train teachers in identifying G/T students, differentiating instruction for advanced learners, understanding G/T characteristics including twice-exceptional students, designing and implementing enrichment programs, and using assessment data to match services to identified student needs. SD DOE provides a specific guidance document (GiftedTalented.docx) on this use area. Contact: Kelly Royer, (605) 773-8415.
Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act The federal Javits program funds research, model programs, and leadership training in gifted education, with particular emphasis on identifying and serving students from underrepresented populations: students with disabilities, English learners, students from low-income families, and students from rural areas. South Dakota districts and educational service agencies may apply independently for Javits grants through the U.S. Department of Education. Given South Dakota’s significant rural district landscape and its substantial Native American student population, Javits grants focused on equitable identification practices are particularly relevant for many South Dakota communities.
Advanced coursework pathways for advanced learners

South Dakota’s Advanced Coursework Ecosystem: Serving Advanced Learners Without a G/T Label

Even without a G/T mandate, South Dakota has built one of the most accessible advanced coursework ecosystems in the region. These pathways serve advanced learners whether or not they carry a formal G/T identification:

Distance learning

South Dakota Center for Virtual Education (SDCVE)

SD DOE-approved online and DDN-delivered courses from approved providers. The SDCVE explicitly describes virtual learning as appropriate “when an advanced student needs an academic challenge.” Includes AP courses, advanced electives, and courses unavailable at smaller rural schools.

Free AP access

Learning Power Program

Seven free AP courses in science, math, and English, offered online through the South Dakota Virtual School. Available to eligible South Dakota students regardless of school location. Unique to South Dakota. Removes financial barriers to AP access for students in under-resourced districts.

Dual credit

High School Dual Credit

High school juniors eligible to enroll in South Dakota Board of Regents institution courses for both high school and college credit simultaneously. Advanced students can accelerate postsecondary progress. SD DOE and the Board of Regents jointly administer eligibility and enrollment processes.

Diploma recognition

Advanced Honors Endorsement

Earned by students completing rigorous academic coursework consistent with South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship eligibility (SDCL 13-55-31.1, ARSD 24:43:11). Documented on the high school transcript. Signals advanced academic achievement to colleges and employers. Any student may pursue this endorsement.

Rural access

NSU Center for Statewide E-Learning

Northern State University delivers advanced courses including AP via Digital Dakota Network and online to rural South Dakota students who would otherwise have no access. Established by the SD Legislature in 2001. Bridges the advanced course gap for students in smaller districts.

Merit scholarship

South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship

Merit scholarship for students who complete the rigorous coursework specified in SDCL 13-55-31.1. Up to four years of funding for postsecondary education. Incentivizes advanced academic preparation for all South Dakota high school students, not only those formally identified as G/T.

The rural equity dimension: With approximately 150 school districts, many serving tiny rural communities across a vast geography, South Dakota faces a substantial access challenge for advanced learners. A gifted student in a district with 30 students and one teacher does not have access to AP calculus, literary analysis, or physics unless it comes through distance delivery. The SDCVE, Learning Power, NSU E-learning, and dual credit systems collectively make advanced challenge available to students regardless of district size. This is the primary practical mechanism for equity in G/T-adjacent services across South Dakota, and it operates entirely outside of any formal G/T identification system.
A voluntary framework for districts choosing to act

For Districts That Want to Build a Quality Local G/T Program: A Research-Based Design Framework

South Dakota districts that choose to build a G/T program have full design authority and no required structure. The following six-component framework, drawn from former South Dakota rules and current NAGC Pre-K-12 Gifted Programming Standards, provides a coherent voluntary structure any district can adopt:

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Written Program Philosophy and Definition: Adopt a local definition of giftedness and a written statement of why the district serves advanced learners and what it hopes to achieve. The definition can follow the federal ESSA definition (students with high achievement capability in intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership areas, or specific academic fields, who need services not ordinarily provided by the school) or any locally appropriate framework. A written philosophy makes program decisions coherent and defensible to the board.
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Multi-Criteria Identification Procedures: No single test score, teacher recommendation, or nomination should alone determine identification. Use multiple indicators from multiple sources: cognitive ability scores, achievement data, teacher observations and nominations, parent input, student work samples, creativity assessments, and student interest and learning preference inventories. A gifted review team or identification committee makes final decisions. Document procedures so they are applied consistently across students and grades.
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Program Design Matching Services to Identified Needs: Services should be matched to each student’s profile, not applied uniformly. Options include: curriculum compacting, enrichment activities, cluster grouping, single-subject or whole-grade acceleration, pull-out programs, dual enrollment in SDCVE or dual credit, independent study and PBL investigations, and advanced coursework through Learning Power or AP. The service design should directly address the specific domain(s) in which the student was identified.
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Support Services and Parent Involvement: Parent communication at identification, input into program design, and ongoing progress reporting build the trust that sustains local programs. School counselors and psychologists should be aware of G/T students’ social-emotional characteristics (including perfectionism, asynchronous development, and twice-exceptional profiles) and available for support. A documented individual learning plan for each identified student supports continuity across grades and teachers.
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Professional Development: Teachers serving G/T students benefit from training in gifted characteristics, differentiation strategies, identification bias, and social-emotional needs. Title II-A funds (SD DOE explicitly permits G/T as an acceptable use area) can support this training. The SD DOE Title II-A contact (Kelly Royer, 605-773-8415) can provide guidance on allowable professional development uses. Regional gifted education conferences also provide accessible professional learning.
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Program Evaluation: Evaluate whether services are achieving their stated goals by measuring student outcomes, reviewing identification equity, collecting teacher and parent feedback, and comparing services delivered to services documented in individual learning plans. Evaluation data should inform annual program improvements and be reported to the local board. Even without state reporting requirements, a documented evaluation cycle makes the program credible and improvable.
Platform tools for local program design

What Renzulli Learning Provides: Supporting Every Stage of a Locally Designed South Dakota G/T Program

Renzulli Profiler, Multi-Criteria Identification (Component 2) and Individual Program Planning (Component 3): In a no-mandate environment, the Profiler is particularly valuable because it provides structured, documented evidence from the student themselves, one of the most under-used sources in identification systems that rely primarily on teacher referrals. Interest inventories, learning style data, and engagement patterns contribute to a multi-source identification portfolio that any South Dakota district’s local gifted review team can use alongside cognitive or achievement test data. After identification, Profiler data directly informs which enrichment areas and service approaches will be most motivating and effective for each student.
Cebeci Test of Creativity (CTC), Multi-Criteria Identification and Equity Identification: In South Dakota’s no-mandate landscape, districts can include creativity as a domain of identification without being required to, and the CTC provides scored creativity evidence that contributes to a multi-indicator identification process. For South Dakota’s significant Native American student population, and for English learners and students from rural communities with limited academic opportunity exposure, creativity assessments can surface gifted potential that academic achievement tests and teacher referrals systematically miss. The CTC’s accessibility supports the equitable identification practices that Javits grant-funded work emphasizes.
Leadership Assessment, Multi-Criteria Identification and Program Services: Without a state-prescribed definition, South Dakota districts have full authority to include leadership in their local definition of giftedness. The Leadership Assessment provides documented behavioral evidence of leadership ability, broadening the identification criteria beyond academic performance. For districts in agricultural and ranching communities where student leadership often manifests in community, family business, and 4-H settings rather than traditional classroom contexts, a behavioral leadership assessment can identify capable students that academic measures alone would miss.
Enrichment Database, Program Design (Component 3) and Access for Rural Districts: For South Dakota’s many small rural districts where the entire G/T “program” may be one teacher handling enrichment alongside their regular duties, the enrichment database’s 40,000+ interest-matched activities provide a curated resource library that would be impossible to build locally. This is particularly significant in South Dakota because the SDCVE model shows the state already understands that distance-delivered content is the practical mechanism for advanced challenge in small schools. The enrichment database fills the same gap for gifted enrichment that SDCVE fills for AP courses.
Project-Based Learning (PBL) Tools, Program Design and Title II-A Professional Development: PBL tools connect directly to South Dakota’s broader “personalized learning” and “college, career and life readiness” goals in the ESSA state plan, making them usable in districts whether or not they have a formal G/T program. For districts using Title II-A funds to build G/T capacity (explicitly permitted by SD DOE), PBL training is a strong professional development investment: it gives teachers both a framework for advanced learner engagement and a deliverable (student projects) that demonstrates program outcomes for local board reporting.
Personal Success Plan (PSP), Individual Learning Plans (Component 4) and Program Evaluation (Component 6): Without state reporting requirements, South Dakota districts have no external documentation mandate. But any district serious about its G/T program needs the internal documentation that shows identified students are receiving differentiated services. The PSP provides the individual student record that makes a local program substantive. Progress summaries support the parent communication that Component 4 requires. Aggregated participation and outcome data provide the program evaluation evidence Component 6 needs, and gives the local school board a concrete picture of who is being served and what they are doing.
Executive Function Assessment, Social-Emotional Support (Component 4) and Twice-Exceptional Students: Even without a state G/T mandate, South Dakota districts that serve gifted students will encounter twice-exceptional (2E) students: those who are both gifted and have a learning disability, ADHD, autism spectrum condition, or other challenge. The EFA provides self-regulation and metacognitive profile data that is particularly valuable for 2E students, whose giftedness is often masked by their disability in standardized assessments. The EFA helps teachers and counselors understand where executive function challenges may be creating barriers for a gifted student, informing both the identification process and the support services the student needs.
South Dakota context and Renzulli alignment

South Dakota’s Local Design Landscape and Renzulli Learning: Side by Side

South Dakota Context or Support Mechanism Renzulli Learning Contribution
No State Mandate
Full local design authority; no required definition, identification, services, or reporting; districts set their own criteria and procedures		 All Renzulli tools are compatible with any local identification criteria, definition, or service design a district adopts. No SD DOE-prescribed instrument is required, so the Profiler, CTC, Leadership Assessment, and EFA can be used as primary or supplementary identification evidence without conflict with state rules.
Title II-A: Acceptable Use
SD DOE explicitly lists Gifted and Talented Learners as acceptable Title II-A professional development use; contact Kelly Royer (605-773-8415)		 Renzulli Learning professional development resources support teacher training in differentiation, enrichment design, and student identification practices, all qualifying as G/T professional development under the Title II-A acceptable use guidance. Professional learning focused on using Profiler, CTC, and EFA data to inform instructional decisions is squarely within allowable uses.
SD DOE Course Codes
SD DOE maintains Gifted Education course codes and a Gifted Teacher staffing category for reporting purposes		 PSP participation logs and activity records support accurate course and staffing reporting for districts using SD DOE G/T course codes. Documented services provide the substance behind the staffing and course data.
SDCVE and Learning Power
Distance AP and advanced courses for advanced students statewide; rural equity mechanism		 The enrichment database fills the gap below AP and dual credit: the K-8 and middle school enrichment space that SDCVE does not primarily cover. For students too young for AP or dual credit, or in districts where even SDCVE access is limited, the enrichment database provides structured advanced challenge at any level and subject area.
Voluntary Local Program Design
Districts choosing to build formal G/T programs need a complete framework: definition, identification, services, parent communication, professional development, evaluation		 Profiler and CTC (Component 1-2: identification), enrichment database and PBL (Component 3: services), PSP (Component 4: parent communication and individual plans), EFA (Component 4: social-emotional support), PSP data exports (Component 6: program evaluation). All six voluntary framework components are addressed.
Equity and Rural Access
Significant Native American student population; ~150 districts, many very small; historic underrepresentation of rural and tribal students in G/T programs; Javits-funded equity work		 CTC surfaces creative ability that achievement-only identification systems miss. Profiler student self-report reduces teacher referral bias. Enrichment database delivers advanced content to small rural districts that cannot staff enrichment teachers. These tools together address the equity dimension of South Dakota’s G/T landscape without requiring a state mandate to make the case.
Frequently asked questions

South Dakota Gifted and Talented Education: Common Questions

No. South Dakota has no current statute, administrative rule, or accreditation standard that requires gifted and talented identification or programming. South Dakota previously had SDCL 13-33-16 and ARSD 24:03:06 creating these requirements, but they were repealed. The legislature also removed the state match funding provision for G/T programs. This is a deliberate policy position, not a gap. South Dakota is one of approximately ten states nationally with no mandate related to gifted education funding or programming. Districts have complete local design authority.
Yes. SD DOE’s ESSA Title II-A guidance explicitly lists Gifted and Talented Learners as an acceptable use area for LEA professional development funds. Title II-A activities must address the learning needs of all students including gifted and talented students. This means districts can use federal professional development dollars to train teachers in identifying and serving gifted students. For specific guidance on allowable uses, contact Kelly Royer at SD DOE at (605) 773-8415. Districts may also apply independently for federal Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act grants, which fund research, model programs, and leadership training in gifted education with emphasis on underrepresented populations.
South Dakota’s advanced coursework ecosystem provides access to challenging content for advanced learners regardless of formal G/T identification or the size of their district. The South Dakota Center for Virtual Education (SDCVE) provides online and Digital Dakota Network distance courses including AP, explicitly described as suitable for advanced students who need academic challenge. The Learning Power program offers seven free AP courses in science, math, and English to eligible South Dakota students online. Dual credit enrollment allows qualifying high school juniors and seniors to take college courses. Northern State University’s Center for Statewide E-learning delivers advanced courses to rural students. None of these require formal G/T identification.
The Advanced Honors Endorsement (authorized by SDCL 13-55-31.1 and ARSD 24:43:11) is added to a student’s high school diploma when they complete rigorous academic coursework consistent with the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship eligibility requirements. It signals to colleges, universities, and employers that the student pursued advanced academic preparation above the minimum graduation requirements. It is earned through the rigor of coursework completed, not through any formal G/T identification process, making it accessible to any South Dakota high school student who meets the curriculum standards.
Without state direction, a district designing a quality local G/T program should consider six components drawn from research-based best practice (and from the structure of South Dakota’s former ARSD 24:03:06): (1) a written program philosophy and local definition of giftedness; (2) multi-criteria identification using multiple evidence sources and types; (3) program design matching services to each student’s identified strengths; (4) support services and parent involvement including individual student plans; (5) professional development for teachers in gifted education practice, which can be funded through Title II-A; and (6) program evaluation measuring student outcomes and driving annual improvement. Local board approval and transparent communication with families make the program sustainable.
Renzulli Learning is designed to be compatible with any local identification criteria and program design, making it well suited for South Dakota’s no-mandate environment. The Profiler provides student self-report identification evidence that reduces teacher referral bias. The CTC provides scored creativity evidence that surfaces potential missed by achievement-only measures. The enrichment database delivers the advanced content that rural districts cannot staff locally. The PSP generates the individual records and program evaluation data any local board accountability system needs. All tools support professional development that qualifies as an acceptable use of Title II-A funds under SD DOE guidance.
Official sources

South Dakota Gifted and Talented Education Resources

South Dakota does not maintain a G/T-specific state guidance hub. The following sources provide the primary access points for current federal support mechanisms, advanced coursework infrastructure, and professional connections:

Explore Renzulli Learning’s gifted and advanced learner alignment for neighboring states:

All States G&T Alignment North Dakota Nebraska Wyoming Montana Iowa

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