Skip to main content

Mars Area School District

Mobile Menu Toggle

Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP)

The Gifted Individualized Education Plan (GIEP) is the framework of a student’s program and should consist of information that is useful in providing appropriate programming and support services. The GIEP is a yearly summary document that includes all curricular areas, in which a gifted child is to receive education that is adapted and modified to provide opportunities to participate in acceleration or enrichment, or both, as appropriate for the student’s individual needs. The options must enable them to learn at different rates, learn difficult material earlier, and think at a level different from their classmates.

A GIEP meeting must be held at least annually. In addition, a GIEP meeting must be held when a parent(s)/guardian(s) or teacher requests a meeting to develop, review, or revise a student’s individualized education plan. The GIEP Team includes the parent(s)/guardian(s); the student, if 14 years of age or older (or younger, if the parent(s)/guardian(s) chooses to have the student participate); a Local Education Agency (LEA) representative; one or more of the student’s current teachers; and/or other individuals at the discretion of either the parent(s)/guardian(s) or the District.

The District will take steps to ensure that one or both of the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student attend the GIEP meeting or have the opportunity to participate. An invitation to the GIEP meeting must be provided to the parents/guardians at least ten (10) calendar days in advance of the meeting. The meeting will be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time and place.

Components of the GIEP include:

  • Present Levels of Educational Performance establish the extent of gifted potential, academic functioning levels, the child’s rates of acquisition/retention, and performance levels. The information would include:
    • Academic/Cognitive Strengths
    • Achievement Results (aligned to grade/course level standards to indicate instructional level)
    • Progress on Goals (for annual review only)
    • Aptitudes, interests, specialized skills, products, and evidence of effectiveness in other academic areas
    • Grades/Classroom Performance as indicated by subject area teachers.
  • Annual Goals are to be developed from the present levels of educational performance and be reasonably calculated to yield meaningful educational benefit and student progress within one year’s time.
  • Short-term Learning Outcomes are the actions and activities to help the student reach the annual goals, evaluation criteria to determine when the student has achieved the annual goals, and the timelines. They should include what the student will produce, how they will apply the skills, or what real outcome will be achieved due to their engaging in a study, activity, or subject.
  • Specially Designed Instruction is the adaptations or modifications to the general curriculum, instruction, instructional environments, methods, materials, or a specialized curriculum. Specially designed instruction consists of planning and implementing varied approaches to content, process and product modification in response to the student’s interests, ability levels, readiness, and learning needs.
  • Support Services could include but are not limited to career guidance, counseling, affective education, transportation, technology education, and flexible grouping.
  • Dates indicate when the services will begin and the anticipated duration, based on one year, of the services.