GT Education ResourcesAcademic Excellence : Minnesota Department of Education

GT Education Resources

GT Education Resources

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) provides access to resources about state and national gifted and talented policy, publications and research studies.

NEW! Frequently-asked question documents are available below on a variety of subjects related to gifted students. This information is helpful to parents, administrators, teachers and other school staff.

Sample differentiated lesson plans developed by Minnesota teachers are now available below. These plans are tied to the Minnesota Academic Standards.

The National Association for Gifted Childen (NAGC) Website has a wealth of information on gifted education, including articles on STEM, the young gifted, fostering diversity in gifted education, differentiation, and 10 things administrators should know about gifted children.

PowerPoint presentations on gifted and talented learners and services are available. See document descriptions below for more information on what you can find in each presentation.

* Links to third-party sites are provided as a service to Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Website visitors. See our disclaimer regarding these sites in our copyright information linked at the bottom of this page. Links will open in a new browser window.

FAQ: Acceleration of Gifted Students  113Kb (6/12/08)  653Kb (6/12/08)
     Description of types of acceleration and support strategies for parents, teachers and administrators.
FAQ: Acceleration of Gifted Students  149Kb (10/5/07)  100Kb (10/5/07)
     This resource addresses common questions and concerns about acceleration including the benefits, indicators, achievement, social and emotional development, and appropriate support systems for students. Useful for parents as well as school personnel.
FAQ: Gifted and Talented Legislation  58Kb (2/14/08)
     Answers to questions about Minnesota's gifted and talented legislation
FAQ: Identification and Services for Gifted and Talented Learners in Minnesota  152Kb (2/14/08)
     Answers questions about gifted and talented student identification
FAQ: Identification of Gifted Students  120Kb (6/12/08)  658Kb (6/12/08)
     Criteria for identifying gifted students, types of programs available, and more.
Gifted and Talented Funding: What You Can and Should Do  819Kb (2/14/08)
     How districts can best use the new funding available for gifted and talented student services.
Gifted and Talented Learners: Bibliography  134Kb (4/5/07)
     Compilation of web and printed resources on multi-cultural gifted and talented learners. (April 2007)
Gifted and Talented Students: Who Are the Gifted?  5Mb (5/10/06)
     Overview of differences between bright and gifted, special needs of gifted students, and resources. (Presented to MN School Counselors Association, May 2006)
Identifying Student Strengths and Weaknesses Using Multiple Intelligences Theory  2Mb (5/22/06)
     Presents an overview of Howard Gardner's theory on how to identify gifted students using various methods, gifted and talented legislation, and resources. (May 2006)
Internet Resources for Gifted and Talented Education  32Kb (8/7/06)
     National and state organizations that provide information and service related to gifted and talented learners.
Lesson Plan: Grade 1 Mathematics  38Kb (8/9/07)
     Number and Operations lesson plan for standard 1.1.1.7
Lesson Plan: Grade 2 Language Arts  46Kb (8/9/07)
     Cinderella Around the World, differentiated lesson plan aligned to the Language Arts standard.
Lesson Plan: Grade 4 Mathematics  33Kb (8/9/07)
     Differentiated lesson plan for grade 4 mathematics, number and operations standard 4.1.3.1.
Lesson Plan: Grade 4 Minnesota History 1810-1860  41Kb (8/9/07)
     Differentiated lesson plan for grade 4 Minnesota history from 1810-1860.
Lesson Plan: Grade 7 Mathematics  35Kb (8/9/07)
     Differentiated lesson plan for grade 7 mathematics standard 7.1.2.5.
Lesson Plan: Grade 7 Writing Elements of Composition  34Kb (8/9/07)
     Differentiated lesson plan for grade 7 language arts, elements of composition.
Lesson Plan: Grade 8 Language Arts  29Kb (8/9/07)
     Differentiated lesson plan for grade 8 language arts, reading and literature, composition.
Providing Service to Gifted and Talented Students  4Mb (2/14/08)
     Overview of GT services including GT legislation, creating a task force, and things to consider when providing service.
Resources Related to Parenting Gifted Students  117Kb (6/12/08)  679Kb (6/12/08)
     List of articles, books and Websites that have strategies and tips for parents of gifted students.
Why Differentiate Instruction?  2Mb (5/22/06)
     Overview of differentiated instruction and why it is an important part of classroom practice. (May 2006)