Arlington and Montgomery County schools provide services for gifted students beyond what is required by Maryland and Virginia, spending large amounts of public school money to supplement small state allowances, school officials and experts said.
Virginia provides Arlington with approximately $150,000 per year for services for gifted students, according to Margaret Gilhooley, supervisor of gifted services for Arlington Public Schools.
“We go way above and beyond the minimum expectation of the state,” she said. “The state only provides a small amount of money.”
Gilhooley said 18 percent of Arlington Public School students receive gifted services in one to six academic areas: social studies, science, math, English, visual arts and music. She said these services are provided from kindergarten to 12th grade, and students can be recommended for the services by anyone familiar with the student.
Virginia does have some regulations that need to be followed by local school districts for gifted services, primarily dealing with how gifted students are identified and goals for gifted education. Gilhooley said the school district submits its plan for gifted students once every five years so the state can determine if state regulations are being met.
The Arlington plan currently is under review by the state. Gilhooley said she expects the plan to be approved.
Maryland law requires schools to include goals, objectives and strategies regarding the performance of gifted students. Despite this, there is not a dedicated source of state funding for gifted program, and it is not clear if money given to schools by the state is spent on gifted programs, said Jeanne Paynter, a Maryland education department specialist in gifted education.
County spending “is not monitored as far as what they’re spending on gifted and talented students,” Paynter said.
Nancy Green, executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children, said Montgomery County spends a great deal on programs for gifted students, including providing specialized curriculum and grouping students by ability.
Others felt the county could do more. Jane de Winter, president of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Organizations, said gifted education was “spotty.”
“There’s a lot more that could be done to provide enrichment within local schools,” she said.
