Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Information Brief of Florida's K-12 Gifted Program

Report 95-45, March 1996




Report Summary

  • Florida schools provide specialized programs to gifted students. Gifted students are defined as students who have superior intellectual development and are capable of high performance. The Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Education requested, through the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee, that OPPAGA address specific issues regarding Florida's K-12 Gifted Program. This report is the first in a series of two reports that address these issues. The questions addressed in this report focus on the distribution and placement of gifted students; whether all districts offer a gifted program; and Plan B Florida's plan to increase underepresented students in the gifted program.
  • Several policies, procedures, and practices affect the distribution of gifted FTEs across grade levels. These policies, procedures, and practices include teachers' philosophies of when it is appropriate to place young students in the gifted program, administrative backlogs in testing and evaluation for placement, and middle and high school students' preference for other programs in place of the gifted program.
  • All school districts are (to some extent) delaying the identification and placement of gifted students until grade 3. Nine school districts did not have any gifted FTEs in grades K-2. Further, 24 school districts operate a K-8 gifted program, but do not offer gifted programs at the high school level.
  • The percentage of minority students in gifted programs in districts with Plan B has increased 9% over the past five years. However, it is unclear if the increase is a result of Plan B.


Related Reports
  1. Some Progress Made in Monitoring Services for Gifted Students; Additional Steps Needed
    Report 10-36 April 2010
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
education, gifted program