St. Louis Association for Gifted Education

Definition of Giftedness
While there are many definitions of giftedness, the following definition is used in the state of Missouri to aid in identifying students who are gifted. The following information can be found in the General Administrative Procedures for State-Assisted Gifted Programs through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

The state special education law (H.B. 474) enacted in 1973, authorized the State Board of Education to establish standards for state aid for special programs for gifted students. The following sections of state law pertain to gifted education programs eligible for state assistance:

Section 162.675. RSMo, defines gifted children as "those children who exhibit precocious development of mental capacity and learning potential as determined by competent professional evaluation to the extent that continued educational growth and stimulation could best be served by an academic environment beyond that offered through a standard grade level curriculum."