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Chesapeake presents annual review of gifted education; plan due for state technical review in October 2026
Summary
The division reported universal first‑grade screening, identification rates of 13–14 percent, roughly 3,000 students screened annually and establishment of a twice‑exceptional specialist; staff said a local five‑year gifted plan will be finalized this summer for VDOE technical review in October 2026.
Dr. Dornsuela Wilkins McCrory, supervisor of gifted education, presented the division’s annual review and announced near‑final local plan milestones and screening practices.
McCrory said Chesapeake uses a multi‑criteria process aligned with Virginia Department of Education regulations, screening all first‑grade students with the Naglieri and second‑grade students with a cognitive abilities test. She reported the division screens approximately 3,000 students per year and identified roughly 13–14 percent of students across elementary, middle and high school in the 2024–25 school year for gifted services.
The division highlighted an expansion of services, including that Chesapeake is one of two divisions in the commonwealth to establish a dedicated twice‑exceptional specialist to support roughly 219 twice‑exceptional learners, and noted a comprehensive local plan will be submitted for technical review to VDOE in October 2026.
McCrory described a gifted cluster classroom model and said the plan emphasizes equitable identification and a multi‑tiered systems of support, professional development for staff and stronger partnerships between gifted specialists and curriculum teams. She said the near‑final draft will be brought to the board during the summer for feedback before formal submission.
Why it matters: screening and identification practices affect which students receive specialized services and how those services are delivered across the district; the local plan sets the division’s approach for the next five‑year cycle.
Next steps: staff will finalize the local plan over the summer and submit the required technical review to the Virginia Department of Education in October 2026.
