Gifted+and+Talented+Defined

The Annotated Code of the Public General Laws of Maryland (C.O.M.A.R.) states:

"...'gifted and talented student' means an elementary or secondary student who is identified by professionally qualified individuals as: (1) Having outstanding talent and performing, or showing the potential for performing, at remarkable high levels of accomplishment when compared with other students of a similar age, experience, or environment;

(2) Exhibiting high performance capability in intellectual, creative, or artistic areas;

(3) Possessing an unusual leadership capacity; or

(4) Excelling in specific academic fields.

The General Assembly finds that:

(1) A gifted and talented student needs different services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to develop the student's potential; and

(2) Gifted and talented students are to be found in youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.

==The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) defines giftedness as:" ...someone who shows, or has the potential for showing, an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression."== http: //www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=574&ir