Professional Development and 2e

by Carol V. Horn, Ed.D.,

Coordinator, Gifted and Talented Programs, Fairfax County Public Schools

January, 2008

Raising Awareness about Twice-exceptional Students

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Virginia has made concerted efforts in the past several years to raise teacher, parent, and student awareness of the learning profiles and needs of twice-exceptional (2e) students. A key component in these efforts has been collaboration between gifted education staff and special education staff through ongoing and varied professional development activities.

Providing Professional Development and Support

Because we are a very large school district, we use multiple venues for providing professional development and support to schools and to teachers from Kindergarten through grade 12. These include graduate courses, presentations to school staff, all-day institutes, and courses offered through a FCPS-sponsored Leadership Academy.

Underserved Populations of Gifted is an online graduate course that has helped teachers understand the importance of serving 2e learners. Offered through an online professional development program called CaseNEX, this course explores issues related to twice-exceptional learners and has participants analyze and apply research-based best practices for meeting student needs. (For information on this course, visit www.casenex.com.)

A focus on twice-exceptional learners has been woven into other graduate courses, as well. These lead to an endorsement in gifted education. In one of the courses, for example, an introduction to gifted education, teachers are asked to interview a twice-exceptional adult about that person’s educational experiences and the specific strategies, interventions, and teachers that helped him or her succeed in the educational system. By conducting these interviews, teachers gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and challenges 2e learners face. In addition, they gain an appreciation for the importance of providing the necessary accommodations and support.

The school district has adopted the notion of schools as “communities of professionals,” highlighting the importance of sharing and exchanging knowledge, skills, and expertise. Through presentations and conversations, FCPS continually works with school psychologists, special education teachers, GT resource teachers, and classroom teachers to implement research-based practices designed to meet the needs of 2e children. Components of these presentations are an overview of gifted services, opportunities to discuss the various profiles of 2e learners, and a discussion of variables that can be manipulated to help students succeed in challenging courses – time, structure, tools for learning, etc.

The main issue that surfaces again and again in sessions is fairness. Teachers are often concerned that accommodations for a 2e learner may not be fair to others not receiving the accommodations. This issue requires considerable discussion on the importance of a child-centered approach to education – of treating every child individually and giving the child whatever he or she needs to be successful. An effective approach to addressing this issue is having teachers who are already providing accommodations for specific children with learning challenges and 2e needs share their stories and the successes they have experienced. 

Promoting Collaboration

Another venue is the FCPS Leadership Academy, a means for offering professional development to school teams. We offer one course each semester on twice-exceptional learners that is co-taught by special education staff and gifted education staff. Schools are encouraged to participate as teams made up of special education teachers, GT teachers, and principals. The school teams learn about the characteristics, issues, and profiles of 2e learners as well as strategies and practices they may use to ensure the success of 2e learners in advanced academic programs. The first session introduces the issues and research-based practices that support student success. School teams are then asked to apply what they learn to a situation or student in their school. When they return for the second session, they share and discuss successes and challenges. Many teachers have written that, as a result of these classes, they are more open to providing accommodations and have gained a better understanding of the profiles and needs of 2e learners.

FCPS has also brought in various consultants and experts in the field to present to teachers and principals. The presenters have provided thoughtful, interactive sessions that encourage educators to discuss and problem solve as they consider the issues, challenges, and rewards of teaching 2e learners. After these sessions, teachers note that the professional dialogue that takes place and the chance to collaborate and share strategies provides some of the most powerful professional development they have experienced in their efforts to serve twice-exceptional learners.

The Role of 2e Newsletter

To support these ongoing efforts, a district-wide subscription to the 2e Newsletter is posted for all K- 12 teachers on a school-district intranet site. Teachers find this to be a valuable resource and especially like the fact that they can search past issues for information and ideas as they need them. Teachers commonly share on a discussion board an article or feature they found especially helpful in their work with both twice-exceptional children and their parents.

 Addressing Parents’ Needs

Finally, FCPS offers presentations for parents on a variety of topics at both Saturday conferences and as part of regional meetings. Parents are encouraged to work with school teams and establish a partnership with the school. They are also advised to work toward self-understanding and self-advocacy for their child in order to ensure long-term success.

It takes the expertise of many individuals working together to problem solve and discover what works best for each child. Finding and serving twice-exceptional learners is a complex task that requires commitment and support on multiple levels to ensure that every child who has the capacity to succeed in advanced academic programs has access, accommodations, and support.    

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