Northampton PAGE

What is a GIEP?

• Gifted Individualized Education Program. A completed GIEP is a legal document stating what steps the school district will take to educate your child, above and beyond the normal classroom experience. (Effective December, 2000 with Chapter 16 legislation, the GIEP form and terminology replaces 'IEP'. The IEP is still used for Special Education, under Chapter 14 of the PDE code.)

• A GIEP is developed as a joint effort between the school, the parents, and the student.

• A good GIEP will involve sweat equity on your part - so approximately 50% of the effort and input for the GIEP should be from the parents and student. We therefore suggest parents and students not rely heavily on the school district in their preparations and in developing the contents of the GIEP; we recommend you proceed as follows:
  • Understand the forms and the process well, before your first GIEP meeting.
  • Prepare your curriculum ideas and thoughts on delivery deadlines. These should be discussed in your family, be written (not in your head), and be well developed before you go into your GIEP meeting. To fully prepare and better understand the GIEP meeting you will have with the school district, we suggest you fill in the actual GIEP form exactly as you would like to see it. Then at the GIEP meeting, ask the school to help you refine it.
  • Plan ahead. Except for the earliest school years, both short term goals (current and next school year) and long term goals (extending for multiple years) should be developed. For example: objectives to be met by graduation, or next major school building/level. This planning will serve several purposes, including putting your goals on record with the school, who can then suggest intermediate steps to help you reach those goals. This will also give you criteria by which to measure your success or lack of success in meeting your ultimate academic objectives. (Again, it is asvisable to put goals, plans and ideas in the form of written notes.)

  We humbly suggest if you have not done the above (in essence letting the school to do all the work and recommendations) that your child's full potential will not be realized. This is not to say you must do it all on your own ...

How can PAGE help?