The HAGT Newsletter: The Navigator (Issue #20)

THE NAVIGATOR

In this issue…

★ Rethinking Ability Grouping: Examining how rigid class grouping practices can reinforce educational inequity and why more flexible approaches better support diverse learners.

★ Psychology and Gifted Education: Applying 20 principles from psychological science to better understand how gifted students think, learn, engage, and thrive.

★ Exceptionally Ordinary Podcast: How collaboration amongst families, educators, and school leaders creates more meaningful advocacy for gifted and twice-exceptional learners.

HAGT On Air

Exceptionally Ordinary Podcast

Gifted Advocacy Is a Team Sport, Not a Tug-of-War

Supporting gifted and twice-exceptional learners is most effective when families, educators, school leaders, and students work together toward a shared goal. In this episode of Exceptionally Ordinary, Rodnella Turner, drawing on more than 16 years of experience in gifted and special education, joins us to explore what meaningful advocacy looks like in international school settings.

Rather than framing advocacy as a battle between home and school, Rodnella invites us to see it as a shared responsibility built on trust, communication, and a common focus on the student. From navigating cultural expectations in international schools to addressing the familiar refrain of "my child is bored," this episode offers practical ideas on building stronger partnerships that help gifted learners flourish.

Listen now on Spotify!

The Research Recess

Welcome to The Research Recess! Grab a coffee and step away from the grading pile or the team meeting. This is your mental playground for the latest data, insights, and breakthroughs in gifted and 2e education.

Rigidity of Class Ability Grouping Practices in Australia

Inequity in education is pronounced when data is used to form rigid class ability groups. Rigid grouping means that students with backgrounds that disadvantage them in education can be locked into low ‘ability’ class groups. In contrast, informed and flexible use of data can support adaptable and heterogeneous ability grouping, which better accommodates the diverse needs and potentials of students. This approach ensures that students are not permanently categorised but can move between groups as their abilities and needs evolve. This paper reveals the findings of a study that explored how class ability grouping practices are being used in secondary schools in two Australian states. The study has implications for decision making about class ability grouping, encouraging more critical consideration of the social inequity associated with inflexible class grouping and…

Keep reading this research paper

Top 20 Principles from Psychology for PreK–12 Creative, Talented, and Gifted Students' Teaching and Learning

Psychological science has much to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in both regular education and gifted education classrooms. Teaching and learning are intricately linked to social and behavioral factors of human development, including cognition, motivation, social interaction, and communication. Psychological science can also provide key insights on effective instruction, classroom environments that promote learning, and appropriate use of assessment, including data, tests, and measurement, as well as research methods that inform the practice of serving gifted students. We present here a gifted education supplement to a list of the most important principles from psychology—the “Top 20”—that would be of greatest use in the context of preK–12 classroom teaching and learning, as well as the implications of each principle as applied to classroom practices for gifted students. Each principle is named and described, relevant supporting literature is provided, and its relevance for the gifted classroom is discussed.

Keep reading this article

HAGT Tools, Services, & Resources

The Das-Churchville ORB© System: From Observation to Action

The Das-Churchville ORB© System (Observation & Response-to-Behavior) is a practical tool designed to help educators make sense of the behaviors they observe in diverse learners in mixed-ability classrooms.

The system empowers educators to systematically observe and document student behavior across five key domains: Academic Engagement, Social-Emotional Functioning, Communication, Sensory & Motor Skills, and Memory & Processing. Structured observation of specific behavioral indicators flags areas of concern on a four-level rating scale, which are then mapped to possible underlying needs and evidence-informed strategies, turning classroom observation into clear, actionable recommendations.

Click here to access the Das-Churchville ORB© System and get started!

HAGT PRISM© Questionnaire: Personalizing the Picture of Highly Able Learners

The HAGT PRISM© Questionnaire (Profile of Reasoning, Interests, Supports, and Motivation) is a free, interactive tool designed to better understand and support highly able learners in grades 2–8.

Developed to be used by educators and families, the questionnaire is completed by the student to draw out their strengths, interests, and support needs and generates a personalized learning profile to inform classroom practice and individualized support.

Click here to access the free PRISM© Questionnaire and get started!

School Leadership Strategies: Explore HAGT’s Whole-School Approaches for Advanced Learners

Looking to strengthen support for highly able students across your school? HAGT provides guidance for school leaders committed to equity and excellence through whole-school models, strategic staffing, and flexible pathways for advanced learning.

Explore research-informed strategies, proven program models, and practical tools designed for sustainable, schoolwide implementation. Whether you're just getting started or refining your systems, we invite you to partner with us to lead meaningful change.

Learn more about how we can help your school today!

HAGT Courses & Conferences

Register for the Challenge for All Summit Today!

Join us on February 5 and 6, 2027, for the Challenge for All Summit Virtual Edition. With engaging keynote presentations, practical breakout sessions, interactive discussions, and the continued EmpowerEd Strand for LSAs and TAs, the Summit is designed to equip educators with ideas they can take back to their schools immediately. Register before late registration fees apply and reserve your spot today.

Click here to register!

Faculty Professional Development: Register for HAGT’s Challenge for All Winter & Spring Flex Courses

Winter Session 2026: November 30, 2026 - January 30, 2027
Spring Session 2027: March 1, 2027 - May 2, 2027

Looking to better support advanced learners? HAGT offers a faculty Professional Learning Series for educators at all levels. With flexible asynchronous courses, you can build expertise in foundations, practical strategies, and specialized topics in gifted education.

Earn 45 professional development hours. Contact us about graduate credit through SUNY, and gain real-world strategies to transform your teaching.

Enroll today!

Learning Support Assistants: Register for the Neurodiversity Support Specialist Program

Winter Session 2026: November 30, 2026 - January 30, 2027
Spring Session 2027: March 1, 2027 - May 2, 2027

Supporting neurodiverse learners effectively requires more than just good intentions—it takes knowledge, skill, and confidence. Our Neurodiversity Support Specialist Certification Program is designed for learning support assistants who are ready to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity and apply practical strategies that improve student outcomes. Whether you're new to the role or have years of experience, this certification program equips you to support all learners, including those with learning difficulties, giftedness, or twice-exceptionality (2e), with clarity and confidence.

Register today!

Perfiles Complejos: Un programa de certificación para educadores latinoamericanos

Sesión de fin de año de 2026: 30 de noviembre de 2026 - 30 de enero de 2027
Sesión de inicio de año de 2027: 1 de marzo de 2027 - 2 de mayo de 2027

«Perfiles Complejos» es un programa de certificación profesional bilingüe compuesto por tres cursos, diseñado específicamente para educadores y líderes escolares de habla hispana en contextos escolares latinoamericanos e internacionales. Desde los marcos conceptuales fundamentales hasta las herramientas listas para usar en el aula y el liderazgo a nivel sistémico, cada curso contribuye a la obtención de la certificación completa de HAGT. No importa en qué punto de tu trayectoria con HAGT te encuentres, siempre hay un punto de partida para ti.

Inscríbete hoy mismo!

Looking for more?

Student competitions

Gifted adult resources

Parent support and resources

Stay connected for more insights, opportunities, and resources in the next issue of The Navigator! In the meantime, explore our website for additional ways to support highly able learners.

The Navigator is dedicated to helping schools and families navigate the education of highly able/gifted & talented (HAGT) and twice-exceptional (2e) learners. You’ll find research insights, practical strategies, and meaningful tools to help advanced learners grow and excel.