Self-Audit & Planner

The Gifted Self-Audit & Planner, or G-SAP, originally called the SART (Self Audit & Reflection Tool, developed by retired Heartland AEA consultants Mary Schmidt and Linda Moehring), is a self-study opportunity aligned with Chapters 12 and 59 of the Iowa Administrative Code and best practices in gifted education. It is adapted with permission from a program evaluation rubric originally developed by Karen Garvin, and is influenced by the National Association for Gifted Children Program Standards and the books Designing Services and Programs for High Ability Learners, 2nd Ed. edited by Rebecca Eckert and Jennifer Robins (NAGC/Corwin Press, 2017) and Gifted Program Evaluation, 2nd Edition by Kristie Speirs Neumeister & Virginia Hays Burney (NAGC/Prufrock Press, 2019). Heartland AEA consultants Kate Boonstra and Kyra Wilcox-Conley took the G-SAP through a major revision in 2022. 

The tool consists of the Chapter 59 Iowa Administrative Code categories for gifted programs listed below, which districts/schools may complete for program review and strategic planning purposes.

• Goals and Performance Measures
• Identification of Students
• Differentiated Program
• Personnel
• Budget
• Professional Development
• Review and Evaluation
• Other Quality Indicators

The G-SAP is available as part of a facilitated process. Schools purchasing this service will have access to the tool in Google Sheets format, with built-in capability for rubric analysis and prioritization as well as long-range strategic planning. An extensive resource list is also included. Please contact Kate Boonstra to begin this work with your team.

Q&A

How long does the G-SAP take?

In total, completion of the rubrics takes approximately a day and a half. These sessions will include discussion facilitated by the Heartland AEA GT consultant, with embedded professional learning regarding Iowa Code requirements for talented and gifted programs.

What’s the best way to schedule G-SAP work?

The G-SAP works best in three half-day sessions. Meetings scheduled over a period of no more than six weeks keep the team’s momentum and focus on the work.

Who should be at the table?

All gifted and talented teaching staff, administrator/coordinator of the gifted program, building administrators from each grade level span/building.

Optional valuable participants may include: school counselor, teacher for speakers of other languages, special education teacher, additional central office administrator(s).

Once we are done with the rubrics, what will we do next?

Teams will determine priority work for the gifted and talented program and begin action planning. A smaller team of gifted and talented teachers may work to implement these defined action plans, with regular check-ins with the G-SAP team.