Texas law requires teachers receive 30 hours training in gifted education to be eligible to teach gifted; in addition, teachers must receive 6 hours training yearly to maintain that eligibility. However, it is up to local school districts to decide what credit hours they wish to accept. That said, many school districts do look at TAGT approval as a mark of quality training, and will accept hours that have our approval without question.

TAGT offers two professional development certificates.  The Teacher Awareness Certificate requires 45 clock hours of TAGT-approved training.  The Administrator Awareness Certificate requires 18 clock hours of TAGT-approved training.  These hours can be acquired at many of the sessions at TAGT’s Annual Professional Development Conferences, as well as at many universities, education service centers, and district-sponsored workshops. 

TAGT 45-Hour Teacher Awareness Certificate

The TAGT Teacher Awareness Certificate requires a minimum of 6 hours of training in each of the five core areas:

• Nature and Needs of Gifted Students
• Identification and Assessment
• Social and Emotional Needs
• Creativity and Instructional Strategies
• Differentiated Curriculum

Professional development training that is approved for Awareness Certificate credit satisfies the following criteria:

• Topics must be related to gifted students specifically, not to all students
• Content appears to provide gifted students with more complex, in-depth learning
• Methods or procedures introduced must be authentic
• Research supports any models or theories  introduced
• Training must address one or more of the five core areas noted in the teacher competencies.

TAGT Awareness Certificate Questions and Answers (PDF)
TAGT Teacher Awareness Certificate Application Form (PDF)
Core Knowledge Areas and Teacher Competencies (PDF)

TAGT 18-Hour Administrator Awareness Certificate

The TAGT Administrators’ Awareness Certificate requires a minimum of 3-6 hours of training in each of the four core areas: Nature and Needs of Gifted Students, Law and Policy, Program Options and Design and Additional Study.  Professional development training that is approved for Administrator Awareness Certificate credit satisfies the following criteria:

• Topics must be related to gifted students specifically, not to all students
• Content appears to provide gifted students with more complex, in-depth learning
• Methods or procedures introduced must be authentic
• Research supports any models or theories  introduced
• Training must address one or more of the five core areas noted in the teacher competencies.

TAGT Awareness Certificate Questions and Answers (PDF)
TAGT Administrative Awareness Certificate Application (PDF)
Core Knowledge Areas and Administrator Competencies  (PDF)

Earn 6 credit hours right now online!

 Six-Hour Update Training Document

TAGT makes the following recommendations for the required Six-Hour Update, based on the assumption that the minimum 30 hours have been completed. The Six-Hour Update should provide in-depth study after completion of the 30 hours and address topics based on the TAGT core areas.

Six-Hour Update Training Document (PDF)

Applications for Approval of Professional Development Activities

Groups sponsoring professional development for educators can apply for training hours that will apply toward the TAGT Teacher Awareness Certificate and the TAGT Administrator Awareness Certificate.

Professional Development for Teachers (PDF)
Professional Development for Administrators (PDF)

For more or specific information on TAGT's Professional Development department, please email TAGT Associate Director, Tracy Weinberg, at twei...@txgifted.org.