Gifted Education or Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) or Talented and Gifted (TAG) are school programs designed for students who show high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school to fully develop those capabilities.

These programs, policies, and the funding for them vary from state to state and among schools and school districts. The only federal program for gifted children is the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, which focuses on identifying and serving students who are traditionally under-represented in gifted and talented programs—such as minority students, students from low-income backgrounds or who are English language learners, and children with disabilities.

The Javits program is designed to help reduce gaps in achievement and to encourage the establishment of equal educational opportunities for all U.S. students. The program funds applied research and the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. In fiscal year 2017 the Javits program received $12 million in federal funds.

Visit https://www.nagc.org/gifted-state for more information on gifted programs available in your state, including agency and association contact information.

In Colorado, Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are guided by state statutes and regulations that mandate the identification and service of gifted and talented students. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) oversees these programs and provides a framework for districts to follow. The state defines gifted children as those between the ages of four and twenty-one whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational needs. Colorado requires each school district to have a formal process for identifying gifted students and to create Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) for each identified student. These plans are designed to match educational experiences with the identified abilities of the gifted students. Funding for GATE programs in Colorado comes from both state and local sources, and while the federal Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act provides a broader national framework and some funding for research and under-represented populations, the majority of program specifics and funding decisions are made at the state and local district levels.