Using assessment data to determine student growth has become an integral part of the accountability movement, and researchers and educators are currently examining how new rules impact the academic assessment of gifted learners. In 2008, the Association for the Gifteds Annual Symposium at the Council for Exceptional Children Convention focused on policy and legislative issues and their effects on gifted and talented students. One presentation in the symposium centered on the No Child Left Behind Growth Model Pilot Program (GMPP). This article provides an historical overview of the GMPP, describes the current use of growth models used by states for accountability purposes, defines measuring growth from a statistical modeling perspective, discusses implications for gifted learners who are above proficiency, and makes recommendations for policy makers and administrators to begin measuring growth.
