MO SB962

Requires school districts to identify academically gifted students according to department criteria with emphasis on early identification, and establish appropriate programs or differentiated services for identified gifted students.

Changes gifted education program approval process from applications submitted by July 15 annually to applications submitted in a format and at a time established by the department, with districts reporting annually on programs and services provided.

Allows districts to fund gifted programs from basic state aid, with districts formerly receiving categorical gifted funds able to reference their last year of such funding, and new program districts able to determine funding from increases in basic state aid since fiscal year 2006.

Requires school accountability report cards to disclose whether districts currently have state-approved gifted education programs and whether schools had such programs within the last three years.

Adds gifted education pupil count (up to 5 percent of district enrollment) to weighted average daily attendance calculations beginning July 1, 2012, with a weighting factor of 0.25.