At NAGC, we are committed to ensuring that our members feel supported, valued, and equipped with the tools they need to advocate for and serve gifted learners. Each year, we conduct a Member Needs Assessment to better understand what’s working well and where we can improve. Your feedback helps shape our priorities, and we’re excited to share some key takeaways from this year’s results. 

What You Value Most 
We appreciated hearing the ways that you value your membership with NAGC. Many of you deeply appreciate the research, networking opportunities, and professional learning that come with your membership and we’re glad to hear that affirmed. Our annual convention remains a highlight, providing valuable connections and learning experiences. We also heard that advocacy continues to be a major reason why you, our members, join and renew.  

For the third year in a row, our publications, Teaching for High Potential, Parenting for High Potential, and Gifted Child Quarterly are highlights within our publications and you said they provide value and needed resources to the work that you’re doing. When it comes to the programs that you value most. It’s no surprise that our Annual Convention is at the top of the list providing necessary resources and practical takeaways.   The chart above illustrates member responses regarding their connection with NAGC. We’re thrilled to see such positive feedback on our contributions to gifted education. It’s also encouraging to see increases in members’ personal connection to NAGC and their awareness of the benefits we offer—both of which improved compared to last year’s results.

The chart above illustrates member responses regarding their connection with NAGC. We’re thrilled to see such positive feedback on our contributions to gifted education. It’s also encouraging to see increases in members’ personal connection to NAGC and their awareness of the benefits we offer—both of which improved compared to last year’s results.

Where We Can Improve 
While many members find great value in NAGC, we also heard that some feel membership benefits could be more tangible and accessible year-round. In the same vein,  some of you shared that you weren’t fully aware of all the benefits available to you or find it difficult to access resources.  

While NAGC continues to work on advancing policies that support gifted learners, some of your shared you would like us to be more proactive in securing funding and influencing legislation.  

Many of you emphasized the importance of ensuring diverse voices are represented across our programming, leadership, and professional development. There’s a call for NAGC to highlight underrepresented populations of gifted learners and provide more culturally responsive resources. Additionally, some members feel that decisions are being made by a small group and want clearer opportunities to get involved in leadership. 

What’s Next? 
As mentioned, your feedback is important to us and helps guide and reinforce priorities we’ve already been considering. It allows us to prioritize things as well. In the last couple of years, you’ve shared how our Engage platform is hard to use, inconvenient, or that you haven’t even logged on before. This feedback was heard, and we are so excited to announce that on March 25 we launched our new Engage online community on a new platform!  

Just since we launched at the end of March 2025, we’ve seen a 300% increase in engagement on the Engage Roundtable. Some of that is just the excitement around the platform, but it also shows the ease of use and desire to connect with other members of our community. Our customer support team has also received minimal questions on how to use the platform, which we take as a sign of how user-friendly the platform is.  

If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can do so through our website but navigating to NAGC.org and selecting “NAGC Engage” on the top right or going to this link. Check out the Roundtable to connect with peers and colleagues from across the country and world. 

We’re committed to listening—and while change may take time, we’re dedicated to building the inclusive, robust community you want to see for gifted educators everywhere. 

Thank you! 
We appreciate everyone who took the time to share their thoughts in this year’s survey. Your input is invaluable, and we are committed to enhancing your membership experience by strengthening advocacy, improving access to resources, and fostering a more connected community. 

Thank you for being a part of NAGC—we’re listening, and we’re excited to grow together! 

Meet our drawing giveaway recipients! 
As a small thank you for taking part in this survey, we offered some giveaways to some folks that shared their feedback on this form. Thank you to all those that shared their experience of NAGC and your membership with us. A shoutout to those below who were randomly selected to win one of our giveaways. 

NAGC25 Complimentary Registration Recipient, Dr. Marites Melad, Science 8 TAG Teacher at Prince George's County Public School (PGCPS) 

I completed the NAGC survey to provide valuable feedback on my experiences and insights regarding gifted education. Participating in the survey allows me to contribute to the ongoing improvement of programs and resources for gifted students and educators. At the upcoming NAGC convention in Pittsburgh, I look forward to attending workshops that focus on innovative teaching strategies and the latest research in gifted education. I also aim to connect with other educators and professionals to share ideas and best practices. Additionally, I plan to explore the exhibits for new materials and hear from keynote speakers who will inspire us with their expertise in nurturing giftedness in education. 

Congratulations to our other drawing recipients! 

Dee Langsenkamp, Amanda Khan, Jessica Feth, Emily Hodson, Seda Sakar, Jessa Luckey Goudelock, Susan Johnsen, Jody Hess, and Julie Delgado 

Hello! I'm Jessica Gutierrez, your new Member Engagement Manager here at NAGC. It's hard to believe I'm almost through my first month with NAGC, and what an exhilarating journey it's been already! I've been soaking up information about you, our incredible members, and the impactful work you're doing nationwide. I feel truly honored and excited to be part of this dynamic community.

In my role, I'll be working closely with Meagan Roloff to ensure that every aspect of your membership experience is top-notch. Meagan's expertise is invaluable, and I'm grateful to be working alongside her. One of my key focuses will be overseeing our Engage community platform, where my desire is seeing it become a platform for all members to come and collaborate with each other through sharing moments of impact and resources on how to serve Gifted students better.

I come to NAGC with a background in volunteer management, where I've seen firsthand, as I’m sure you have as well, the power of individuals coming together to make a difference. I'm passionate about helping each of you find your place within NAGC and making sure your voices are heard. In this new role, I'm excited to ensure every member finds their passion within NAGC and contributes meaningfully to our collective goals. Your input from the Member Needs Assessment survey earlier this year has been crucial. I've taken note of areas for improvement as well as the aspects where we're excelling. Let me share some of the highlights from that survey with you.

As I said above, all NAGC members were invited to participate in the Member Needs Assessment back in January 2024. About 10% of all NAGC members (304 of you) shared your valuable and insightful feedback with us. Thank you!

What We're Doing Well

It's heartwarming to hear how much you appreciate the resources, networking opportunities, and professional growth that NAGC brings to the table. Your words of gratitude for the support, knowledge, and inspiration you've found here mean the world to us.

Let's talk publications – you are loving - , Teaching for High Potential, and Parenting for High Potential. You also valued many of the NAGC programs and resources that are available to both members and non-members. It was no surprise that the Annual Convention was at the top of the list, but the PreK-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards and State of the States in Gifted Education Report were also important to you. Gifted Child Quarterly, Teaching for High Potential, and Parenting for High Potential. You also valued many of the NAGC programs and resources that are available to both members and non-members. It was no surprise that the Annual Convention was at the top of the list, but the PreK-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards and State of the States in Gifted Education Report were also important to you. 

The chart above illustrates the responses of our members regarding their connection with NAGC. We are thrilled to see their positive sentiments towards NAGC's contributions to the field of gifted education. We also feel it is important to highlight that we’ve increased the number of individuals feeling a personal connection with NAGC as well as have enhanced members’ awareness of the direct benefits we offer compared to last year’s results on this question.

Where We Can Do Better

You've highlighted some key areas for improvement, particularly with NAGC Engage, noting difficulties in accessing and navigating the platform, as well as concerns about the frequency of emails received.

Beyond Engage, you've raised valid concerns about the costs associated with NAGC programs and memberships. Additionally, you've expressed a strong desire for more practical resources tailored for classroom teachers, emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion across NAGC's leadership, staff, and membership.

Lastly, you've advocated for increased professional development and leadership opportunities for all members, urging us to dismantle barriers that may hinder access to such opportunities. Your feedback is invaluable as we strive to enhance the NAGC experience for all members.

Notable Quotes

“I feel exhilarated when I have the chance to converse with other conference attendees. Talking one on one and in small groups with experts and educators from around the country is my favorite part!”

“Attending the annual conference allows me to interact with like-minded colleagues from across the globe. This opportunity is priceless and solidifies my calling to identify gifted students from underrepresented populations; particularly students of color. The resources provided by NAGC equip me to better serve my students and their families”

“Attending the NAGC as a Javits's scholar a decade ago changed my life, and I'm not exaggerating! It opened doors that I wasn't even aware existed, and now in 2024, I'm serving as our state affiliate organization's president. I gained an invaluable perspective and hope to spend the rest of my days advocating for and serving the families of gifted students in Kansas!”

Meet our NAGC 2024 Winner!

Amanda Khan, District Instructional Specialist for Gifted and Talented in Pasadena, TX!

Everyone who took the survey was entered into a raffle for a free registration to NAGC24. We asked Amanda to share a little bit about herself, why she completed the survey and what she’s looking forward to at NAGC24 this year, and here is what she said:

“[Last year’s] National Gifted Conference inspired me to begin the conversation in my school district about enhancing our gifted program and starting gifted magnet schools. I completed the survey because participants’ feedback helps the leaders to provide even better conferences that meet the needs of its members.

At last year’s conference in Orlando, I gained valuable insight into the gifted world outside of Texas, I did not know there were so many differences in identification and service. The keynote speakers “lit a fire in me” to want to do more and help more students reach their potential. The conference provides opportunities with insights, different perspectives, and informative sessions to develop better professional development for our teachers in Pasadena. I am so excited to have won a free registration to this year’s convention to continue learning and growing with NAGC! Thank you, see you in Seattle! 😊”