Daugherty named Special Advocate by CAGT

Christine Daugherty, Gifted and Talented Coordinator for Northeast BOCES, was recently awarded the Special Advocate of the Year by the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented at the annual CAGT Conference.

The Special Advocate of the Year was developed by CAGT to recognize professionals within gifted education who are exemplary in their support of teachers, administrators, resource staff and others in their work with gifted learners. In addition, these professionals advocate for the needs of all gifted learners beyond the classroom and provide innovative contributions of time and effort in support of gifted children.

Daugherty was selected for this award based on her outstanding contributions to the schools in Northeast BOCES. Administrators and teachers attest to her integral support of administrators, gifted coordinators and classroom teachers in their work with gifted learners.

"Christie has helped me from the very beginning when I knew nothing ... She has taught me that I need to be a loud advocate for my gifted/talent pool students because sometimes I might be the only one standing up." one of her district coordinators said.

Advocacy for gifted students has been at the forefront of Daugherty's work from the start. Since she has taken on this role, the identification of gifted students in our 12 districts has gone from 3.1 percent (142 students) to 4.1 percent (202 students) for a total of 33 percent increase overall. Identifying and serving gifted students in a rural setting requires flexibility, persistence and a willingness to think outside the box.

Daugherty is innovative in her design of gifted services, providing creative solutions across BOCES. She works with over 200 students in 12 different districts by creating small groups for the enrichment and/or affective work monthly including 19 elementary and 12 junior high/high school small groups. In providing this service, Daugherty averages 1,100 miles per month of travel. In addition, she also prepares monthly GT Newsletters for parents, administrators and coordinators that include event highlights, articles, recent research, updates, etc.