Gifted Education Specialist/State Director
Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota
Wendy A. Behrens is the Gifted and Talented Education Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), where she advises educators, administrators, parents, and policymakers. She has provided leadership for MDE’s Javits grants: Project North Star: Training Rural Teachers, School Leaders, and Families and Communities to Support Underserved Gifted Learners and Universal Plus: A Two-Step Process for Equitably Identifying Computer Talent.
Prior to her service to the state, Behrens worked as a district gifted services coordinator and a consultant for the Science Museum of Minnesota. She presents frequently on the identification of underserved populations, comprehensive service design, and policies that support highly able learners. Behrens is past-president of the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted, and received the President’s award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). She is an active participant and leader in NAGC, the World Council on Gifted Children, and the Council for Exceptional Children-The Association for the Gifted. Behrens also serves on the editorial board for Gifted Child Today, and on advisory councils for several educational organizations.
Behrens co-authored Exploring Critical Issues in Gifted Education: A Case Studies Approach (2013), Differentiated Instruction for Gifted Learners: A Case Studies Approach (2016), Developing Academic Acceleration Policies: Whole Grade, Early Entrance and Single Subject (2018), Understanding Twice-Exceptional Learners: Connecting Research to Practice (2020) several book chapters and articles.
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Friday, November 18, 2022
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Friday, November 18, 2022
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Saturday, November 19, 2022
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Saturday, November 19, 2022
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM