A minimum of thirty (30) clock hours of professional development that includes nature and needs of gifted/talented students, identification and assessment of gifted/talented students’ needs, and curriculum and instruction for gifted/talented students is required for teachers who provide instruction and services that are a part of the district’s defined gifted/talented services. Teachers are required to have completed the thirty (30) hours of professional development prior to their assignment to the district’s gifted/talented services (19 TAC §89.2(1)).