Legislative Update: Gifted Ed
Legislative Update! Make your voice heard!
National Legislative Interest in Gifted Education
Voice your Support!
For the first time since the Javits Act program was added to ESEA in 1988, the Senate–passed version of the ESEA reauthorization bill (S.1177, the “Every Child Achieves Act”) includes specific provisions that address the needs of gifted and talented learners. For example, state-level Title II plans must include information about how the state will improve the skills of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in identifying gifted and talented students and providing instruction based on their specific learning needs. In addition, school district Title II funds must address the learning needs of gifted and talented students. Also, state report cards will include disaggregated student achievement data at each achievement level, including the advanced level.. And finally, recognizing the link between high quality research activities and best classroom practices, the Senate bill retains the Javits program, which means that research will continue on how schools can better identify and serve high-ability students who may not be identified as gifted through traditional assessment methods. These additions to ESEA will make a meaningful difference to how schools and districts address the needs of high-ability students.
Unfortunately the House version of ESEA does not include the new gifted education provisions or retain the Javits Act. However, with your assistance it will be possible to reverse this deficiency. The next step for the two bills will be a “conference committee,” which will be charged with hammering out a single version of ESEA that will go to the full House and Senate for a final vote (and then on to the president if it passes both chambers).
The most important thing advocates can do is to contact your Representative and urge him or her to support gifted and talented students by asking the ESEA Conference Committee to accept the gifted education provisions from S.1177, the Senate version of ESEA, as they conduct their deliberations.
Please take the time to contact your elected officials this summer to support gifted education provisions in ESEA. Each Representative has an online email form for sharing your message. If you teach gifted students, they could contact the representative too.
District: 1
Name: Visclosky, Peter
Party: D
Room: 2328 RHOB
Phone: 202-225-2461
Committee Assignment: Appropriations
District: 2
Name: Walorski, Jackie
Party: R
Room: 419 CHOB
Phone: 202-225-3915
Committee Assignment: Agriculture, Armed Services, Veterans' Affairs
District: 3
Name: Stutzman, Marlin
Party: R
Room: 2418 RHOB
Phone: 202-225-4436
Committee Assignment: Financial Services the Budget
District: 4
Name: Rokita, Todd
Party: R
Room: 1717 LHOB
Phone: 202-225-5037
Committee Assignment: Education and the Workforce, the Budget Transportation
District 5
Name: Brooks, Susan W.
Party: R
Room: 1505 LHOB
Phone: 202-225-2276
Committee Assignment: Energy and Commerce, Ethics, Select Committee on Benghazi
District: 6
Name: Messer, Luke
Party: R
Room: 508 CHOB
Phone: 202-225-3021
Committee Assignment: Education and the Workforce, Financial Services
District: 7
Name: Carson, André
Party: D
Room: 2453 RHOB
Phone: 202-225-4011
Committee Assignment: Intelligence (Permanent), Transportation
District: 8
Name: Bucshon, Larry
Party: R
Room: 1005 LHOB
Phone: 202-225-4636
Committee Assignment: Energy and Commerce
District: 9
Name: Young, Todd
Party: R
Room: 1007 LHOB
Phone: 202-225-5315
Committee Assignment: Ways and Means
You can find who your Representative is by going to this link: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Join the Cause!
Do you have questions about gifted and talented education? Are you looking for resources for high ability students? The Indiana Association for the Gifted (IAG) along with the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) offer a variety of resources for parents and professionals to help meet the needs of this unique and special population. Whether this is a new experience for you or you have been working with gifted children for years, the IAG and NAGC are here to encourage and support you on this journey. We look forward to serving this population with you!
Indiana Association for the Gifted
Email: iagwebmaster@mac.com
Website: www.iag-online.org
Location: PO Box 84, Whitestown, IN 46075
Phone: 800-490-1862
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indiana-Association-for-the-Gifted/108568832523984
Twitter: @IAG_gifted