Advancing Federal Policies for Students with Gifts & Talents

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Facts About Students with Gifts & Talents

Facts About Students with Gifts & Talents

Availability of services depend on state/local decisions & vary between and within states.

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Facts About Students with Gifts & Talents

• Research has shown that high-achieving students from disadvantaged backgrounds, when compared to their more advantaged peers, are: – twice as likely to drop out of school; – more likely to lose ground as they

move forward in their schooling; and

– less likely to attend or graduate from college.

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Excellence Gap

• Gap between Caucasian and/or more affluent students and Hispanic, Black, less affluent peers.

• Every state has “excellence gap” that will take decades to close.

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Federal Initiatives

Senate: TALENT Act

Sen. Grassley (R-IA)

Sen. Mikulski (D-MD)

Sen. Casey (D-PA)

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House: TALENT Act

Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA)

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO)

TALENT Act

Supporting Educator

Development to Ensure Academic

Growth

Confronting and

Addressing the National Excellence

Gap

Continuing Research and Dissemination

on Best Practices in

Gifted Ed

Providing Public

Transparency of Student

Achievement Data

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It’s Baaaacccckkkk….!!!

• Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act– Provides R&D – with focus on underserved populations– Defunded in 2011 after budget negotiations cut/eliminated 43

education programs– Concentrated advocacy resulted in $5 million in FY 2014

• National Research Center on Gifted Education • Demonstration Grants

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Ask Your Senators/Representative to Co-Sponsor TALENT Act; Invest $20 M in Javits Act