National
Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act - Senators Grassley (IA) and Dodd (CT) and Representatives Gallegly (CA) and Matheson (UT) are requesting $11.25 million for Javits, which would be the highest total since 2002, by sending letters to draw support throughout the House and Senate. To learn more, please visit the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) Legislative Update page.

Assistant Secretary of Education Kerri L. Briggs recently published a “Notice of Proposed Priority” (PDF) in the Federal Register, explaining that she hopes to direct Javits funds to programs that will serve students from underrepresented groups, such as the economically disadvantaged or students with limited English proficiency. Proponents of gifted education worry that this would cause Javits to be yet another “close-the-achievement gap program.” Sources: Education Week, Gifted Exchange Blog

ARIZONA - The state legislature recently acted to fully fund all eligible gifted student applicants according to the "statutory funding formula for additional assistance funding" ($75 per student for 4% of a district's total student enrollment or $2,000, whichever is greater). In the past, this formula was only partially funded. Source: Arizona Department of Education

CALIFORNIA - A Court of Appeals ruling requiring parents to have teaching credentials to homeschool their children won’t change policy in the state, according to Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. While this is reassuring for homeschooling supporters, many feel that the ruling must be overturned so as to not have precedent value. Sources: Collier Citizen, Los Angeles Times, Associated Content

ILLINOIS - The Illinois State Board of Education recently cut $5 million for gifted education programs from its budget, negating positive developments. "It's devastating to us," said Sally Walker, executive director of the Illinois Association for Gifted Children. "We've been working so hard to get a gifted program up and running again, and now they've sent a message that gifted education is not a priority." Source: Chicago Tribune

MASSACHUSETTS - The state Department of Education will fund gifted and talented programming for 21 Massachusetts school districts. Forty-eight school districts applied for the competitive grant, which will fund pull-out programs, in-class models, specialized courses for educators, and more. Sources: Massachusetts Board of Education Advisory Council, WickedLocal.com, MassLive.com

MINNESOTA - A grant for the Austin Public School District will create 3 ½ full-time gifted and talented teaching positions. The Hormel Foundation will donate $810,740, distributing the funding over a three-year period beginning this summer. Source: Post-Bulletin

MISSOURI - With Missouri no longer appropriating funds specifically for gifted education, one lawmaker is seeking to improve gifted services in the state. Rep. Sara Lampe is sponsoring a bill that could require schools to provide services for the gifted and allocate a portion of school funding for gifted programming. Sources: NewsOK.com, KOMU-TV, The New York Times

NEVADA - A previous allocation of $800,000 to support gifted and talented programs for Fiscal Year 2007-2008 has been negated due to state budgets cuts. Also, a full-time Gifted and Talented Education coordinator position will not be created for the foreseeable future, reversing what was reported in the November 2007 eNews-Update. Source: Nevada Legislature (PDF)

NORTH CAROLINA - In response to poor test scores among the state’s brightest students, changes that would enforce more state oversight in how school districts run their gifted education programs have been proposed. Any alterations to state policy will not take place until at least May and would have to be adopted by the State Board of Education. Source: The News & Observer

OHIO - A recently-implemented program sponsored by Gov. Ted Strickland will allow Ohio high school seniors the opportunity to earn free college credit. Gifted students in need of an accelerated curriculum could benefit immensely from Seniors to Sophomores, although the program will not be restricted to top students. Sources: Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Cincinnati Enquirer

OREGON - The Oregon legislature passed a measure that will allot up to $350,000 of the State School Fund for administration of, and support for, gifted and talented programming. Senate Bill 1066 (PDF) will allow the Department of Education to use the money for program support costs (not just education) as of October 1, 2008. Source: OregonLive.com

PENNSYLVANIA - Proposed revisions to state regulations, Chapter 16 of Pennsylvania Code, could positively impact gifted education in the state, by requiring schools to develop individualized education programs (IEPs), mandate on-site inspections so that districts develop appropriate plans for gifted students, and more. Source: RedOrbit.com

The Board of Education is also considering implementing a new gifted identification process. While the current law identifies those who score a 130 or above on IQ tests and meet other criteria as gifted, proposed changes would factor in a number of other measures. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
   

How gifted-friendly is your state? Find out at: Gifted Education Policies.  
If you know of new legislation, please let us know.  Contact: The Communications Team

March 30, 2008 - News & Observer, Bright kids, tight funding (T. Keung Hui)
March 27, 2008 - New York Post, Schools' Cruel Cut For Gifted Pupils (Yoav Gonen)
March 23, 2008 - Hoboken Reporter, 2nd grade bookworm passes test for university's gifted programs (Timothy Carroll)
March 21, 2008 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, State expands definition of 'gifted' students (Staff)
March 9, 2008 - New York Times, A Science Prodigy in an Unlikely Place (Joseph Berger)
March 4, 2008 - Denver Post, Minorities, poor get "highly gifted" lift (Jeremy P. Meyer)
March 4, 2008 - North County Journal, Could gifted-education programs be in trouble? (Buck Collier)
Feb. 16, 2008 - Press-Citizen, 3 years later, UI study influencing education for gifted students (Brian Morelli)
Feb. 16, 2008 - Naples Daily News, Guest commentary: Thanks to schools’ gifted program (Editorial)
Feb. 7, 2008 - News 3 Las Vegas, Gifted Students: Are they in Danger of Being Left Behind? (Staff)
Feb. 7, 2008 - District Administration, Study recommends sweeping changes to student advancement (Pat Kossan)
Jan. 23, 2008 - Cleveland Plain Dealer, Thousands of gifted students not receiving adequate education (J. González)
Jan. 22, 2008 - EducationWeek, The Gifted Express, Now Leaving on Track 1 (Stephen L. Gessner)
Jan. 23, 2008 - Forbes.com, Do You Have A Gifted Child?  (Hana R. Alberts)
Jan. 14, 2008 - Vail Daily, Schools aim to challenge the brightest (Matt Terrell)
Jan. 4, 2008 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer, From feds on down, AP students are being neglected (Walt Gardner)
 

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) – 25th Silver Anniversary Conference
Most gifted conferences focus on educational issues and touch briefly on social and emotional subject matter. However, for the past 25 years, the annual SENG Gifted Conference has spotlighted the unique social and emotional needs and the challenges gifted young people face. "The SENG Summit: Reaching Attitudes & Altitudes" will be held July 18-20, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah and offers dozens of sessions to choose from. For more information, visit Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG). Flyer (PDF)

States with Upcoming Gifted Conferences/Events

Joel McIntosh & Prufrock Press Inc.

"Education should not be boring for any child," McIntosh says. "At Prufrock we like to publish books that offer an innovative approach to teaching, such as using simulations, problem-based learning, and hands-on investigation. Our overarching mission is to make a powerful difference in the lives of gifted and talented children."

Prufrock’s products address two audience groups: K-12 materials and the gifted teacher's professional development. In their K-12 products, the main focus is to have materials that truly challenge students and encourage outside the box learning, while adhering to national standards. Prufrock also publishes three quarterly professional journals (Gifted Child Today, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, and Journal of Advanced Academics), one quarterly children's magazine (Creative Kids), and more than 40 new titles each year.

Prufrock Press is frequently contacted by parents frustrated with having few, if any, gifted services at their child's school and don't know what to do.

"Oftentimes, parents purchase materials to use with their child at home or advocacy books to help them work with a school on behalf of their student," says McIntosh, who has a master’s degree in gifted education. "For teachers who have gifted students mixed into a general classroom, we have a number of books about differentiating lesson plans or curriculum so that the needs of all students can be served in one classroom." (See newly released Best Practices in Gifted Education.)

During the past year, the Prufrock Press team has focused more on college preparation and special opportunities for gifted learners, specifically with publication of The Ultimate Guide to Summer Opportunities for Teens: 200 Programs That Prepare You for College Success by Sandra Berger.

"Although we'll always keep the education of gifted children our core theme, we're branching out to serve a broader spectrum of the gifted and talented," McIntosh said. "Currently, we are very interested in the topic of twice-exceptional children. As a field, we are just beginning to look seriously at this topic, and I want Prufrock to be a leader on this subject."

The positive impact Joel McIntosh and Prufrock Press have had in the field of gifted education can be felt in homes and classrooms around the world.
  

"Learning opportunities based on proficiencies would certainly be more fun, more invigorating, more challenging, and without a doubt, helpful to the future of America."

~ Graham Van Schaik, 2007 Davidson Fellow and 2008 Intel Talent Search Scholarship Recipient