NATIONAL
Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act – Funding for Javits, the only federal source of funding for gifted and talented education, will remain at $7.5 million for Fiscal Year 2009. The Department of Education funded seven grants totaling $2,639,726 in 2008. View the 2008 Javits grantees listing.

CALIFORNIA – With lawmakers considering Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to give schools more flexibility, freeing them from spending money on specific state-required programs, a number of parents fear programs for gifted students will vanish. Read about their concerns in this San Francisco Chronicle article.

COLORADO – Highly gifted 4- and 5-year-olds in Grand Junction can start school a year early thanks to a new policy recently passed by the district’s Board of Education. These students must first pass a rigorous testing process to determine if they are ready to handle the rigors of school. Source: GJSentinel.com

FLORIDA – Pre-K through third grade gifted students could benefit from a new school due to open in August. United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida, a nonprofit agency specializing in childhood development, is breaking ground on a 32,000-square-foot East Orange/Bailes campus in Central Florida Research Park. The school is designed to help students learn at their own pace, with a teacher-student ratio of about 1-to-5, and provide individualized attention. Source: UCPeople

The Collier County School District recently made a number of changes to its gifted program, which are of concern to many area parents. The changes include placing gifted children in classrooms with students of all abilities. Source: Naples Daily News

INDIANA – A recent proposal would modify Flexible Opportunities that Change Us (FOCUS), an accelerated program for third- and fourth-graders in the Noblesville School District. The proposal would call for FOCUS to identify students as “high-ability,” potentially doubling the amount of students in the program. Also, services would expand to include language arts, math, science and social studies. Currently, FOCUS students are only offered reading and math. Source: Indy.com

KENTUCKY – Western Kentucky University recently received a $2 million federal grant as part of the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. The program, known as GEMS (Gifted Education in Math and Science) is designed to identify and foster interest in these subjects among minority and low-income elementary students. Source: Bowling Green Daily News

MASSACHUSETTS – Due to budget constraints, new programs for Foxboro's gifted and talented students are unlikely next year. A local task force is currently searching for other options to improve student achievement in the district. Source: The Sun Chronicle

MARYLAND – The Montgomery County School District is proposing dropping the gifted label. Officials are considering abandoning the policy that sorts high-achieving second-grade students into classes labeled as “gifted.” Proponents of the plan say that it will help break the invisible wall between those labeled as “gifted” and other students, without changing instruction that high-achieving students receive. Some parents are worried that removal of the label could result in a decreased commitment to gifted education. Sources: Washington Post – Dec. 16, 2008, Dec. 22, 2008, The Gazette

MINNESOTA – A school for “exceptionally gifted” students has been proposed by the Minnetonka School District. After at least 50 students in grades 3-5 were identified as gifted (22 percent of the student population), the district saw a need to form a school with multi-age classrooms for students who demonstrate very high intelligence. The school board will likely vote on the proposal in February or March. Source: StarTribune.com. View the full proposal.

MISSOURI – Rep. Sara Lampe recently filed a bill that would progress the state of gifted education in Missouri. Currently, gifted programming is not mandated. Source: Springfield News-Leader

NEVADA – Proposed budget cuts would eliminate the gifted and talented program in the Douglas County School District. Source: Nevada Appeal

NEW YORK – The number of entry-level gifted and talented students in Staten Island dropped by more than half this school year, sparking anger from local legislators about the testing process. Source: Staten Island Advance

OHIO – Last year, Gov. Ted Strickland employed the Seniors to Sophomores program, which allows Ohio high school seniors the opportunity to earn free college credit. Read how the program has recently benefitted one such student in this Ironton Tribune article.

PENNSYLVANIA – Recommendations to provide gifted children with more challenging individualized education plans have been proposed in the Allentown School District. The proposal also calls for earlier, better training on identifying gifted students. Source: The Morning Call

SOUTH CAROLINA – A new bill that would give school districts flexibility in spending state dollars has been proposed. House Bill 3352 is causing concern for some parents of gifted and talented children, who fear that the bill will put gifted programs at risk. Sources: The Beaufort Gazette, The Island Packet

TENNESSEE – The Special Education Department at Jasper Middle School is offering a “gifted” program for the first time. Source: Marion County Newspapers.

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

 
Feb. 18, 2009 - Reno Gazette-Journal, Intel International Science Fair seeks volunteers (Lenita Powers)
Feb. 16, 2009 - Sammamish Review, Tales of a sixth-grade genius (Christopher Huber)
Feb. 16, 2009 - Washington Post, The Case for National Standards (Randi Weingarten)
Feb. 14, 2009 - Washington Post, Plan to Move Gifted Program Negated (Nelson Hernandez)
Feb. 13, 2009 - The Daily Record, Madison teen knows practice is truly key (Matt Kadosh)
Feb. 12, 2009 - Detroit Metro Parent, Sacrifice for child's education personal, not selfish (Alyssa Martina)
Jan. 28, 2009 - Scientific American, Meet the whiz kids: Intel Science Talent Search (Laura Vanderkam)
Jan. 25, 2009 - St. Petersburg Times, Bright students still bored (Ron Matus)
Jan. 16, 2009 - Washington Post, Misguided Colleges Skewer SAT Score Choice (Jay Mathews)
Jan. 15, 2009 - ScienceDaily.com, Education Professor Dispels Myths About Gifted Children (Staff)
Jan. 8, 2009 - Boston.com, Young inventor takes his responsibilities seriously (Megan McKee)
Dec. 10, 2008 - USA Today, Real kids, real research (Laura Vanderkam)
Dec. 8, 2008 - Scientific American, High Stakes High School Science: Competitions Net 6-Figure Prizes (L. Vanderkam)
Dec. 1, 2008 - ScienceDaily, Using Challenging Concepts To Learn Promotes Understanding Of New Material (Staff)
    
Discuss these stories and more on the Gifted Issues Discussion Forum.
 

Center for Gifted Education - National Curriculum Network Conference
Converse with fellow gifted education professionals on topics such as curriculum, instruction, and assessment for high-ability learners at the Center for Gifted Education’s 14th National Curriculum Network Conference, March 11-13, 2009 in Williamsburg, Va. The conference will focus on special materials, practices, and curriculum approaches that are responsive to the needs of gifted students.

Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education Annual Conference - Cultivating Creative Minds and Forward Thinkers
Some of the most distinguished experts in gifted education will present at the 2009 PAGE Gifted Conference, April 16-18 in King of Prussia, Penn. Keynote presentations include “Creativity is the Most Important Thing We Can Teach Our Children in the New Millennium” and “The Ten Smartest Things We Already Know That Work for the Gifted: It’s Time to Use Them!”

States with Upcoming Gifted Conferences/Events

"Our global society faces sharp problems which can only be solved by sharper minds."

~ Davidson Academy Parent, Detroit Metro Parent article