Gifted & Talented Students – Federal Update CEC Special Education Legislative Summit - July 11, 2016 Jane Clarenbach Director, Public Education

Your Advocacy Makes A Difference $12 million for Javits Gifted & Talented Students Education Act (FY 2016) Key additions to ESSA 2

3 What We Achieved For Gifted Students in Required teacher in-service learning Attention to high-ability students in poverty Public accountability for advanced learning Potential for use of computer adaptive testing to pinpoint student mastery Retention of the Javits research program

4 Title II: Professional 1)State applicaitons must address learning needs of gifted students 2)Districts receiving Title II funds must provide training to address the learning of gifted and talented students 3)Districts MAY provide training to support the ID of GT students, including high-ability students who have not been formally identified as GT

5 Title I: Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged 1)Funds may be used to identify and serve gifted and talented students  Reverses current communications from USED  Might mean GT specialists in Title I schools to support teachers  Might mean separate “pre”-GT programs

6 Title I: Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged 2)Disaggregation of student achievement data at each achievement level on state & local report cards  Change from NCLB’s reporting at proficient & below  Disaggregated data allows districts/states to see excellence gaps  Data could be used to revise curriculum & instruction

7 Title I: Improving Academic Achievement of Disadvantaged 3)States may develop computer adaptive assessments for accountability purposes

8 Title IV: ESSA reauthorizes Javits Gifted & Talented Students Education Act, first included in ESEA in 1988  Focus on underrepresented gifted and talented student populations (low-income, minority, English learners, gifted with a disability)  Develops best practice through system of applied research grants  Funds National Center for Research on Gifted Education

Javits Gifted Program Grants Between 2011 & 2015: 8 3-year statewide grants 24 5-year demonstration grants 1 grant for Nat’l Center for Research on Gifted Ed 9

Work Yet to Do 10 Patchwork system of state & local policies and services  Myths and misconceptions about gifted students  Lack of data and/or applied research = inequities

Gifted Students in the U.S Total student population = 50 million  51.7% White  23.6% Hispanic or Latino  15.9% Black/African American  12.3% Students with disabilities (IDEA)  9.6% English learners  4.7% Asian Number of identified GT students = 3.2 million  60.8% White  16.9% Hispanic or Latino  9.5% Asian  8.8% Black/African American  2.7% English learners  2.4% Students with disabilities (IDEA) Source: Office of Civil Rights, State and National Estimations

Leaving Math Talent on the Table 2015 NAEP 4 th Grade Mathematics - % “Advanced” 7% nation 10% White 3% Hispanic 1% Black/African American 2% school lunch eligible – 13% non SL eligible 2% students with disabilities – 8% non disability 2015 NAEP 8 th Grade Mathematics - % “Advanced” 8% nation 11% White 3% Hispanic 2% Black/African American 2% school lunch eligible – 13% non SL eligible 1% students with disabilities – 9% non disability 12

Leaving Reading Talent Behind 2015 NAEP 4 th Grade Reading % “Advanced” 9% nation 12% White 3% Hispanic 2% Black/African American 3% school lunch eligible – 15% non SL eligible 2% children with disabilities – 10% non disabilities 2015 NAEP 8 th Grade Reading % “Advanced” 4% nation 5% White 1% Hispanic 1% Black/African American 1% school lunch eligible – 6% non school lunch eligible < 1% children with disabilities – 4% non disabilities 13

Closing Excellence Gaps: What is Needed? Access to advanced coursework Lack of teacher expertise Needs of twice-exceptional children Investment in research 14

Access to Rigor 15 Source: Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look

Under-Enrollment of Children with Disabilities in Advanced Programs and Courses 16 Source: Civil Rights Data Collection: A First Look

Teachers Lack Preparation Pre-service teachers typically receive less than 2 clock hours of instruction on characteristics & needs of gifted students 1 state requires a separate course in gifted education at the pre-service level 17

“2e” Students Unknown number of twice exceptional students – Estimates of 360,000 (2-5% of the GT student population) Lack of familiarity among school professionals Educators’ knowledge & experience with this population is limited. Use of RtI as screening tool for giftedness used sporadically around country. Need more research on effective identification and intervention strategies 18

Invest in Research Views held by professionals Family and community support Psychosocial characteristics Critical elements of curriculum & instruction Teacher preparation 19

What do Gifted Students Need from Congress? Continue focus on underrepresented populations. Reward Title I schools that move students to advanced achievement levels Use discretionary grants Use Higher Education Act to increase number of new teachers ready to address gifted student needs Include 2e in IDEA in meaningful way Include 2e in portfolio of Nat’l Center for Special Education Research 20

Ask Congress….. (cont’d) Fund the Javits program ($20 million in FY17) Fund research beyond identification of gifted students to ensure high-ability students fully develop their talents Oversight of USED on the impact of the new gifted education provisions in ESSA 21

22 Ad·vo·cate [ad-vuh-kate] v. to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly. Constituents matter. Multiple voices are effective. Patience and persistence pay off.

23 Thank National Association for Gifted Children Jane Clarenbach, Director of Public Education