| By Cindy Clark and Ruth Robinson, WATG Board Members In March, we journeyed to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to share student stories about the challenges and needs of gifted and talented children in our state and to encourage them to sign-on as co-sponsors of the Talent Act. Our visit was part of the NAGC Affiliates Group’s effort to promote an increased federal role in support of G/T education throughout the U.S. While we were not able to arrange meetings with all members of the Wisconsin delegation, we were able to speak briefly with Congresswomen Gwen Moore and Tammy Baldwin and then continue our discussions with their education staffers. We also met with staff representatives for Congressmen Ron Kind, Tom Petri, and Paul Ryan, and with Senator Herb Kohl’s Legislative Aid. | Currently, there are no federal regulations addressing these issues, nor are there federal funds allocated to assist states or districts in supporting GT students. |
The TALENT Act (To Aid Gifted and High-Ability Learners by Empowering The Nation’s Teachers, Senate Bill 857 and House Bill 1674) proposes to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to provide federal leadership in meeting the needs of gifted and high-ability students.
The Act has four key components:
1. Emphasizes the need to increase teacher training about the unique needs of GT students and in methods they might use to meet those needs;
2. Stresses the importance of developing methods for identifying and serving students from
diverse backgrounds and environments, including rural and economically depressed areas;
3. Authorizes the Professional Development and Best Practices competitive grant program to
fund the development of innovative instructional practices with gifted and talented students;
4. Addresses the importance of data in further policy development by requiring that the Department of Education gather information specifically about gifted and talented student performance and needs.
The Act has four key components:
1. Emphasizes the need to increase teacher training about the unique needs of GT students and in methods they might use to meet those needs;
2. Stresses the importance of developing methods for identifying and serving students from
diverse backgrounds and environments, including rural and economically depressed areas;
3. Authorizes the Professional Development and Best Practices competitive grant program to
fund the development of innovative instructional practices with gifted and talented students;
4. Addresses the importance of data in further policy development by requiring that the Department of Education gather information specifically about gifted and talented student performance and needs.
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