Fiscal year 2007 is finally behind us. The Javits program received $9.6 million in funding -- the same level as the program received in 2006. The reason? When the new Congress convened, it still had to complete action on all the unfinished work from the 109th Congress. And, in the interest of time (the fiscal year began on October 1, 2006) the House has passed a "continuing resolution," a device that "continued" most federal agencies and programs at the same funding level as the programs and agencies received in 2006. The President signed the bill into law, and the Congress is now turning its attention to Fiscal year 2008. We understand that although the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented will receive funding in 2007, there will no new state grants awarded this year.
The 2008 fiscal year officially "kicked off" when President Bush sent his budget request to Congress on February 5, 2007. His $56 billion request for education included $0 for the Javits program in 2008. Gifted education advocates have been in this position before, and we know what to do: we must educate Members of Congress to the value of the Javits program:
Our supporters in Congress have helped focus attention on gifted students this year. "Dear Colleague" letters circulated in the House and Senate in an effort to draw attention to the need to fund the Javits program. The letters, authored by Senators Charles Grassley (Iowa) and Christopher Dodd (CT) and Representative Elton Gallegly (CA-24), request $11.25 million for the Javits program in fiscal year 2008, and are directed to the Senate and House appropriations subcommittees that handle education funding. The $11.25 million funding level is the same amount of funding as the program had in 2002, before a series of across-the-board reductions to pay for the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism took a toll on all non-defense domestic discretionary spending. 20 Senators and 19 Representatives co-signed the letters.
As adopted by the State Board in June 2005, there are several regulatory changes that impact gifted education. Words in (parentheses) have been deleted.
The definition has been revised as follows:
"Gifted and talented students" means those (exceptionally able) students who possess or demonstrate high levels of ability, in one or more content areas, when compared to their chronological peers in the local school district and who require modifications of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities.
(a) District boards of education shall ensure that curriculum and instruction are designed and delivered in such a way that all students are able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills specified by the Core Curriculum Content Standards and shall ensure that appropriate instructional adaptions are designed and delivered for students with disabilities, for students with limited English proficiency, and for students who are gifted and talented.
5. District boards of education shall be responsible for identifying gifted and talented students and shall provide them with appropriate instructional adaptations and services.
i. District boards of education shall make provisions for an ongoing K-12 identification process (and appropriate educational challenges) for gifted and talented students (initiated in kindergarten and reviewed annually through grade 12) that includes multiple measures.
i.i. District boards of education shall provide appropriate K-12 educational services for gifted and talented students.
(ii) iii. District boards of education shall develop appropriate curricular and instructional modifications used for gifted and talented students indicating content, process, products, and learning environment.
iv. District boards of education shall take into consideration the Pre-K - Grade 12 Gifted Program Standards of the National Association for Gifted Children in developing programs for gifted and talented students.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
The Legislature finds and declares that:
- gifted children have need for special academic programs in their schools;
- public schools must provide for those needs as well as encourage and support gifted children;
- gifted children require early identification and intervention, which must be provided by the public schools;
- gifted children must have an appropriate curriculum adapted to meet the pace and depth of their learning needs in order to reach their full potential and development;
- gifted and talented children are not disproportionately concentrated among members of any particular racial or ethnic group or gender;
- public schools must provide viable curriculum modifications for gifted students for their cognitive, creative and emotional needs; and
- it is appropriate to establish a commission to study the most effective way to implement programs for gifted children in New Jersey public schools.