Received today from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC):
Over the last few weeks, Congress has taken significant steps to eliminate the only federal investment focused on high-ability, disadvantaged students, the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act.
Thankfully, Congressman Courtney (D-CT) and Congressman Gallegly (R-CA) are leading the effort to reinstate Javits funding by asking their fellow members of Congress to sign on to a letter to the powerful Appropriations Committee (the body that makes federal spending decisions).
We need your help! Contact your Representative and urge them to sign on to the Courtney-Gallegly letter TODAY! Congress will only act if their constituents make it a priority!
NAGC suggests you use CEC’s Legislative Action Center. It will to make contacting Congress easy and fast by providing a sample email and contact information.
Our nation is failing high-ability, disadvantaged students; don’t let Congress continue down this path.
A refresher about the Javits program:
While the Javits program is small by federal standards, funded at $7.5 million last year, it impacts thousands of students, teachers, and schools across the country.
Studies are showing a growing gap at the highest achievement levels between low income students and their more advantaged peers. Our nation is failing to serve high-ability, low income students. The Javits program directly addresses this issue. It focuses on developing strategies to identify and serve students who traditionally have not had access to gifted education programs. Because of work done through the Javits program, teachers have been trained to better understand how to identify high ability in students and modify curriculum to meet their needs. If the Senate eliminates the Javits program, this work will end.
Additionally, the Javits program solely funds the National Research Center on Gifted Education. The elimination of funding for the Javits program would result in closure of the Center and a tremendous loss to classrooms. The mission of the center is to develop best practices, which have been disseminated and implemented in schools across the nation.
Programs funded through the Javits program include a program that helped to serve as a model during the redesign of QUEST, and one that is being used by the Washington State Highly Capable Technical Working group as it works on its recommendations to the Quality Education Commision and the Washington State Legislature.
