POLICY AND ADVOCACY

Resources and Research

Why Policy Support for Gifted and High-Ability Students Matters:

ILLINOIS HAS LARGE “OPPORTUNITY GAPS” AND THUS LARGE “EXCELLENCE GAPS”

The No Child Left Behind Act created strong incentives for schools to focus on students below the minimum proficiency bar and inadvertently neglect the growth of advanced students

Opportunity gaps: Most Illinois elementary/middle school districts do not offer gifted programming
- Over 80% had gifted programming in 2003, prior to NCLB and end of state funding (ISBE)
- Only 27% currently offer gifted programming. Districts serving predominantly low-income students were least likely to provide programing. (Dwyer & Welch, 2016)
- Lack of access to gifted programming during the school day is most detrimental to economically disadvantaged students whose families lack resources for supplementation
Excellence Gaps: Illinois currently has among the largest academic excellence gaps in the country. 15% of 4th graders and 12% of 8th graders who did not qualify for free or reduced price lunch in Illinois scored at the advanced levels on the 2013 NAEP math test, while only 2% of students who qualified for free or reduced price lunch scored at advanced levels (Plucker, 2016)

Illinois received a D- in the 2015 Jack Kent Cooke Report that graded states on gifted education policies

Resources on How to Advocate Effectively in Your School:

Most decisions that affect the availability of and funding for programs and services for gifted and advanced learners are made at the local level. Therefore, in addition to supporting strong policy and funding for talent development at the state and federal levels, it is critical that parents and concerned educators engage with local school leaders to ensure that addressing the needs of advanced learners is a high priority.

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Toolkit supports individuals and groups working to improve gifted education programs and services.
Tips for Parents: Advocacy - Working with Your Child’s School from the Davidson Institute provides a guide to establishing constructive partnerships between parents and local educators.

Additional Useful Resources:

Illinois Association for Gifted Children

1500 Sullivan Road
Aurora, IL 60506

Ph: 630-907-5047
Fax: 630-907-5976

email us:

Director@IAGCgifted.org

Join Now!

The Illinois Association for Gifted Children is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

We Need Advocates Like You!

CONTACT THE POLICY & ADVOCACY COMMITTEE CHAIR TO LEARN MORE:

Julie Luck Jensen jluckjensen@gmail.com