News 

Illinois will now hold schools accountable for the growth of all students across the achievement spectrum, without diminishing weight for the growth of students above the proficiency threshold. We are also on the cusp of getting a new accountability indicator added that will measure student participation in enrichment and acceleration opportunities. Stay tuned!

From the Fordham Report released today, November 14, 2017:

"Altogether, twenty of the fifty-one proposed school rating systems are either good or great—earning at least two strong grades and one medium. And those of seven states—Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Washington—are the best, having received perfect scores."

Students in need of financial support for a special project or program, educators looking for professional development funds to work with advanced learners, or administrators looking to recognize staff dedicated to identifying and developing exceptional talent in young people are encouraged to apply an IAGC award or scholarship. Visit the awards and scholarships web page for details.

In a major victory for high-ability students throughout Illinois, the Accelerated Placement Act (SB1223) and the Report Card Act (HB2461) were both signed into law by Governor Rauner on August 25, 2017!

Championed by IAGC and the Untapped Potential Project, the Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to establish policies that provide equitable access to grade acceleration, subject acceleration, and early entrance beginning in July 2018.

The Report Card Act requires the State Board of Education to publish on Illinois Report Cards information it collects about gifted education and advanced academic programs and the number of teachers with gifted education endorsements.

Thank you to our members and supporters for your help in getting SB1223 and HB2461 through the Illinois General Assembly and to the Governor's desk.  Your advocacy made this possible! 

HB 2461 amends the School Code.  It requires the State Board to include in the school report cards certain demographic information concerning gifted education and advanced academic programs, as well as information concerning the number of teachers in a school who hold a gifted education endorsement. HB 2461 has passed both the Illinois House and Senate and has been sent to the Governor for his approval.

IAGC would like to thank the wonderful supporters who "slipped in favor" of HB 2461.  You made a difference!

On May 28th, 2017 the Accelerated Placement Act passed the House by a vote of 99:11.  It passed the senate unanimously on May3rd.  

This act allows early entrance to kindergarten or first grade, accelerating a student in a single subject, compacting curriculum, concurrent enrollment, credit by examination, online learning courses, Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate programs, grade acceleration, grade telescoping, and early high school graduation to all students in Illinois.

Thank you to our U.S. Senators from Illinois, Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Tammy Duckworth, for co-signing the bipartisan Grassley-Casey letter in support of continued funding for the highly effective Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program in 2018! 

Javits funding (currently $12 million for 2017) is the only federal money specifically designated for gifted children, and the research funded by these Javits grants benefits underserved gifted students throughout the country.  Javits is one of the programs that the Administration has proposed for elimination in 2018, so the outspoken support from Senators Durbin and Duckworth is critically important. On behalf of all of Illinois' gifted students, IAGC extends our heartfelt gratitude!

Want to learn more?  See the NAGC website:  http://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/Advocacy/Jacob%20Javits%20%20GT%20Act%20Letter.pdf

The Accelerated Placement Act just passed the House Education Committee unanimously!  On to the full House vote before the end of May. Thanks to those of you who acted on our legislative alert yesterday!  

We have been busily at work converting to a new IAGC membership website.  Our hope is that this website will support your needs going forward. Please let us know what additional information you wish it contained.