NAGC Applauds New Pennsylvania Gifted Equity Program

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) applauds the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s expansion of gifted education services through the establishment of the Pennsylvania Gifted Equity Initiative. This new initiative will utilize $3.5 million in Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education grant funding to develop systemic support to close the excellence and achievement gap currently found in Pennsylvania school districts by the identification of and provision of services to gifted students who are not traditionally identified.

Research on student performance on state and national tests shows that there is a growing gap at the top of the achievement scale between white students and students of color and between advanced students from low-income backgrounds and those from more advantaged circumstances.

Ensuring the availability of gifted education programs and services at every grade level for all students who would benefit from the challenge, combined with equitable identification procedures, would reduce the underrepresentation of diverse learners in gifted education programs and put more learners from every population in a position to increase their achievement and maximize their potential.

As NAGC stands in strong support of Pennsylvania’s equity initiative, the Association calls on Congress to appropriate additional funding for Javits grants so more students can benefit from improved gifted identification and services.