NATIONAL

The National Association for Gifted Children http://www.nagc.org posts a page http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=585&al with legislative updates, which it keeps updated.

The No Child Left Behind Act, http://www.ed.gov/nclb/ which was signed into law in 2001, needs to be reauthorized by Congress. Many advocates of GT education have concerns about the act, which they feel shortchanges GT students.

Some articles on the debate:

• “The Children Neglected by No Child Left Behind,” http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/02/gifted_oped.html a Feb. 1, 2007, article about gifted children posted by Duke University.

• A 2004 PBS Online NewsHour segment http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Polk_Gifted.htm on how NCLB affects gifted kids’ education.

• “Initiative to leave no child behind leaves out gifted,” http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Polk_Gifted.htm a Dec. 29, 2003, Wall Street Journal article.

• The National Association for Gifted Children posts a Q&A. https://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1256

The U.S. Department of Education sponsors the Jacob J. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program http://www.ed.gov/programs/javits/index.html to fund activities that enhance the ability of elementary and secondary schools to meet the needs of GT students. As of August 2007, the House and Senate appropriations bills are set to fund Javits at $7.6 million, which will continue funding of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented http://www.ed.gov/programs/nrdcjavits/index.html and finance grants in 2008. It is lower the $11.25 million requested for the program, and money will likely not be available for statewide grants in 2008 because of it.

STATE OF TEXAS

The Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented posts a recap http://tagt.affiniscape.com/associations/6225/files/Legislative%20Recap.pdf of the Texas Legislature’s actions during the 2007 session that affected GT education and students. TAGT is the largest state advocacy organization for GT education in the nation.

TAGT posts its Legislative Policy Platform. http://www.txgifted.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=37

The Texas Legislature’s Web site. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/

HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Join the Coppell Gifted Association (download the Membership Form). It will:

• Keep you informed about issues affecting your children’s education;

• Offer resources for parenting your children and advocating for them;

• Amplify your voice by advocating for GT issues locally and statewide.

Learn more about how to advocate for your child and all gifted children:

* TAGT posts a page of resources on advocacy. http://www.txgifted.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=35

* The National Association for Gifted Children posts an Advocacy Toolkit. http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=36

* KidSource.com posts a page with advice on advocating for gifted children http://www.kidsource.com/education/advocacy.gifted.html in the legislative arena.

Join the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented http://www.txgifted.org and sign up for its legislative alerts to stay informed of the issues.

Attend the annual TAGT conference. http://www.txgifted.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=136 The 2007 conference takes place Nov. 14-16 in Houston.

Contact your legislator about issues and legislation that affect gifted and talented education. To look up your legislators, refer to this TAGT page. http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/