“2008-2009 State of the States in Gifted Education”
The report, which offers the only comprehensive analysis of gifted education across the country, finds that there exist wide disparities in gifted education programs within and across states all 47 states surveyed. It attributes these disparities to low federal funding and a focus on low-performing students.
According to the analysis, most of the federal government’s funding and efforts focus on helping low-performing, poor and minority students achieve basic proficiency, leaving most gifted education programming up to the states and local school districts. It argues that the nation has a patchwork of gifted services, little teacher training in recognizing or serving gifted children, modest funding and a lack of accountability for educating high-ability learners.
The “State of the States” is a biannual report produced by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted (CSDPG). Data is based on information submitted by state education agency personnel for gifted education programs.
