In 2003, the State of Illinois eliminated funding for gifted education, and removed gifted language from the school code. Through a grassroots effort to mobilize parents for letter writing, along with General Assembly supporters, the Illinois General Assembly passed Senate Bill 223, in the summer of 2005. It is now known as PA 94-0151, and has reinstated the language of gifted education back into the school code. This means the State of Illinois now officially recognizes that gifted children exist in this state. The next step is to enact legislation that would earmark money toward the education of Illinois’ gifted students.

Federal

The Javits program is the only federally funded program that focuses on the needs of our nation’s gifted learners. It helps to fund research programs, and a few other gifted education programs.  Since the passage of the Javits Act in 1988, as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Congress has appropriated between $3.0 million and just over $11 million each year to fund programs under the Act.  In 2008, 80 Senators and Representatives co-signed letters to the appropriations committees requesting $11.5 million be allocated for the program in fiscal year 2009.  In the end, the Congress continued funding for the program at the 2008 level.  Click here to see the list of co-signers who supported the increase for the program.

For a description of the Javits Program, click here.