HJ0051 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0051 LRB097 14750 RPM 59767 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Gifted and talented students make up 5% to 10% of the prekindergarten to grade 12 student population in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Students with gifts and talents, and high-ability students who have not been formally identified for gifted education services, require modifications to the general education curriculum to fully meet their educational needs; and

WHEREAS, There is a growing gap at the highest levels of achievement between the performance of subgroups of students, particularly those students who are African-American or Hispanic and those who are Caucasian, on statewide assessments of academic progress; and

WHEREAS, Effective assessment and instruction of students with gifts and talents require educators to have specialized knowledge and skills; and

WHEREAS, Interventions and strategies that have been demonstrated to be successful with gifted and talented students can be modified to improve the achievement of all students; and

WHEREAS, Illinois has not provided funding designated for the education of gifted and talented students directly to local school districts since 2003; and

WHEREAS, There are currently no accountability mechanisms in place in Illinois for education services for gifted and talented children; and

WHEREAS, Students who are both gifted and have a disability (twice-exceptional) present special challenges because their disability often masks their academic potential or their academic strengths may mask their disability, resulting in the lack of services and supports for this population; and

WHEREAS, Legislation creating the Talent Act, H.R. 1674 and S. 857, has been introduced in Congress by Representative Elton Gallegly (R-California) and by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), respectively; and

WHEREAS, The Talent Act would assist states and school districts in addressing the needs of gifted and talented students, including twice-exceptional students, and in improving the teaching of gifted and talented students; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the United States Congress to pass the Talent Act either as a separate Act or as an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or another Act of Congress; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge members of the Illinois congressional delegation to become co-sponsors of the Talent Act legislation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, and each member of the Illinois congressional delegation.