Gifted Education in the U.S. – State Policy & Legislation

Gifted students in states across the country often encounter a wide range of services varying from state to state and even district to district. Gifted education is often left up to local control, and what districts send to the state board may not be enforced or currently in effect.

One excellent resource on the topic is the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)’s State of the States in Gifted Education, which includes individual states’ approaches toward identification, funding, acceleration and more. This report reveals an uneven delivery system with differing policies that weaken access to services. Local school districts are often responsible for funding programs to identify and serve gifted students, support teacher training, and develop critical policies on identification and service models. While there have been some positive developments, including progress towards ensuring that gifted students are served using specialized plans, NAGC is calling for numerous changes, urging lawmakers and education leaders to develop comprehensive state strategies to expand access to a full range of high quality gifted education services.

See NAGC’s Gifted by State page for state-by-state statistics and policies.

Additional resources:

• Acceleration Institute – State Policy page
• Hoagies: Gifted Education Mandates By State
• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: Equal Talents, Unequal Opportunities State Report Cards
• Education Week State Report Cards
• Coalition for Responsible Home Education – Find Your State’s Homeschool Law
• Dept. of Education: Funds for State Formula-Allocated Programs