The 2018-2019 State of the States in Gifted Education report represents a snapshot of gifted education across the nation during the academic year 2018-2019. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted (CSDPG) conducted this survey to explore if and how states provide and support programs for gifted and talented students. The previous State of the States report was based on the 2014-2015 academic year.
The report includes individual states’ approaches toward identification, funding, acceleration and more. It 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.