2005 Gifted and Talented Legislation
August 3, 2005
Dear Friend of Gifted & Talented Education,
Congratulations to us all!
On July 14, 2005, Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a $12.6 billion dollar education bill that included $11 million for gifted and talented education. The inclusion of funding for gifted and talented education is the result of persistent advocacy on behalf of Minnesota’s estimated 80,000 gifted and talented learners and a responsive legislature. Since the loss of categorical funding in 1987, the Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented (MCGT) and the Minnesota Educators of Gifted and Talented (MEGT) have worked tirelessly to inform the public of the need to recognize and respond to the needs of gifted and talented learners. MCGT and MEGT, joined by a small group of advocates throughout the state, continued to voice their concerns through letters to their legislators, school boards, and the media, as well as by providing testimony to the House and Senate education committees. The impact of this sustained effort and ultimate success will be fully realized in the years to come.
Section 18 of the legislation, effective for the 2005-2006 school year, creates a new component of general education revenue called “gifted and talented revenue” providing $4 times a district’s adjusted marginal cost pupil units for the fiscal year 2006 and $9 times a district’s adjusted marginal cost pupil units for the fiscal year 2007 and beyond. The law requires school districts to reserve gifted and talented revenue’s use, and restrict it to the following areas:
1) Identification of gifted and talented students;
2) Provision of education programs for gifted and talented students; or,
3) Provision of staff development to prepare teachers to best meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students.
Section 17 of the legislation permits districts to adopt guidelines for assessing and identifying students. The stated guidelines are to include the use of:
1) Multiple and objective criteria; and,
2) Assessments and procedures that are valid and reliable, fair, and based on current theory and research.
This is a great day for Minnesota and the dawn of a new era in gifted education. I look forward to the challenges ahead and the opportunity to build on our success.
Sincerely,
Wendy A. Behrens, Gifted & Talented Education Specialist
MN Department of Education
Academic Standards & Professional Development
651.582.8786
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