General Assembly 2007
There were several bills dealing with gifted education introduced during this session. After several amendments to HB2564 and SB1338, these bills were killed on January 29.
HB 1636 Kindergarten programs; expands eligibility for kindergarten in school divisions
Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan – Patron
Expands the eligibility for kindergarten in school divisions implementing pre-kindergarten or transitional first grade programs, to include children whose fifth birthday occurs between October 1 and June 30, rather than the current cutoff of December 31 after an appropriate readiness evaluation has demonstrated that attendance in these programs will educationally benefit such children.
On January 15, the House Education
sub-committee on Students and Daycare unanimously voted to refer HB1636 to the
House Education Committee. The
House Education Committee may review the bill on Monday, January 22.
VAG thanks
Delegate McClellan for bringing this legislation forth.
HB 2564 Standards of Quality; Gifted Education Programs
R. Lee Ware, Jr. - Patron
SB 1338 Standards of Quality; Gifted
Education Programs
Ryan T. McDougle – Patron
Two
identical bills were introduced in the 2007 General Assembly that
extend the language for identification and programming for gifted learners
in the Standards of Quality. Currently, gifted is only mentioned in SOQ by
this sentence: Early identification of gifted students and enrollment of
such students in appropriately differentiated instructional programs. These
bills extend the language of the SOQ regarding identification and gifted
programs. Under specific academic aptitude humanities is changed to the
English language, and history or the social sciences. Although the
regulations for gifted address these components, they have never been a part
of the SOQ.
These are the text changes in the bills:
Early
identification of gifted students and enrollment of such students in
appropriately differentiated instructional programs. Such identification
and enrollment shall include students gifted in either (i) general
intellectual aptitude or (ii) specific academic aptitude in one or more of
the following core subjects: mathematics, the sciences, the English
language, and history or the social sciences. Each school board shall
determine whether to offer identification and programs for the enrollment of
students gifted in general intellectual aptitude or identification of and
programs for the enrollment of students gifted in specific academic
aptitude, or both. However, each school board may provide identification of
and differentiated instructional programs for students gifted in the
technical and practical arts or in the visual or performing arts aptitude.
The identification of students gifted in general intellectual or specific
academic aptitude shall commence in kindergarten and shall be determined at
each grade level throughout the elementary, middle, and secondary school
grades until graduation, in accordance with standards established by
regulations of the Board of Education that school boards shall meet or
exceed.
You may see these bills in their entirety by going to: http://legis.state.va.us/ and typing in the bill number under 2007 Session - Enter a Bill Number.
The revised (1/26/07) version of SB 1338 follows:
Early
identification of gifted students and enrollment of such students in
appropriately differentiated instructional programs. Such identification
and enrollment shall include students gifted in either (i) general
intellectual aptitude or (ii) specific academic aptitude in one or more of
the following core subjects: mathematics, the sciences, the English
language, and history or the social sciences. Each school board shall
determine whether to offer identification and programs for the enrollment of
students gifted in general intellectual aptitude or identification of and
programs for the enrollment of students gifted in specific academic
aptitude, or both. However, each school board may provide identification of
and differentiated instructional programs for students gifted in the
technical and practical arts or in the visual or performing arts aptitude.
The identification of students gifted in general intellectual or specific
academic aptitude shall commence in elementary school kindergarten and program
services shall be offered determined
at each grade level throughout
the elementary, middle, and secondary school grades until graduation, in
accordance with standards established by regulations of the Board of
Education that school boards shall meet or exceed.
Nothing herein shall be
deemed to require annual re-identification of students previously identified
as gifted.
In addition, nothing herein shall be deemed to require placement of a
student in a gifted program over the objections of his or her parents or
guardians.