HJ0051LRB097 14750 RPM 59767 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Gifted and talented students make up 5% to 10% of
3the prekindergarten to grade 12 student population in Illinois;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Students with gifts and talents, and high-ability
6students who have not been formally identified for gifted
7education services, require modifications to the general
8education curriculum to fully meet their educational needs; and
 
9    WHEREAS, There is a growing gap at the highest levels of
10achievement between the performance of subgroups of students,
11particularly those students who are African-American or
12Hispanic and those who are Caucasian, on statewide assessments
13of academic progress; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Effective assessment and instruction of students
15with gifts and talents require educators to have specialized
16knowledge and skills; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Interventions and strategies that have been
18demonstrated to be successful with gifted and talented students
19can be modified to improve the achievement of all students; and
 
20    WHEREAS, Illinois has not provided funding designated for

 

 

HJ0051- 2 -LRB097 14750 RPM 59767 r

1the education of gifted and talented students directly to local
2school districts since 2003; and
 
3    WHEREAS, There are currently no accountability mechanisms
4in place in Illinois for education services for gifted and
5talented children; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Students who are both gifted and have a disability
7(twice-exceptional) present special challenges because their
8disability often masks their academic potential or their
9academic strengths may mask their disability, resulting in the
10lack of services and supports for this population; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Legislation creating the Talent Act, H.R. 1674 and
12S. 857, has been introduced in Congress by Representative Elton
13Gallegly (R-California) and by Senator Charles Grassley
14(R-Iowa), respectively; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Talent Act would assist states and school
16districts in addressing the needs of gifted and talented
17students, including twice-exceptional students, and in
18improving the teaching of gifted and talented students;
19therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
21NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE

 

 

HJ0051- 3 -LRB097 14750 RPM 59767 r

1SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the United States
2Congress to pass the Talent Act either as a separate Act or as
3an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or
4another Act of Congress; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That we urge members of the Illinois
6congressional delegation to become co-sponsors of the Talent
7Act legislation; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9delivered to the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United
10States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority
11Leaders of the United States Senate, and each member of the
12Illinois congressional delegation.