A National Survey of Current Legislative and Policy Trends in Gifted Education: Life after the National Excellence Report

Abstract

Recent reports on the existence and nature of educational programs for gifted learners have indicated that current educational practices in gifted education vary in both availability and quality. One such report, National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent (U.S. Department of Education, U.S. DOE, 1993), identified critical issues and established 7 initiatives for the improvement of the education of gifted students. This study examined the nature and availability of state legislative and policy provisions for gifted students as well as state efforts to address the report's 7 initiatives. Results indicated that progress in state efforts on the 7 initiatives have been mixed, with significant gains in some areas contrasted by minimal or no progress in others. Gains in gifted education, however, occurred at the same time that legislation and policy mandates in gifted education decreased.