Key Accomplishments of
WaCoalition for Gifted Education

 

Prepared by Washington Coalition for Gifted Education

Advocating for policy and legislation that supports the needs of highly capable students and advances equity within gifted education, by partnering with parents, educators, policy makers, influencers, and other allies for over 40 years.

2009 ESHB 2261
Defined highly capable program as basic education

The legislature finds that, for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education.

2017 EHB 2242
First steps toward equitable identification

Prioritize the equitable identification of low-income students 
Funding formula nearly doubled from 2.314% to 5% to support equitable identification

2018 E2SSB 6362
Established equitable identification procedures

  • Use multiple objective criteria to identify students
  • Have multiple pathways for qualifications
  • No single criterion may disqualify a student
  • Criteria benchmarked on local norms, but local norms may not be used as a more restrictive criteria than national norms at the same percentile
  • Subjective measures may NOT be used to screen out a student (i.e. teacher recommendations, report cards)

2023 SSB 5072
Mandated universal screening and other equitable practices

  • Universal screening in or before 2nd grade, and again in or before 6th grade
  • Consider at least two student data points during universal screening
  • Referrals available for all grade levels not being universally screened
  • Assessments occur during the school day and in the home school
  • OSPI annual report on equitable identification of highly capable students
  • Districts must seek to expand access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction at elementary and secondary schools and advance equitable enrollment practices

Highly Capable Program Funding
Funding formula set by law in the biennial budget

  • The formula is based on five percent of each school district’s enrollment
  • Does not intend to limit highly capable services to five percent of students
  • Districts may identify and serve more than five percent of students
  • Highly capable students are basic education students first
  • Use basic education funding in addition to highly capable funding
  • $33,171,000 of 2024-2025 state funding

PDF OF "KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN GIFTED EDUCATION"