Up to 3.6 million students should be labeled gifted, but aren’t – By Danielle Dreilinger, The Hechinger Report
As many as 3.6 million gifted children are being overlooked in school — more than the 3.3 million U.S. public school children already labeled as gifted.
That’s according to a report from Purdue University’s Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute, GER2I, released this month at the annual convention of the National Association for Gifted Children, or NAGC.
Four of 10 children attended public schools where not a single student was identified as gifted, even though most states legally require schools to find and serve gifted children and provide money to do so.
There’s “untapped potential around the country,” the report’s co-author Gilman Whiting of Vanderbilt University said.
Duggan expects funding for free preschool next fall for 4-year-olds, but faces legislative hurdle – By Lori Higgins and Koby Levin, Chalkbeat Detroit
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Friday the city expects to be able to roll out universal pre-K for 4-year-olds by next fall, a development that could have a significant impact in a city where many children lack access to quality preschool programs.
“I think we have support from the governor and the Senate Republicans and the House Republicans to fund for next fall universal pre-K for every 4-year-old in the city, if they can just pass a budget,” Duggan said. “I’m quite certain that we will be in it.”
This isn’t the first time that Duggan has promised a major expansion of services for Detroit’s youngest learners. The mayor insists the state should prioritize Detroit, where just 1% of kindergartners enter school ready to learn. But Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s current state budget didn’t single out Detroit to receive $63 million of federal child care funds, as Duggan had hoped.
Duggan made the comments during an early childhood summit that was held to recognize the work that has been accomplished since the launch of Hope Starts Here, an ambitious effort publicly launched in 2017 with $50 million from the Kresge Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (both Chalkbeat funders). The goal of this 10-year effort is to ensure that by 2027, Detroit is a city that puts its children first by taking steps such as increasing the number of children in quality preschool programs.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan (detroitmi.gov)
Education funding overhaul awaiting action by Gov. Charlie Baker – By The Associated Press on Boston.com
Legislation awaiting Gov. Charlie Baker’s signature would provide $1.5 billion in new spending on the state’s K-12 education system.
The bill was approved by the Massachusetts House and Senate this week and sent on to the Republican governor.
Supporters of the bill say it would make sure public schools have the resources to provide high quality education for students across the state, regardless of zip code or income level.
Legislative leaders say the bill unveiled Thursday would help schools that serve high percentages of low-income students while benefiting districts across the state with updates to the existing — and contentious — school funding formula.
Special ed students hoped to get boost in Cleveland, 10 other school districts, under planned legal settlement – By Laura Hancock, Cleveland.com
Special education students in 11 Ohio school districts – including in Cleveland, Akron and East Cleveland – are expected to get extra support in an attempt to improve learning and testing scores, according to a settlement in a 28-year lawsuit that’s finally winding to a close.
The suit began in 1991 with different parties over the years and, at times, was on pause as other education litigation was ongoing. Part of the suit was settled with a consent decree a decade ago.
The proposed settlement for the remaining part of the suit was announced this week by Disability Rights Ohio, the Judge Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the Ohio Department of Education.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson, based in Columbus, gave the planned settlement preliminary approval. Now, parents of disabled students get to review and comment on the proposal.
