This spring, Grassley introduced S. 505, the Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999. The bill authorizes up to $500 million of funding for five years, with a minimum of $1 million going to each state. Under the legislation, states would apply to the U.S. Department of Education for grant money to design, or add to, their own gifted and talented programs. States would be given wide discretion when deciding how to use the money. Grants could be used for teacher training, equipment and materials, as well as new technologies such as distance learning.
On Thursday morning, Grassley testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on behalf of the initiative.
"Gifted students can be found in every classroom, yet they are an often overlooked segment of our student population. My bill would supplement current state efforts to meet the educational needs of these students," said Grassley.
Currently, the only federal program dealing with gifted and talented education is directed toward research, not the students themselves.
"The primary goal of public education should be to help students reach their potential. Gifted and talented students may have the greatest potential to be leaders of tomorrow. We all have an interest in helping these students apply themselves and maximize their abilities. My legislation would help schools develop creative programs to address the needs of these exceptional students."
Grassley's Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999 is co-sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.