WASHINGTON (February 4, 2015)  - The National Association for Gifted Children commended President Obama for including nearly $10 million for the Jacob Javits Gifted Education Grant Program within his Fiscal Year 2016 budget released earlier this week.

The Javits program supports applied research to develop effective interventions and strategies to support the identification and service of high-ability students from populations that are historically underrepresented in gifted education programs. After being modestly supported for years, funding was eliminated in FY 2011. However, in FY 2014, Congress restored the program at $5 million, and late last year Congress doubled it to $10 million funding for FY 2015.

“NAGC applauds President Obama for including nearly $10 million in his budget blueprint to fund the Javits program. Such funding has been absent from budget requests for far too long; this places us on a strong footing as we begin the FY 2016 budget cycle,” NAGC President Tracy L. Cross, Executive Director of the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary, said.

“NAGC looks forward to working with Congress and gifted education stakeholders to preserve and, ideally, increase this funding during the budget and appropriations process.  Funding research on how we can develop talent in underserved student populations is a critical federal role.  Getting the research-based strategies into classrooms across the nation can help ensure that we convert high potential into high achievement,” Cross added.

Last September, the Department of Education awarded 10 awards to institutions throughout the nation using the restored 2014 funding. The funded projects include those focused on twice-exceptional students, English Language Learners, and students from a wide array of underrepresented populations and settings including rural, urban and Native American Reservations.

Contact: Nick Manetto 202.312.7499/nicholas.manetto@faegrebd.com