Current Missouri law requires K-12 public schools to provide a gifted program if at least 3% of their students are determined to be gifted. The Missouri House of Representatives has passed a bill that would bolster this regulation.
State Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, wants to require schools to provide screenings for all students at least once before third grade to identify high achieving students.
“It is a desert where students can receive gifted programming,” Shields said during House debate on her bill. “We know nationally the average is 6% of students are gifted and in Missouri, we’re only serving 4% of our population. We’re leaving 2% of our students behind. That is 20,000 students.”
A 2022 law does not address the determination process or require all school districts to screen for gifted students. Shields said high achieving students suffer from not having resources provided to them.
“Currently, Missouri right now has 518 school districts, and only 227 of those offer gifted programming. That’s less than 45% of our school districts,” said Shields.
According to Shields, gifted students are often misdiagnosed and end up creating problems in a classroom. She said preventing students from bad behaviors is important.
Prior to serving in the legislature, State Rep. Kathy Steinhoff, D-Columbia, taught math for 34 years. She said not including the requirements in the 2022 bill was a gift because the new bill makes the process better.
The next stop for the bill is the Missouri Senate for another look.
For more information about House Bill 1757, click here.
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