PRINTER'S NO. 2617
No. 2047 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY VEON, STURLA, SURRA, STABACK, BELARDI, EVANS,
DeWEESE, DALEY, DERMODY, DeLUCA, BATTISTO, CAWLEY,
CAPPABIANCA, BELFANTI, CARN, VAN HORNE, SEYFERT, PRESTON,
STEELMAN, RAMOS, THOMAS, COLAFELLA, BISHOP, GIGLIOTTI,
BROWNE, TRAVAGLIO, M. COHEN, GEIST, McGILL, BARD AND ROONEY,
NOVEMBER 9, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, NOVEMBER 9, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for gifted and talented
6 education professional requirements; further providing for
7 special temporary or special certificates; providing for
8 standards for gifted and talented students, for an advisory
9 council on gifted and talented education and for a matching
10 grant program; making an appropriation; and making an
11 editorial change.
12 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
13 (1) Recognizing that one of the Commonwealth's greatest
14 resources is the minds of its students, gifted students
15 should be provided with an education that addresses their
16 special needs.
17 (2) In an effort to ensure that these young people may
18 achieve their maximum potential, educators should learn the
19 most effective techniques to challenge and inspire their
20 gifted students' intellect and creativity.
1 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
2 hereby enacts as follows:
3 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
4 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
5 section to read:
6 Section 1205.2.--Gifted and Talented Education Professional
7 Requirements.--In addition to any other requirements under this
8 act, a continuing professional development plan established
9 under section 1205.1 shall include education activities,
10 learning experiences, professional education courses or
11 collegiate study addressing gifted and talented education.
12 Section 2. Section 1207 of the act is amended to read:
13 Section 1207. Special Temporary or Permanent Certificates.--
14 [The Superintendent of Public Instruction] (a) The Secretary of
15 Education shall provide for special examinations, and for
16 temporary or permanent certificates, for teachers of
17 kindergartens, gifted and talented students, drawing, vocal
18 music, manual training, physical training and other special
19 branches.
20 (b) The Department of Education shall develop written
21 standards for program approval and teacher certification for
22 Certification in Gifted and Talented Education. Specific
23 standards which require studies of the nature and needs of
24 gifted and talented students and curriculum design for students
25 who are gifted shall be developed. A Certification in Gifted and
26 Talented Education shall be required of any person who spends a
27 majority of teaching time with gifted or talented students after
28 the effective date of this subsection.
29 [The Superintendent of Public Instruction] (c) The Secretary
30 of Education may issue temporary or permanent certificates for
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1 the teaching of such special subjects to graduates of approved
2 special schools of such subjects, under such conditions as he
3 may make.
4 Section 3. The act is amended by adding sections to read:
5 Section 1371.1. Standards for Gifted and Talented
6 Students.--Subject to approval of the State Board of Education,
7 the Department of Education shall promulgate standards to ensure
8 uniformity in identifying gifted students. Each school district
9 shall use multiple eligibility criteria to determine which
10 students are eligible for gifted education services. Multiple
11 eligibility criteria shall include:
12 (1) evidence of student work product or performance;
13 (2) data from teacher, parent or peer observation; and
14 (3) evidence of student performance on nationally normed
15 standardized tests of mental ability, achievement, and
16 creativity.
17 Section 1371.2. Advisory Council of Gifted and Talented
18 Education.--(a) Within the Department of Education an advisory
19 council on gifted and talented education is hereby created to:
20 (1) provide assistance to the department in relation to
21 gifted and talented education;
22 (2) make recommendations regarding the awarding of matching
23 grants under section 1371.3; and
24 (3) comment and make recommendations on gifted and talented
25 education policy within this Commonwealth.
26 (b) Members of the advisory council shall be appointed as
27 follows:
28 (1) One (1) member shall be appointed by each of the four
29 (4) legislative caucuses in the General Assembly.
30 (2) One (1) member shall be appointed by the Governor.
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1 (3) One (1) member shall be appointed by the Governor from a
2 list of nominations provided by a Statewide teacher's
3 association.
4 (4) One (1) member shall be appointed by the Governor from a
5 list of nominations provided by a Statewide association of
6 school boards.
7 (c) Each member shall serve without compensation and at the
8 pleasure of the appointing authority. Members appointed under
9 subsection (b)(1) and (2) shall have, at a minimum, experience
10 with gifted and talented education either as an administrator,
11 teacher, parent or academic specialist in the field of gifted or
12 talented education.
13 Section 1371.3. Grant Program.--There is hereby established
14 within the Department of Education a competitive personnel
15 preparation matching grant program. School districts may apply
16 to the department for matching grants to provide any of the
17 following services:
18 (1) Support for general education teachers and staff.
19 (2) Training for general education teachers in recognizing
20 and working with the special needs of gifted students.
21 (3) Development of organized instruction to parents of
22 gifted and talented students, school directors and school
23 administrators.
24 (4) Development of special curriculum for gifted education
25 students.
26 Section 4. The sum of $1,000,000 is hereby appropriated to
27 the Department of Education for the fiscal year July 1, 2000, to
28 June 30, 2001, to fund the grant program established under
29 section 1371.3. This appropriation shall not lapse at the end of
30 the fiscal year but shall be a continuing appropriation.
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1 Section 5. This act shall take effect as follows:
2 (1) This section shall take effect immediately.
3 (2) The addition of section 1371.2 of the act shall take
4 effect in 90 days.
5 (3) The addition of section 1371.3 of the act shall take
6 effect July 1, 2001.
7 (4) Section 4 of this act shall take effect July 1,
8 2001.
9 (5) The remainder of this act shall take effect in two
10 years.
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