1Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to 
2conduct a study of the status of special education for gifted 
3students in this Commonwealth.

4WHEREAS, Section 1372 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
5No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, required the
6State Board of Education to adopt and prescribe standards and
7regulations for the proper education and training of all
8exceptional children, including children who are gifted; and

9WHEREAS, Chapter 16 of the Regulations of the State Board of
10Education specifies how this Commonwealth will meet its
11obligations to suspected and identified gifted students who
12require gifted education to reach their potential, and provides
13that it is the intent of the State Board of Education that
14gifted students be provided with quality gifted education
15services and programs; and

16WHEREAS, Chapter 16 of the Regulations of the State Board of
17Education further provides that the Commonwealth delegates
18operational responsibility for the provision of gifted education

1to its school districts, and requires each school district to
2provide the following:

3(1) services and programs planned, developed and
4operated for the identification and evaluation of each gifted
5student;

6(2) gifted education for each gifted student which is
7based on the unique needs of the student, not solely on the
8student's classification; and

9(3) gifted education for gifted students which enables
10them to participate in acceleration or enrichment programs,
11or both, as appropriate, and to receive services according to
12their intellectual abilities and needs;

13and

14WHEREAS, Approximately 75,000 of Pennsylvania's students are
15identified as gifted; therefore be it

16RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
17Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a
18comprehensive study of the status of special education for
19gifted students in this Commonwealth; and be it further

20RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
21identify all programs and services provided to gifted students
22pursuant to Chapter 16 of the Regulations of the State Board of
23Education, including, but not limited to, the following:

24(1) a description and assessment of the process by which
25students are identified as gifted;

26(2) a description and assessment of the process through
27which gifted individualized education plans are developed and
28implemented;

29(3) a description of the programs and services provided
30to gifted students;

1(4) a description of the entities that provide programs
2and services to gifted students;

3(5) the State and local costs of providing programs and
4services to gifted students;

5(6) a demographic breakdown of the students who benefit
6from programs and services provided to gifted students; and

7(7) recommendations for changes to law, regulation or
8policy that may be needed to improve special education for
9gifted children in this Commonwealth;

10and be it further

11RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
12prepare a report of its findings and transmit copies of the
13report to the Education Committee of the House of
14Representatives no later than six months after adoption of this
15resolution.