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Missouri House adopts bill requiring universal gifted screenings by third grade
Summary
The Missouri House adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 17‑57 to require universal screening for gifted students by the end of third grade and give districts multiple screening options; sponsors said the change targets gaps that have left an estimated 20,000 eligible students unserved.
The Missouri House on the floor on Monday approved a committee substitute for House Bill 17‑57 that requires universal screening of students for gifted services by the end of third grade and gives school districts a range of approved screening methods.
Supporters told colleagues the measure is intended to address uneven access to gifted programming across the state. ‘‘House bill 17‑57 further defines the use of universal screenings to identify gifted students in our public schools,’’ the bill handler, identified in the record as the lady from Buchanan, said in explaining the bill. She cited that Missouri has 518 school districts and said only 227 currently offer gifted programming, adding that ‘‘that is 20,000 students in our state that would qualify for gifted that are not receiving services.’’
The bill requires every child to be screened by the end of third grade and gives districts flexibility by allowing them to choose two of seven screening methods approved in the statute. The sponsor said the bill is designed to avoid overreliance on IQ tests and to reduce bias by requiring multiple reviewers in identification decisions.
Members’ questions on the floor focused on implementation and funding. The sponsor traced the funding history for gifted programming, saying gifted funding was rolled into the state foundation formula in 2005 and that districts have continued to receive resources through that mechanism; she also said the bill’s requirements do not take effect until the 2026‑27 school year. Representatives asked whether screenings would be standardized and about parental consent and IEPs; the sponsor replied that parents may decline placement and that a student may have both an IEP and be identified as gifted.
The House adopted the committee substitute by voice vote and then ordered the substitute perfected and printed. The bill now proceeds through the legislative process for committee and floor scheduling in the coming days.
