CTD Awarded U.S. Department of Education Javits Grant
The Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy was recently awarded a 5-year, $600,000 Jacob K. Javits Grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
The grant supports evidence-based research, demonstration projects, and innovative strategies that enhance the capacity of elementary and secondary schools to identify gifted and talented students and meet their special educational needs.
The Department of Education lists the major emphasis of the program as serving students traditionally underrepresented in gifted and talented programs. The aim is to help reduce the gap in opportunity among groups of students at the highest levels of achievement.
"If we can invite school leaders into a conversation among peers and talent development experts, leverage what they already know to promote growth and cultivate talent, and provide a few additional practices and tools to accelerate learning, we’re going to have a greater impact and long-term success," said CTD director Susan Corwith.
CTD will use the award to work with four local school districts: Berwyn North School District 98; Kankakee School District 111, West Chicago Elementary School District 33; and a fourth partner district not yet identified.
"For years West Chicago has been a champion of students who perform well academically, yet we still have a long way to go,” said Whitnie Del Toro, assistant director of teaching and learning in West Chicago School District 33. “This grant will provide professional development opportunities for staff and guide us as we explore new identification methods with confidence."
The project, which begins this year, will bring together school district leadership teams, researchers, and talent development curriculum and program designers for professional learning and model development.
“Together, we want to translate theory and national best practices into sustainable, equitable, local models that districts can actually build, run, sustain, and improve upon over time,” said CTD associate director Eric Calvert.
Northwestern’s CTD was one of five institutions awarded the Javits Grant for 2023, along with The University of Iowa, Johns Hopkins University, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the University of Connecticut.