This commentary addresses the analysis in Persson's (2012a) article. According to the authors, the agenda for change amongst scholars has four productive proposals. These are: (1) that scholars should broaden their disciplinary outlook beyond psychology and education; (2) that they should eschew policy borrowing; (3) that they should clarify, for…

Discussion of the label "gifted" notes negative connotations in society in general and among educators, recent definitions of "gifted," and the contrast of these attitudes with the admiration given star athletes or performing artists. It concludes that the field of gifted education needs to provide convincing, research-based information and…

Contends that there are disparities in the abilities of young children and that sound educational practices are needed to respond to these disparities. Numerous practices used with young gifted children are neither necessary nor sound. Young children perceived as gifted are vulnerable to attitudes and practices that can deprive them of childhood.…

Affective traits (persistence, independence, and self-concept) are examined according to their relationship to giftedness. The author then poses questions regarding the affective results of labeling students gifted and cites problems with matching students' learning styles with their environments. (CL)

Modifications to the original three-ring conception of giftedness include shifting emphasis from "being gifted" to the development of gifted behaviors, labeling services rather than students, and changes in state guidelines. The author presents a six-step identification system designed to translate the three-ring conception into a practical set of…

This paper suggests the use of the term "marked aptitudes" to describe exceptional attributes of pupils. It is felt that this avoids the misleading connotations of "gifted" and focuses on the specific area that is exceptional. (Author/DB)

One danger created by labeling is that a label can create its own reality. Labels are not merely descriptive, but connote superiority or inferiority and can be self-confirming. Giftedness is only a concept artificially defined by testing scores which may not be accurate. (JN)

The volume consists of papers from the 1985 symposium "Identification of the Gifted" at the Sixth World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children in Hamburg (Federal Republic of Germany). Twelve chapters have the following titles and authors: (1) "Introduction" (J. F. Feldhusen and K. A. Heller); (2) "A Conception of…

This essay pinpoints a personality difference between bright children, who learn in order to achieve their own goals, and gifted children, who learn in order to perform worthwhile tasks, and argues against classes segregated by ability, contending that all students' needs are best met in regular classrooms through project teaching. (MJL)

Issues focusing on giftedness will become a greater part of the family counseling and therapy field in the coming decade. Answers to school-related questions commonly asked by parents of gifted youngsters are offered, with special focus on how parents and siblings are affected by labeling a child as gifted. (JW)

An educator of the gifted reflects on issues equally relevant to gifted students and their teachers including being stifled by misconceptions about giftedness, spending more time reflecting on future efforts than on current achievements, and awkwardness about using the term "gifted" in relation to self. (DB)

Implications of the term "gifted," including that of unjustified and unearned privilege, are considered in the context of findings on intelligence development, self-efficacy, education, prevalence, and the importance of labels. Five policy options are considered including abandoning the term and using performance rather than aptitude to organize…

Argues that politics of research must be considered in study design and interpretation of results. Efficacy studies leave larger ethical and philosophical questions unaddressed, such as who decides what constitutes appropriate objectives for whom, and why. Concerns are raised about social consequences of labeling. (TE)

Professional sensitivity and responsibility must be used to describe giftedness in ways that do not isolate gifted children or their parents and which encourage shared advocacy with other educational groups. More information is needed on how labeling of gifted students and conceptual frameworks surrounding exceptionalities affect societal and…

Addresses the problems of special education in the larger context of curriculum theory. Points out the inadequacy of considering such issues as mainstreaming, identification of exceptional students, and teacher training in isolation from more fundamental questions of learning goals or outcomes. (TE)