Presented in outline form, this paper describes a special program for gifted and talented students at a Massachusetts junior high school. Some of the topics discussed include goals of the program, design, implementation, evaluation, use of teachers as mentors, and identification of gifted students. (Author/LD)

This ERIC digest discusses strategies for recognizing and nurturing giftedness in young children in the regular classroom. It begins by describing giftedness and providing a list of characteristics common in gifted four-, five-, and six-year-olds. The use of portfolios for identifying giftedness is discussed, along with the benefits of consulting…

Designed to encourage gifted students to develop their talents, the first issue in the volume focuses on academic competitions and includes articles on: "The Joys of Competition"; "Why Bother with Math Contests?" (Sam Vandervelde); "Science Competitions"; Humanities Competitions"; "Designing in Metal" (Cody Chance); and "Discovering My Chinese…

This book reviews past developments within the field of gifted education and identifies the current trends, issues, and beliefs to be faced in the 21st century. The book is organized to provide a framework for those who are responsible for nurturing the development of gifts and talents in the home, school, and community. Specific chapters address:…

This "Packet of Information for Professionals" (PIP) was developed for professionals who work with gifted and talented students who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of PIP is to offer recommendations that will lead to a positive experience for twice-exceptional students who participate in specialized programs for…

Although performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test Program (ACT) indicates that Wisconsin's students are superior to those of other states, a more thorough assessment reveals that the state does not compare well with its neighbors either on the general level of academic preparedness or in efforts to develop…

This collection of papers for school personnel and families who deal with gifted and talented children addresses teaching and counseling strategies as well as the role of the family in educating these children. "Instructional Strategies for the Gifted and Talented," by Donna Rae Clasen, emphasizes questioning as an instructional strategy. "Using…

Not nearly enough money is going into the identification and development of gifted and talented children. Policy is more concerned with eliminating inequity than developing talent. A strong belief in equal treatment and opportunity has been translated into special education efforts for children in crisis, but not for children with special gifts.…

Gifted rural middle school students in Douglas County, Nevada, participated in a leadership program which complemented an existing critical and creative thinking skill-based program. Assessment, teacher-directed lessons, student-directed activities, integration of leadership techniques into creative and critical thinking strategies, and on-going…

Noting that schools have long neglected the verbally talented student, this booklet is designed to stimulate educators first to identify such students and then to develop programs that will meet their needs. The first section of the booklet reviews a number of models that have been used to identify students gifted in reading, writing, foreign…

A study investigated the efficacy of specific interventions (mentoring, parental involvement, and multicultural curricula) on academic achievement of 273 elementary students from low-socioeconomic environments. The interventions had no statistically significant effect on student achievement in any grade. However, by the end of the program,…

A one-year follow-up study of a 1988 report on Wisconsin's internal "brain drain" indicates that the state's historic educational advantage is shrinking. Assessment of performance on the American College Testing Program (ACT), the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) reveals that scores are…

An introductory chapter, "Contemporary Issues in Gifted Education" by Julia Dreyden and Shelagh Gallagher, summarizes National Science Foundation policy concerning development of new science and mathematics curricula and the work of the Talent Identification Program. Major conference papers and responses are then presented: "Developing Academic…

Since the minimum competency movement of the 1970s, the importance placed on standardized tests has increased significantly. The intent of this study was to investigate the effects of state testing programs on the instructional practices of elementary school teachers and the effects of such practices on their gifted students' attitudes toward…

The Rutgers Astrophysics Institute is a program in which gifted high school students learn about contemporary science and its methods, and conduct independent authentic research using real-time data. The students use the processes of science to acquire knowledge, and serve as cognitive apprentices to an expert astrophysicist. A variety of…