Four issues of this quarterly publications on gifted education include the following articles: "Unrecognized Giftedness: The Frustrating Case of the Gifted Adult" (Marylou Kelly Streznewski); "Shakespeare in the Classroom: The Bard is Back!" (Rosanna DiMillo Sandell); "What Teachers, Parents, and Administrators Need To…

Offers reasons why public schools should cooperate with local families educating their children at home: opposing home schooling is rarely fruitful; supporting home schoolers can improve public relations; home schooling offers otherwise unobtainable insights into child learning; and home-schooled students participating in district programs may…

The Des Moines (Iowa) Public School System was one of the first to offer a cooperative home-school experience for interested parents. The district's Home Instruction Program, which now serves 310 students from 165 families, offers parents several choices regarding curricula, type of assistance, evaluation method, and dual (part-time) enrollment…

Addresses the sources of dissatisfaction from parents who had removed their children from public schools to begin home schooling. Implications for public schools' community relations and practice specifically focus on three areas of greatest concern: student grouping practices, peer relationships, and the extension of the school day via homework.…

Discusses policy implications of cyber (online) charter schools, including cost and control, standards and records, participation in special programs, and graduation requirements. (PKP)

Revisits a few school-law cases analyzed in the journal's "Courtside" column that were either reversed or substantially modified on appeal. Cases deal with student expression, special education, home schooling, curriculum-related issues, employee rights, and higher education. Discusses lessons learned from update of these cases. (Contains 32…

State attendance laws that provide for home instruction typically specify (1) home instructor qualifications; (2) curriculum; (3) amount of daily instructional time; (4) number of instructional days during the year; (5) required standardized tests; and (6) parental reports to verify legal compliance. Reviews court decisions and state legislation.…

This study examined attitudes toward physical fitness of parents who home school their children, noting the relationship with children's physical activity levels. Questionnaires (11% returned) indicated parents felt positively about fitness, but children were not physically active. A low correlation existed between mothers' attitudes and…

The article describes how one Hawaiian couple came to the decision to home school their son, explaining the educational habits and patterns they established in their lives from the time he was an infant that eventually led into home preschool education. (SM)

Discusses reasons for home schooling and suggests ways that libraries can respond to home schoolers. Concerns about academic performance and socialization of home-schooled children are also discussed, and library services are suggested. Such services include community outreach programs, tours, sponsoring workshops, and collection development…

Homeschooled students from families representing all ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and education levels are increasingly entering public schools part-time. This article explains how school administrators, teachers, parents, and homeschoolers can become partners. Tips are provided on classroom deportment, parental aspirations, and…

Addresses two questions: (1) What is a charter school?; and (2) What does the creation of these schools mean for music teachers and music-education programs? Defines charter schools, discusses their emergence, and describes three charter-school music programs. (DSK)

Traces the history of parental rights in education since the landmark case Pierce vs. the Society of Sisters (1925), when the existence of private schools was validated. States that initiatives promoting parental choice include : (1) tax relief/credits; (2) vouchers or scholarships; (3) public school choice; and (4) home schooling. Provides a…

Asserts that all parents should have a choice in where they send their children to school. Urges public policy makers to take into consideration that funding needs to be offered equally to all of society in order to fully achieve school choice. Emphasizes the need for parent advocacy to be heightened to gain more funding and maintain parental…

Reports on a group of advocates for school choice that took its cause to Capitol Hill and met with mixed response. States that the issue of church-state separation repeatedly comes up in arguments against school choice. Emphasizes that parents must have the freedom to choose what learning environments are best for their children. (CJW)