Guidelines for promoting gifted education programs are offered, including being judicious in promotion efforts, developing support among different role groups, and strengthening support within role groups (e.g., teachers, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, policymakers, and business leaders). A cyclic model of advocacy stages is…

Educators are encouraged to build advocacy for gifted education through the program itself by demonstrating the high quality products of participating students, and through continued commitment to public relations. Factors common to programs that have survived the economic downturn in New England are identified, including sustained advocacy…

This report presents the views of the Advisory Council for Special Education Needs for Queensland, Australia concerning effective education for students with special educational needs in regular schools. Three issue areas are identified: (1) commitment and advocacy; (2) effective management of education; and (3) improved human resource development…

This interview with the executive director of the National Association for Gifted Children documents responses to questions about gifted program advocacy, including opposition to differentiated education for gifted students, effective lobbying techniques, and relationships with legislators and the business community. (DB)

This digest offers guidelines for group advocacy efforts on behalf of gifted education. Four potential pitfalls are identified: using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach; assuming that people in administrative and political positions are not too bright or not very knowledgeable--or both; being impatient; and ineffectively coping with…

This practicum was designed to provide teaching professionals with advocacy information, skills, techniques, and resources in order to increase participant awareness and self-confidence, and, ultimately, their community involvement. The primary method used to address this goal was the development and presentation of three workshops. These were…

This article discusses the critical elements of educational partnerships including leadership, communication, and planning for program development. The Cooperative Alliance for Gifted Education involving Kent State University (Ohio), Cleveland Public Schools, and International Business Machines is described, especially the Joint Partnership…

A Wisconsin advocacy model for gifted education programs is presented, emphasizing ongoing collaboration and dissemination to most effectively utilize meager resources. Essential elements of the dissemination design are identified, including use of regional sites, requiring participation of an administrator on the team, group problem solving, and…

This book is a guide to educating and nurturing children with mathematical talent. Chapter 1 presents and refutes 12 myths about mathematically talented students, especially the idea that it is best not to deviate from regular programming. The second chapter is a guide for parents in their efforts to advocate for their child in the regular school…

This manual is intended to train parents of handicapped children to assist other parents in accessing the special education resources available in the Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. The training program's purposes include: to increase parents' understanding of special education services, to train parents to work as collaborators with school…

This guide assists in establishing a collaborative unit or a task group to deliver services to children and youth with serious emotional disabilities and their families. The guide is not intended to be an exhaustive manual, but does address the primary activities of professionals using interagency collaboration to establish comprehensive systems…

This manual presents Missouri state guidelines for its surrogate parent program, required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P.L. 94-142), and currently under development in Missouri. An introductory chapter reviews the program's current status, outlines the surrogate parent role, and notes special considerations for students…

This guide offers guidance for mentoring programs and relationships serving gifted and/or talented students from multicultural and/or disadvantaged environments. After an introductory chapter which defines the mentor concept, Chapter 2 considers the mentoring relationship, racial/cultural differences, characteristics of economically disadvantaged…

The Next Steps Conference was one of a series of meetings held for the purpose of increasing the capacity of family members, professionals, and other interested citizens to work together on behalf of children who have serious emotional disorders and to shape an agenda for improved services. The conference was organized around four major issues:…

On the Northern Cheyenne Reservation--where the alcoholism rate for Cheyenne persons 14 years and older is approximately 80%--there are numerous resources available to the recovering alcoholic, but children in alcoholic families are sometimes forgotten. There is a need for preventive programs to insure that today's children do not become the next…