When an elementary school learns that its upcoming 4th grade class will include 10 students with special needs, six of whom have significant disabilities, it decides to include these students in a large team-taught classroom. There, everyone belongs--students with disabilities, English language learners, gifted math students, and avid and…

Schools need to address the needs of their students with high ability. Not only does this raise achievement levels schoolwide, it also attracts students from surrounding districts and recaptures advanced learners who left the school because their needs weren't being met. One practical intervention--cluster grouping--provides an inclusive…

Many practitioners (and the public) highly value standardizing curriculum and instruction for students. They believe that common standards and instruction will produce equal opportunity--a value dear to most policymakers and educators, and to Americans in general. Yet educators and the public also prize individual excellence. Differentiating the…

Whenever educators talk about raising achievement, grade-level standards are most frequently the end goal for student learning. But what about students who have already met some, if not all, of those standards and who master material quickly and in-depth? Advanced and gifted learners often languish in our schools because teachers don't have the…

When Henry was enrolled in a gifted program in 3rd grade, he showed many of the classic signs of giftedness, but his reading and writing skills were below grade level. An evaluation revealed that he was twice-exceptional--he was gifted and he had a learning disability. Believing that both his giftedness and his learning disability warranted…

The way we define excellence dictates the way we achieve it. The author looks at four models of excellence that operate in schools today. The first looks only at the lowest-performing students, focusing all resources on getting these students to score above "proficient" on standardized tests so that the school will be in compliance with…

Outlines an elementary gifted programing model emphasizing gifted behavior rather than gifted students. The model avoids labeling students and allows them to take part in the selection process. (MD)

Describes why home school is a natural environment for customizing instruction to meet the individual needs of students, especially those with special needs and talents. (Contains 19 references.) (PKP)

Refutes the myths surrounding gifted students that may still influence how they are educated. Suggests ways to improve the classroom learning experience for these students. (Contains 12 references.) (PKP)

In 1982, the Duvall County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida, launched the Potential National Merit Scholars Program because the superintendent believed that students could qualify by intent, not accident. Several special programs to identify and prepare students, including the superintendent's 100 Super Scholars and summer think camps, are…

A North Carolina district that launched a differentiation program for gifted students discovered that all students benefit. Interested districts should start by offering staff development to a small, interested group of teachers; build on teachers' existing practices; target resources; and support teacher collaboration. (MLH)

Originally developed for gifted-education programs, the Schoolwide Enrichment Model can be used in inclusive schools doubling as laboratories for talent development. The model, which provides a broad range of advanced-level enrichment experiences and bases follow-up on students' varied responses, requires three components: a total talent…

Describes a model for educating students of widely varying abilities in the same classroom by combining a base of common activities and opportunities for special independent projects. (Author/JM)

Describes the Early Childhood Accelerated Program, an innovative pilot program in Wichita, Kansas, focusing on high-ability children ages 3-5 from culturally diverse groups. (PKP)

Discusses a national trend toward overtesting and isolated skills testing of young children, an approach growing out of behavioral programs for the handicapped. Advocates treating all children as gifted and providing them with activities encouraging curiosity, creativity, independence, sensitivity, and self-expression. Includes nine references.…