EXCEL is an enrichment program for highly able students in grades K-2, designed to provide a nontraditional method of identifying young gifted and talented students, especially economically disadvantaged students, as well as to increase the ability of classroom teachers and parents to develop the potential of these students. EXCEL utilizes a…

This report describes the strategies, accomplishments, and outcomes of a project designed to identify intermediate level disadvantaged rural gifted children and develop curriculum practices appropriate for their use. Project objectives are outlined, along with evidence of their accomplishment. Findings of the project include: (1) the…

Project Step-Up (Systematic Training of Educational Programs for Underserved Pupils) locates children from minority, economically disadvantaged populations with high potential in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Arizona and then uses a teaching approach that emphasizes critical thinking, vocabulary building, self-esteem strengthening, problem…

This study examined three federally supported programs that utilize Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences in the identification of giftedness in economically disadvantaged and minority group youth. Following an extensive review of the literature, three chapters examine each program in detail. Each chapter first sets the identification…

This study compared the gifted program performance of 121 economically disadvantaged students identified by using the Research-Based Assessment Plan (RAP) and 166 students who were not economically disadvantaged identified through traditional identification methods. The study also compared the RAP-identified students' attitudes toward school to…

This paper discusses three schools that have started a program designed to include at-risk students in gifted and talented programming by promoting systemic changes in student identification for gifted and talented classes and differentiated instruction in the regular classroom setting. The study conducted teaching observations and analyzed…

This practicum report describes an identification prototype used by a large metropolitan school district (Gwinnet County, Georgia) to identify giftedness in black and limited English speaking students. Underrepresentation of these groups in gifted programs is seen to result from: teacher reluctance to refer students from the target populations;…

This report describes the strategies, accomplishments, and outcomes of a project designed to identify economically disadvantaged rural gifted children (grades 3-8) from African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Appalachian descended, rural Caucasian populations. Project objectives are outlined, along with evidence of their accomplishment.…