This critique of talent searches, programs which identify highly gifted secondary students through scores on Scholastic Assessment Tests at the junior-high level and provide accelerated courses, discusses issues of exclusivity, of acceleration, of values in education, and of congruence with national agendas. The future of these projects is also…

This study investigated policies about the use of content acceleration and grade skipping for gifted students in middle and secondary schools by 105 school districts. Results indicated that only 15% of responding districts had formal policies about grade skipping, whereas 57% had informal policies effectively preventing grade skipping. Formal…

Describes eight innovative four-year and two-year residential college programs that allow exceptionally able high school students early entrance to college. Programs are compared in terms of admission requirements, tuition, curricula, residential components and requirements, enrichment and leadership activities, gender restriction, and grade of…

Describes a multi-district/higher-education collaborative model that incorporates the talent-search model within the school-year schedule. Content acceleration and fast-paced instruction are assimilated into students' regular school day. In 180 hours of instruction over two school years, middle school students complete four years of high-school…

Presents essays that describe the fears, anxieties, hopes, problems, and triumphs of 11 students who chose to go to college early. Difficulties faced included initial academic failures due to immaturity and a lack of well-developed study skills; however, overall achievement was high and the experience was perceived as positive. (CR)

Examines ways in which the home schools of 287 gifted students credited students' participation in accelerated high school courses sponsored by university summer programs. After program accreditation, the number of positive responses by the students' schools increased significantly, including giving course credit, appropriate placement within the…

In this article, a high school student describes his experience pursuing simultaneous coursework at the college level. The complexities of special college admission processes are outlined, and the options presented by college honors courses and extracurricular activities are discussed. The choice of what college to attend after completing high…

The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs serve as popular choices for many intellectually gifted high school students. This article describes an aspect of a larger study that examined 5 intellectually gifted females' perceptions of their educational experience while enrolled in one of the programs. Using the…

This paper describes the purpose and rationale of a "talent search" effort to identify gifted students through use of off-level testing. Three components are stressed: diagnosis and evaluation of domains and levels of talent; educational placement and guidance; and talent development opportunities. Research supporting the talent-search…

Describes an early-entrance program which enables gifted adolescents to enter college without attending high school. A study involving 31 participants indicated varying degrees of comfort in diverse social situations; however, all believed themselves to be more mature than had they gone to high school. (Author/CR)

While the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2000) reported that only 1.3% of high school students currently take Latin, the College Board, which administers the Advanced Placement program, reported a 95% increase since 1993 in students taking the Latin exam for college credit. States like Virginia, for example, offer Latin for…

This paper offers suggestions for providing accelerative opportunities for rural gifted students. Guidance is provided on overcoming local barriers and the chronic lack of sufficient resources in rural areas. Strategies incorporating telecommunications, cooperation with other districts and universities, faculty inservices, and community mentoring…

Depicts a secondary gifted program in Beijing, China. Students in the program complete the regular eight years of elementary and secondary education (grades five through 12) in four years and then are admitted into universities. Factors contributing to the uniqueness of the program and issues affecting program development are discussed. (Author/CR)

In this article, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Board is described. It discusses the quality and standards for AP classes and examines the success of AP students, AP Scholar Awards, and resources for information on the AP program. A list of AP subjects and examinations is provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

This study compared the achievement of biology, physics, and chemistry students in Higher Level (HL) International Baccalaureate (IB) programs with achievement of students in Subsidiary Level (SL) IB programs and regular Alberta (Canada) programs (n=708 students). Students in IB out-performed students in regular programs. Within IB, HL and SL…