The ultimate goal of gifted education programs is to cultivate students' competences through challenging, enriching, and engaging opportunities for talent development. The purpose of this review is to present two main approaches of enrichment programs for gifted learners in Taiwan: the programs following the law and the alternative programs…

Planning is of prime importance in providing programs for gifted and talented students. Districts should emphasize an awareness campaign on the premises and needs of gifted education. An individual should then be appointed and trained as the district specialist in gifted and talented education. (CL)

The digest considers the operation and function of mentorships in gifted and talented education. Defined as learning partnerships between two or more individuals regarding a mutual interest, mentorships are designed to differentiate the curriculum through such means as creating opportunities for learner access to professional expertise in the…

The paper suggests a strategy for developing a program for gifted and talented limited English speaking students. Six steps are outlined: (1) identify the gifted and talented student population in the pilot school using at least two acceptable criteria; (2) based on the school study team (SST) assessment process, prepare individual sequential…

The author satirizes the status of teacher education in gifted education, cites the conceptual weakness of arguments justifying support for gifted programs, and considers the need to train teachers to provide enriched programs for all students and to focus on the academic content areas. (CL)

The evaluation process of gifted programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District has evolved from a city-wide effort to measure cognitive and affective achievement through standardized tests to a more decentralized approach in which individual schools determine evaluation methods. Plans call for computerized data analysis. (CL)

Suggests initial considerations in developing programs for gifted and talented students: identification, program format, community involvement, and curriculum. (SJL)

Last year Marian Leibowitz presented workshops in 27 states on improving instruction for gifted and talented students. In this interview she gives an overview of what she has seen in programs around the country. (Author/MLF)

A parent of a gifted student reviews the development of a gifted and talented program in his school district and makes suggestions for full-time program coordinators, increased role of the guidance counselor, and greater emphasis on career education at the high school level. (CL)

The digest extends the concept of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) to gifted and talented children. IEPs are defined as written documents, developed and revised annually with input from parents, teachers, and where appropriate, the students themselves. IEP content includes a realistic assessment of current performance, reasonable…

Suggestions are offered for establishing local parent association groups as advocates for gifted and talented students. Beginning concerns include location and recruitment of new members; affiliation with state and national groups (such as the Association for the Gifted within the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Assocation for…

This booklet presents a series of worksheets to assist in the development and implementation of a well integrated set of policies for gifted/talented programs. Each worksheet covers an issue to be considered in policy development, with blank space allotted for specifying positive and negative points, a suggested policy, needs, and a timeline.…

The paper advocates curriculum extension programmes which emanate from the immediate and specific needs and interests of pupils. Meeting the needs of exceptionally able pupils is seen as an aspect of providing opportunities for all pupils to develop this potential, and the extension programme is set within the existing resources (both human and…

The article describes an academic events program in which gifted and talented students (grades one to 12) voluntarily participated in a variety of different academic contests. Development and planning aspects are reviewed and several activities suggested. (Author/CL)