Legislation and policy lead to action. In the absence of law or policy, situations are addressed on a case-by-case basis or they are sometimes ignored. Legislation and policy become extremely important when they relate to groups that have traditionally been marginalized, such as students with disabilities or students with gifts and talents, and…

Severe socioeconomic inequality strongly suppresses and distorts the discovery of aspirations and the concomitant development of talents among the gifted. More comprehensive understanding of this suppression and distortion is available through a wide-ranging interdisciplinary search for research findings and theories that illuminate economic,…

The creation of the massive open online course (MOOC), a new form of digital learning, has enthralled some, infuriated others, and changed the conversation about higher education in the United States and abroad. To some, MOOCs herald the dawn of a new era in human capital, one that will mean the end of college as we know it. Enthusiastic observers…

This phenomenological study investigates the perceptions and experiences of Turkish parents with children identified as gifted based upon IQ testing. The voices of parents with gifted children have been missing from academic literature in Turkey. The semi-structured interviews conducted with 31 parents from 23 families were designed to find out…

An analysis was conducted of state policies concerning the identification of gifted students, especially those traditionally underserved (the culturally diverse, economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities). Content analysis of each state's documents focused on six major areas: (1) legislation, (2) definitions of "gifted,"…

In response to the estimate that 15-20 percent of the school-age population in Wisconsin can be classified as gifted and talented, this document suggests approaches educators can take to identify these students and to design programs to meet their special needs. An introductory section offers an overview of gifted and talented programming options…

Eight principles in effective advocacy for gifted students are offered, including statements that the make-up of an advocacy group is more important than its size; successful advocacy is hard, time consuming, costly work; and well-planned and organized group efforts are far more effective than isolated efforts by individuals. (CL)

This article focuses on the importance of acceleration and grouping for gifted students in the context of school reform and recommends a set of decision-making guidelines for each issue including flexibility in entrance and exit requirements for courses, opportunities for telescoping and grade skipping, various forms of grouping, and independent…

A policy maker offers guidelines for people wishing to advocate for gifted education. Suggestions touch on such aspects as the need for apathy, the role of telephone and letter advocacy, and the appropriate target of advocacy efforts. (CL)

Questionnaires surveying the extent of programs and support for education of the gifted and talented were received from 60 teachers and administrators in rural elementary and secondary schools in Nebraska's 11 most western counties. (The return rate of the mailed questionnaires was 24%). Results indicated that teachers and administrators…

Louisiana's statewide provisions for education of gifted and talented preschoolers are reviewed, and difficulties encountered in serving 300 gifted young children are addressed. Among the administrative burdens cited are narrow identification criteria and the combination of limited financial and personnel resources resulting in the availability of…

The booklet presents Vermont's policy statements regarding the education of gifted and talented students. Reasons are offered for the lack of appropriate education for this populaton in Vermont, including lack of recognition of the need, and misunderstanding gifted programing as elitist. The current situation in the state is examined and local…

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 importance of advocacy at the local level for establishing and maintaining effective gifted programming is emphasized. Suggested techniques are offered along with background information regarding advocacy at the state level. (CL)

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores issues related to teaching English to the gifted student. The digest begins by examining the criteria used for identifying gifted/talented students, noting that some successful programs for the gifted in English and language arts do not restrict admission…