Gifted education today faces a significant challenge in reaching equity as well as excellence. This is reflected in the disproportionate underrepresentation of children from Black, Hispanic, Native, and low-income families. This pattern of underrepresentation within programs for students with gifts and talents is pervasive and pernicious and…

Until recently, reading instruction for early grades has focused on fiction. However, the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards both emphasize the reading of nonfiction texts to gain specific skill sets for analyzing information. Research has shown that gifted students and children with culturally/linguistically…

Nurturing potential is a critical aspect of development for young children with and without disabilities, especially if a child is gifted. This article provides resources that offer ideas for family members and professionals on how to recognize and support each child's strengths. Many of the materials specifically address nurturing potential in…

This article calls for a new paradigm of professionalism in the field of gifted education. The definition of professionalism varies, and yet the need for a common vision of professionalism in the field is necessary to strengthen gifted education in the future. The authors delineate a framework for sustaining professionalism within the field and…

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,"…

Three states, Ohio, Texas, and Arkansas were selected to study implementation of policies relating to the identification of gifted students from special populations, i.e., culturally diverse students, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities. Individual profiles were completed for each state, and a cross state comparison…

The Gifted Education Policy Studies Program was designed to address two issues: the status of state and local policies on the identification of gifted students from special populations (culturally diverse, children with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged); and the impact of educational reform movements (cooperative learning and middle…

Meeting the needs of gifted students within the regular classroom requires appropriate uses of cluster grouping, where small groups of students with similar learning needs are assigned to a particular teacher; an extended support system for the teacher; and educational differentiation to meet student needs. (JDD)

Twelve "best practices" guidelines are offered to provide truly differentiated instruction for gifted students. Guidelines are based on theory, research, and experience and, taken together, result in appropriate differentiated service options. (DB)

Visits to five programs using cooperative learning (CL) education with gifted students resulted in suggestions for such programs, including differentiation of assignments within the CL group, using open-ended tasks, creating "expert" groups, using cross-grade groups, and using a variety of self-aced CL materials. (DB)

Six suggestions for individualizing instruction include: (1) grouping kids for instructional needs; (2) reducing class size; (3) providing additional resources; (4) increasing the amount of instructional time; (5) utilizing support personnel; and (6) preparing personnel with skills needed for individualization. (DB)

This article describes the use of problem-based learning (PBL) with gifted students, in which the focus of the curriculum is "ill-structured" problems. Particular advantages of PBL with these students include effectiveness in teaching the art of problem finding and solving, active learning, higher order thinking skills, and using interdisciplinary…

This article discusses ways that sophistication can be incorporated into the curriculum to address the needs of gifted learners. Educators are urged to use questions, integrated curriculum, problem-based learning, independent and self-directed study projects, and mentor experiences to facilitate the exploration of ideas beyond the scope of the…

This digest briefly discusses the identification of students who are gifted, difficulties in the identification process, appropriate identification practices, and procedures that can help with identification. First, it stresses that identification must be the means to securing appropriate services for the student, not an end in itself. The paper…

This article describes critical events that have shaped gifted education, including: the notion that intelligence could be measured, development of differentiated curriculum, the push to be the most powerful nation, appreciation for different intelligences, support for talent development, school reform efforts, and emerging understanding of how…