The author responds to the article by Warne, Godwin, and Smith (2013) on the question of whether there are more gifted people than would be expected in a Gaussian normal distribution. He asserts that the answer to this question is yes, based on (a) data that he and his colleagues have collected, (b) data that are already available and quoted by…

Psychologists show great curiosity about the world and human behavior. They are forever asking Why? Or What? Or How? about various aspects of human behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that they respond enthusiastically to some of the questions surrounding the behavior of those labeled as gifted and talented in our society. As will be seen in…

Roland S. Persson (2012a) has made a significant contribution to the literature in pointing out the potential for cultural bias in the body of research related to gifted and talented. He encourages a distinction between emic research, where the results are limited to a particular culture and etic research, where the results can be generalised to…

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…

In a previous issue of this journal, four present and former editors of the most prestigious journals provide their judgment on the current field of gifted education (Ambrose, VanTassel-Baska, Coleman, & Cross, 2010). They believe that the field is insular, fractured, porous, and contested, and they provide many examples to illustrate their…

In this article, James J. Gallagher proposes that understanding the political issues and the debate surrounding the education of gifted students is based on the recognition that education policy (including rules, regulations, financial allocations, etc.) reflects social policy. Hence, society prioritizes needs so that the most important of these…

One goal of the US Department of Education-funded Project Insights was to see if the use of Problem-based Learning (PBL) would encourage students to reveal previously unseen academic potential. Two PBL units were taught to 271 sixth grade students in 13 classrooms. Afterwards, teachers identified students who demonstrated previously unseen…

In this article, the author talks about the normal curve of intelligence which he thinks is flawed and contends that wrong conclusions have been drawn based on this spurious normal curve. An example is that of racial and ethnic differences wherein some authors maintain that some ethnic and racial groups are clearly superior to others based on…

One of the most pressing needs in gifted education, and in education in general, is how to conduct a responsible evaluation. In this article, the author discusses one of the most important procedures in program evaluation, which is to distinguish between summative evaluation and formative evaluation. In summative evaluation, the data is being…

This article describes the characteristics of students with Asperger syndrome and discusses identifying students with Asperger syndrome who are also gifted. Classroom interventions for these twice exceptional students are addressed and the need for intervention that is highly individualized is stressed. Diagnostic criteria for Asperger's disorder…

Reasons for national priorities in the education of gifted children in Israel, the Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Great Britain, Germany, and France are examined. Implications for programing and advocacy in the US are noted. (CL)

This paper on underachievement in gifted students distinguishes between environmental, personal-neurological, and personal-psychological causes of underachievement. Characteristics of gifted underachievers are described, and strategies to change the pattern of the "personal-psychological" underachiever are discussed, with emphasis on coping…

The values conflict in American society over fairness and high achievement is explored. The author suggests strategies for public and political support of gifted programing. (CL)

The booklet reviews the history of special efforts to educate gifted children, notes characteristics of giftedness, and describes current efforts to provide special help for gifted students. Various subgroups of the gifted (including creative children, gifted women, and those talented in leadership) are mentioned. Trends in education of the gifted…

The author proposes a five-component catalytic program designed to support education for gifted and talented students. Components include leadership training, inservice training, research and development, demonstration programs, and state leadership. (CL)