The paper argues that educators of the gifted have overlooked important evidence on the power of special environments because of our habit of considering cognitive outcomes and an outsider view of evidence as the standard for judging the benefits of special environments. The author proposes that social context be used as a construct to help…

In this article, the author presents questions that can help parents determine: (1) whether or not their child's school has a special program for gifted and talented (GT) students; (2) how valid it is; and (3) whether or not it's appropriate for their high-potential child. Each question is direct, to the point, and intended to help parents find…

This "ERIC Digest" discusses the components of an effective educational program for students who are gifted. The paper defines the term "program" and distinguishes between programs and provisions. Eight major components of an effective program are noted: needs assessment, definition of population, identification procedures,…

The study investigated the impact of a fifth grade gifted program on the attitudes of 100 former students since their participation in the program. Results supported the hypothesis that a longitudinal study of gifted students would establish effectiveness of the program and would have a positive impact on the lives and attitudes of the…

The Campbell County Public Schools (VA) developed Project ACCENT (Arts, Citizenship, Career Education to Nurture Native Talents) to allow 150 gifted and talented high school students to investigate fine arts careers through the experience and guidance of a practicing professional artist. (SBH)

Tendencies of a gifted child include intense interests, remarkable memory, abstract thinking, wonderful sense of humor, verbal ability, perfectionism, sensitivity, and curiosity. Gifted children often are not well served by public education, where in some districts the definition of who is gifted has broadened to the extent that even special…

Kanawha County Schools' replication of the Johns Hopkins Fast Paced Mathematics program has completed its first year of implementation. This program is an alternative that speeds up the rate of learning for mathematically gifted students to a pace that is consistent with their capabilities. The program served eighth grade students. The main…

A two-part study was undertaken to test common criticisms of programs for gifted high school students. The study provided no data to support the contention that gifted programs breed elitism, snobbery, indifference, conceit, or any other negative quality. (Author/DLS)

The factors of age, self-esteem, peer status, creativity, and attitudes toward school were examined in a study of the effects of an affective education intervention (the "Magic Circle") with 111 gifted and nongifted kindergarten through fourth-grade students. (PHR)

The study investigates factors influencing the establishment, operation, and elimination of an elementary enriched/accelerated program existing from 1958-69. The program's life cycle and perceived effects on students were investigated to determine factors that may continue to affect programing for the gifted/talented. (Author/JDD)

For a two-year period, 32 secondary students gifted in the areas of mathematics and science participated in a curriculum which incorporated higher-level thinking skills and more real-life laboratory experiences into mutually reinforcing mathematics and science lessons. After the program, participants scored higher on mathematics and science…

Reports findings from case studies of eight gifted minority children in second and third grade who participated in a Project START (Support To Affirm Rising Talent). Discusses factors that promoted and discouraged success in the regular classroom and in transition to special services for gifted learners. (Author/CR)

A case study investigated the effectiveness of a new self-contained classroom with curriculum that was differentiated for 24 highly intellectually gifted fourth-and fifth-grade students. Results indicate the self-contained classroom provided a challenging learning environment for the students, but students' response to this more challenging…

Project BETA (Bilingual Education Talented Academy), a program of the New York City Public Schools, served (in 1990-91) 342 talented and gifted high school students who were classified as limited English proficient. The project provided instruction in English as a Second Language and Native Language Arts, and offered bilingual instruction in…

A study examined the impact of a gifted enrichment program on 80 Israeli students (grades 4-8) from disadvantaged neighborhoods. After program participation, girls' performance on an intelligence test was higher than boys'. While girls started out with slightly lower scores, they ended up with slightly higher scores than boys. (Contains…