Always regarded as somewhat of an "outsider" (the child of an English-speaking (Catholic) mother and an Afrikaans (Protestant) father in an exclusively Afrikaans milieu) and growing up extremely poor, seeing the hardship of others and realising how much talent was going to waste, Kobus Maree took a particular interest in gifted…

A "Discovery Program" implemented in 1989 to help underprivileged gifted and talented students in Israel advance in their chosen fields is described. The importance of local administration and participation is stressed, as are optimal ratios of underprivileged to privileged youth for maximum benefit to all. (PB)

A program was implemented in the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Public Schools to provide screening, identification, and programming for primary-level gifted students from culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged populations. The program's objectives include field testing recommended practices, developing appropriate identification procedures,…

Because of recent criticism of the use of standardized tests to identify gifted individuals, the focus for identification of gifted adolescents has shifted to acceptance of three interrelated aspects: (1) above average ability; (2) task commitment; and (3) creativity. It is now recognized that talented individuals will only do well in…

This article considers issues in helping gifted students at risk due to cultural, economic, or social factors separating them from the mainstream, including identification and intervention, program standards, local program issues, and philosophical and definitional issues. Data from national and local studies, overall recommendations and a…

This paper examines problems in accurate assessment of exceptional potential in young children from minority and/or economically disadvantaged settings. Assessment issues are examined in the light of research on developmentally appropriate evaluation of young children. Historical and current practices are reviewed, and two innovative approaches to…

This article describes Success Express, a program planned and implemented as part of a collaborative 1990 Javits project for gifted students between Lamar University and Texas A & M. The program has been continued by Lamar and Beaumont Independent School District as a two week summer program to identify high-potential, low-income 4-5 year olds…

This article describes the New Challenge Program at the University of Texas, which provides enrichment experiences for 125 students yearly in grades K-12, many of whom are Mexican Americans and economically disadvantaged. Students choose courses fostering creativity or special areas of interest taught by experts selected and trained by program…

This paper suggests methodologies and guidelines appropriate for evaluating projects in the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Program. The paper aims to help projects carry out their evaluations, assist the Javits staff in determining the success of the evaluations, and aid in long-range program planning. (JDD)

A survey of 39 school districts serving large numbers of culturally diverse students found that many districts listed gifted students from ethnic/linguistic minorities or economically disadvantaged as important underserved populations. Alternative identification procedures were primarily intended to expand the assessment basis, and factors…

An action research approach was used to evaluate a nontraditional gifted identification technique for disadvantaged students. Fourth-grade students selected by a whole classroom "tryout" technique participated in the Future Problem Solving component of the talented and gifted curriculum with students selected by traditional means. Analysis showed…

Project Step-Up (Systematic Training of Educational Programs for Underserved Pupils) locates children from minority, economically disadvantaged populations with high potential in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Arizona and then uses a teaching approach that emphasizes critical thinking, vocabulary building, self-esteem strengthening, problem…

This project sought to identify and assist third-grade underachieving gifted students in four elementary schools in Springfield, Ohio. The four schools chosen for the project demonstrated a significant discrepancy between ability and achievement test scores among higher ability students within their culturally/economically disadvantaged student…

This study examined three federally supported programs that utilize Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences in the identification of giftedness in economically disadvantaged and minority group youth. Following an extensive review of the literature, three chapters examine each program in detail. Each chapter first sets the identification…

This article describes Project Mandela, a federally funded enrichment and family support program for special populations (such as culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged) of gifted learners. Eighty-seven families participated in development of Individual Family Support Plans to enhance children's educational progress. The project found…