Among research issues cited are the ability of schools to help gifted children maximize their potential, the match between curriculum and students' learning ability, efficacy of program design, and validity of identification procedures. A brief summary of research findings considers such topics as early identification, differentiated curriculum,…

A program for gifted adolescents at Franklin and Marshall College has involved 172 junior high and high school students over a three-year period in seminars. Despite problems, the program has expanded, resulting in five types of benefits, including challenge, basic skills, and research opportunities. (CL)

A planned pilot program for gifted students at Stuart Hall College Preparatory School for Girls in Staunton, Virginia, will feature enrichment, mentorship, a mastery testing program, a counselor for the gifted, and inservice staff education. (CL)

Drawing on their own experiences, the authors suggest starting a program for gifted children by developing community support, choosing an appropriate type of program, assessing staff perceptions of the need for the program, identifying gifted students, developing a curriculum, involving the faculty, securing funding, and choosing the evaluation…

A paraeducator model uses community volunteers, including parents, to implement individualized educational programs for gifted and talented students. (CL)

Eleven steps to follow in establishing an appropriate and feasible program for parents of gifted children are offered, and a model course for parents of the gifted is outlined. (SBH)

CHALLENGE, the gifted education program in the Kingsville (Texas) Independent School District, is described. It is explained that the program follows the J. Renzulli "Enrichment Triad Model". Screening, course content, and program administration are considered. (CL)

Asserts that programs for the gifted/talented are virtually nonexistent in New Jersey's vocational schools, which serve a large portion of the state's high school population. Lists some of the efforts which will be needed to change this situation. (SJL)

A teacher of middle school gifted students describes the development of an apprentice program in which students learned from community mentors. Students set personal goals and kept journals on their thoughts and feelings. Several journal excerpts are included. (CL)

Procedures in "webbing"--allowing gifted students to creatively explore alternatives or connections in interesting areas--are described to include topic and subtopic selection, subtopic expansion, discussion, planning, and questioning. A sample unit in space exploration is included, along with unit bibliography and webbing activity checklist. (CL)

In response to a critique (EC 231 995) of the research bases of his three-ring conception of giftedness, the author notes selectivity and bias in the critic's methodology, raises larger issues (such as equity) underlying identification and programing for the gifted, and discusses the role of theory and the need for action. (DB)

Saturday programs can enrich schools' offerings to gifted/talented youths by providing in-depth, accelerated study in areas of interest, with the opportunity to study under high-level specialists. Important considerations in development of Saturday programs include teacher selection, training, and supervision; evaluation; financing; curriculum…

Mentorship programs are described which involve gifted students and subject experts with no prior knowledge about students' personalities or preconceptions about their abilities, known as "naive experts." The students are challenged by the experts' high expectations and respond to the experts' enthusiasm for sharing their knowledge and…

The coordinator of gifted child education in 200 preprimary, primary, and high schools in South Africa describes parameters of giftedness and the four area enrichment model which offers a continuum of services from enrichment in the regular class to team development of special programing for the potential genius. (DB)

This digest is adapted from Linda Cohen's publication, "Meeting the Needs of Gifted and Talented Minority Language Students." It explores the controversy surrounding the underrepresentation of minority language students in gifted and talented programs and makes recommendations for more suitable assessment techniques and program models.…