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…

The tiny, multicultural nation of Singapore has a long history of provisions for gifted students. Beliefs about ability and talent development are strongly influenced by traditional Confucian perspectives that view environmental factors as dominant in the development of talent. Early identification is not stressed and working hard is emphasized at…

Through Project IMPACT and other programs, the state of Illinois is moving toward the provision of a complete network of educational services which are differentiated in relation to gifted students' needs. (Author/DLS)

Among the findings were that the number of administrators receiving in-service training was relatively low, that programs emphasized identification in the areas of general intellectual ability and specific academic aptitude over other areas of giftedness, and that generally more districts identified children as gifted in the middle grades.…

The article presents a conceptual model to be utilized in conducting the necessary needs assessment activities to implement a successful gifted program at the school district or state agency level. (Author/DLS)

This essay critically examines the features and assumptions of needs-based claims to justify special services for the gifted and argues that they rest on unstated theories and unavowed moral values, define a paternalistic relationship between teachers and gifted students, and suggest that gifted students deserve things that other students do not.…

A survey of parents (n=844) of school-age children and parents (n=297) of gifted/talented children found strong public support for programs addressing special needs of gifted/talented students, especially if those programs do not reduce services to average or slow learners. (JDD)

An interview with the legal activist, Janet Benshoof, focuses on her current activities (litigation and education about reproductive law), the development of her interest in women's rights and the law, her experience as a female law student at Harvard, her early education, her thoughts about special programs and rural education, and implications…

A synthesis of ideas on talent development is presented, based on 10 interviews previously conducted with masters in arts and sciences. The six themes include: age at which the individual identifies with a discipline, early schooling experiences, skills and characteristics associated with great expertise, mentors, skills and characteristics…

Analysis of current critiques of gifted education considers four common concerns: (1) whether giftedness exists; (2) whether students who possess giftedness can be identified; (3) whether such students can be provided with quality differentiated programs and services; and (4) whether it is morally correct to provide such programs or services. (DB)

This study identified the following factors that influenced the regular education/gifted education transitions experienced by four high school African American males: family support, goal development, socialization factors, discrepancies between identification and placement, and discrepancies in the way material was presented in various programs.…

This paper reviews historical trends in provision of services to young gifted children, with particular emphasis on inhibiting factors preventing greater services. Work with young gifted children and their families is then discussed, focusing on children from upper- and middle-class backgrounds, with handicapping conditions, and from low-income…