Gifted education urgently needs reform, including the acknowledgement of multiple types of ability or talent and long-range recognition and development of talent using multiple measures in order to understand the total person. (SK)

Conceptual ambiguity surrounds notions of gifted and talented; justification for talent development is often linked with rejection of the term gifted. Talent development should mean identification of those who show superior natural abilities as well as aptitudes for a particular domain and emphasis on developing those special skills. (SK)

The base of the talent development pyramid is personality attributes; the second level is the minimum intellectual competence necessary for functioning in the domain. At the apex is specific talent in a domain. All three are influenced by genetics, home/family, school, community/culture, gender differences, and chance. (SK)

Reviews research on high-ability art students' perceptions of talent, themselves, their families, and schools; gender issues in art talent development; and a case study of intervention with one artistically talented student. Makes recommendations for further research to guide education for high-ability art students. (SK)

Discussed talent search programs and their objectives, such as finding disadvantaged students who, with developmental assistance and financial support, could profit from additional education and training, and then counsel these students and help them find academic admission and occupational placement. (Author/RK)

Focusing on the expectations of schools, teachers, parents, peers, and society for the gifted and talented, the author proposes curriculum design, gives guidelines for parent-teacher conferences, outlines the benefits of peer instruction, and suggests ways that parents and society can identify talented students and enrich their education. (SK)

Longitudinal studies of gifted and talented individuals can provide a base upon which to determine educational practice. Such studies could reveal whether life-span patterns are unique and how demographic characteristics affect aspirations and achievement. (SK)

Individuals possess attributes making them differently suited for excelling in particular areas. The challenge is to maintain an appropriate balance between broad educational experiences and differential expectations, responding to students' relative strengths and weaknesses. (SK)

Describes a model for career and vocational-technical education and makes recommendations for talented vocational students: (1) establish multiple identification criteria; (2) make talented learners eligible for specialized services; (3) provide access and articulation between vocational and talent development programs; (4) train teachers in…

Two major aspects of counseling for gifted students through the junior and senior high school years and into college are (1) early identification of those students who require special educational opportunities and (2) careful matching of gifted students to alternative educational pathways. (LRA)