Intermediate-grade gifted students (n=139) who participated in the Future Problem Solving Program were compared to other gifted or average ability students. Participants were found to be interested in more global issues than nonparticipants and were more positive about their control over the future. (Author/JDD)

The REDSIL model for ongoing evaluation of gifted education programs involves interviewing stakeholders, isolating and categorizing critical study issues, designing a data collection plan that uses several forms of qualitative methods, implementing the plan, analyzing data, searching literature relative to each issue, analyzing data again, and…

The mother of an exceptionally gifted six-year-old boy describes her frustrating experiences attempting to obtain appropriate education for her son. Minnesota's failure to commit resources to support gifted students is criticized, and the boy's problems with self-esteem, a different learning style, and distractibility are examined. (JDD)

This study investigated affective characteristics of 31 doctoral students, using Clark's notion of concomitant problems and Dabrowski's construct of overexcitabilities. Results indicate that subjects perceived themselves as different from typical persons on factors reflecting internal motivation, positive aspects of overexcitability, and need for…

A survey of 100 gifted high school students found that students felt "held back" by the pace and content of their science classes, wanted to be more challenged, were frustrated with the lecture-memorization teaching method, and wanted to be treated the same as nongifted students. Implications for science program administration, instruction, and…

Presented are 15 ideas for projects which require gifted elementary or middle school students to study a topic in depth. Ideas are in an easy-to-use "reproduce, cut, and distribute" format. Ideas are intended to foster individual creativity and production and cover such topics as plantations, insects, stars, telephones, bridges, and space. (DB)

An emerging postpositivist paradigm for inquiry and research is outlined, based on recent thinking in philosophy, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The paper delineates the paradigm's basic beliefs, considers methodological implications, and suggests applications in the education of the gifted. (Author/JDD)

The author of EC 602 983 comments on his areas of research interest, speculates about the reasons why the social adjustment of kindergartners appears so different from that of older elementary school children, and examines the benefits of providing kindergarten experiences that maximize interactions among bright pupils. (JDD)

Middle-level educators can meet all students' needs by grouping students for appropriate instruction, rotating teachers, encouraging student-centered teaching, setting high academic expectations, developing advisory programs and activity groups, and scheduling heterogeneous classes where appropriate. Educators should not sacrifice balance and…

This paper reviews the school histories of five extremely gifted Australian children (IQs 160-200) who had been radically accelerated. A combination of grade skipping and radical subject matter acceleration gave the children access to curricula commensurate with their abilities as well as healthier levels of social self-esteem. (Author/DB)

The Mentorship Academy Program of Blue Valley Schools (Kansas) uses a schoolwide enrichment model emphasizing the need to provide high ability students with opportunities to work with professionals on meaningful projects related to their interests. This paper discusses mentor and student selection, role of the mentor, evaluation and monitoring of…

This study of mathematics and science attitudes of 117 African-American gifted middle grade students found significant gender differences in attitude toward success in mathematics and perceptions of mathematics as a male domain. No significant grade differences or interactions were found in any of the variables. (Author/JDD)

Eighty-five elementary and secondary teachers completed a questionnaire about the characteristics of gifted students. The perceptual differences identified were related to grade level taught and whether teachers had taken courses or workshops on gifted education. The paper concludes that teachers of the gifted need more grade-specific course work…

Five potential complications of being gifted include: a sophisticated ability to evaluate one's own performance; a tendency to search for ordered complexity; the possible presence of specific learning difficulties; incompatibility of intellectual and emotional developmental levels; and a relative lack of experience of failure. (DB)

This article identifies problems commonly attributed to acceleration for gifted students. Specific student concerns (such as friendships) and administrative concerns (such as difficulties in awarding course credits) are addressed. Five suggestions are made to help districts plan for providing accelerative options. (DB)