Recommends institutionalizing curriculum policy initiatives for gifted learners at state and local levels that are compatible with new state standards and assessments and also consider flexibility, differentiation, and articulation in planning and implementation. Support structures such as grouping and teacher education must also be incorporated.…

The director of a high school gifted education program discusses the transition from high school to college and reports on a survey of 97 gifted students four years after high school graduation. The survey addressed challenges and adjustments in the transition to college, whether students' high abilities were perceived as assets or liabilities,…

This article describes implementation of a creativity curriculum, Ten Lessons in Creativity, with gifted and typical students in elementary and middle school settings. It discusses creativity instruction as a bridge between gifted and regular education, ways that creativity workshops affirm the highly creative child, creativity and self-esteem,…

Studied the correlates of intellectual giftedness and gender differences in giftedness in 6 groups of 10th graders (n=12,630). Discusses implications for U.S. youth achievement levels, manpower planning, and possible educational interventions. (SLD)

This article reviews and analyzes three decades of research on the underachievement of gifted students in an attempt to clarify the present state of research. The problems inherent in defining and identifying underachieving gifted students are given special attention. Suggestions for future research are included. (Contains extensive references.)…

The results of a series of empirical studies on perfectionism in the gifted are reviewed. Contrary to common beliefs, results indicate that perfectionism is not greater in the gifted and that striving for perfection is more likely to stimulate healthy achievement needs than to be associated with personal or academic maladjustment. (Contains…

This article discusses perfectionism in gifted students, aspects of perfectionism, manifestations of perfectionism in the classroom, and classroom based interventions. Recommended interventions include creating a classroom that encourages sharing of self, active listening, and self-evaluation and metacognition, using bibliotherapy, and providing…

Comparison of the psychological types, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), of 966 students at a public residential magnet high school for academically talented students with other gifted and traditional high school students found both magnet school students and gifted students showed a particular MBTI distribution. (DB)

This study investigated the reliability and construct validity of a peer nomination form used to identify 670 Hispanic students of outstanding talent from three southwestern school districts. Results indicated adequate reliability, and suggestions are offered for improving the instrument's validity. (DB)

Highlights dynamic assessment, an approach to assessing cognitive ability in which students are instructed on how to perform on certain tasks and measured on their progress in learning to solve similar problems. It describes how dynamic assessment can be used for identifying disadvantaged students for specialized enrichment programs. (CR)

A study of 174 academically talented eighth-grade students found they had significantly higher academic self-concepts than their peers but similar social self-concepts. Results found that talented females had stronger needs for achievement, dominance, and endurance than typical females, and high verbal students had less interest in relationships…

At Lowell Elementary School, gifted and highly motivated students from Tacoma (Washington) elementary schools come together to work on projects and develop their skills in creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, and group interaction. Projects draw on student interests to foster motivation, independent and cooperative study, and…

This study explored individual, family, and school-related factors contributing to underachievement among 56 gifted students (grades four to eight). Comparison of four models found the complex model incorporating all three factors best fit the data. The importance of an ecological approach to problems of underachievement is stressed. Intervention…

The achievement goals of 127 sets of parents and perfectionism in their academically talented children (56% boys) were studied. Children of performance goal, rather than learning goal, parents were more likely to exhibit dysfunctional perfectionism, with a combination of concern about mistakes and doubts about actions, parental expectations, and…

The Adolescent Coping Scale was administered to 749 gifted students attending two different summer enrichment programs. Results indicate little evidence of gender or grade differences but found racial differences on the Seek Spiritual Support scale (African and Hispanic students had the highest scores), the Self-Blame scale, and the Worry scale.…