This article discusses the purpose of gifted program evaluation and identifies some of the pertinent issues involved in evaluating gifted programs. The gifted program delivered by the Peel District Board of Education in Ontario, Canada, is used to illustrate key evaluation considerations, including gifted identification procedures and gifted…

This article explores the impact of internal barriers, priorities, and personal decisions on the realization of the potential of gifted females. Dilemmas relating to family, fear of success, the development of resilience, multi-potentiality, absence of planning, confusion about effort and ability, perfectionism, unreal expectations, and loneliness…

This critique of J. Renzulli's review of his own work on gifted education suggests that no classroom observational studies have critically examined the dynamic interaction of Renzulli's Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness model, that within a school context the model is difficult to conceptualize, and that the model's complexity limits the number…

In this article, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Board is described. It discusses the quality and standards for AP classes and examines the success of AP students, AP Scholar Awards, and resources for information on the AP program. A list of AP subjects and examinations is provided. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article discusses the influence of political ideologies on the development of gifted education in the United States and Australia. The controversy over educational equity, the claim that every child has gifts or talents, the confusion between gifts and strengths, and the resulting impact on curriculum development is explored. (Contains…

This article examines cluster grouping as a viable option for meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. It also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of cluster grouping from the perspective of conclusions obtained through the implementation of cluster grouping in an elementary school district. (Contains references.) (CR)

This article discusses historical and contemporary educational provisions for gifted and talented students in Australia. Five young adults reflect on their educational and career paths in the creative arts, sports, music, medicine, and business to illustrate how talents are nurtured in Australia at the end of the 20th century. (Contains extensive…

A relatively new performance-based assessment, the DISCOVER process, is presented in this review. The theoretical framework of the assessment is explained, followed by a delineation of the assessment process, checklist characteristics and development, and the tasks in the five different activities. Findings on assessment validity and reliability…

Contends that the general development acquired in preschool provides the foundation for a child's acquisition for any specialized kind of knowledge and assimilation of various activities. Views the organization of public preschool education as the creation of equal starting conditions for the shaping of the preschooler's personality, particularly…

This article discusses the unique position that teachers have for observing the environmental influences affecting the career choices of gifted girls. It suggests ways for teachers to educate parents on the family's role in education and career achievement and to create an educational environment that promotes the development of talent. (Contains…

Discussion of gifted children with disabilities notes that many such children are excluded from gifted programming due to a deficit in some aspect of development. The concept of global giftedness is critiqued. Examples of gifted individuals with learning, physical, sensory disabilities or with autism are offered and suggestions are given for…

This study examined the importance of personality characteristics to identity formation using data from Terman's longitudinal study of high IQ children. Results indicate that positive traits such as perseverance, purposiveness, desire to excel, and self-confidence are conducive to a successful identity formation and to the adoption of the…

Through the voices of alumnae, the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted (PEG) at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, is profiled. PEG offers adolescent gifted girls the opportunity to attend an innovative college for women and to complete college when their peers are graduating from high school. (CR)

This article argues that any progress we have made in understanding creativity is being threatened by the increased emphasis on objective criteria of all aspects of learning. Indicators of creative potential are discussed, including originality and flexibility. Because creativity is often intrinsically motivated, the need for appropriate…

This study examined the parental styles and psychosocial adjustment of adolescents and the relationship between them in gifted as compared to nongifted Arab adolescents. Five scales --The Parental Authority Questionnaire, Child Attitude Toward Parents. Lipsitt's Self-Concept Scale for Children, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and The Psychological…