Describes a 3-year project designed to serve the needs of artistically talented students, focusing on the project's assessment as a "cautionary tale" for people involved in large-scale, authentic assessments. Describes project evaluations for years two and three and provides recommendations concerning outside evaluators and large-scale educational…

This article provides an overview of the characteristics of an effective arts education program, descriptions of the various options available for artistically talented students seeking specialized training through performing and visual arts schools, and guidelines to those interested in planning a new school for the arts. (Contains seven…

Discusses approaches to teaching mathematical problem solving in the context of number, including encouraging children to write number stories to consolidate their conceptual understanding and technical competence. The use of computers to explore mathematical concepts is discussed, and examples of how number squares can be used are provided. (CR)

Discusses the underachievement of women and girls and describes a program for gifted Canadian students that brings together training in high school and college-level mathematics and sciences and better linkages between schools, postsecondary institutions and the business community. A current research project examining participant achievement is…

This article discusses how explanatory style, an individual's perspective on the experiences of success and failure, can contribute to gifted students' vulnerability or resilience. The three dimensions of explanatory style: permanence, pervasiveness, and personalization are explained, and case studies are provided. Tips for helping students become…

This article explores how gifted children learn to think. Issues related to the learning experiences of gifted children emerge from a consideration of work collected from primary classrooms and are developed by reference to children's work on a structured program designed to support aspects of thinking associated with decision making. (Contains 5…

This article discusses survey results indicating teachers are not reading books for pleasure. The benefits of having teachers who know a vast repertoire of literature are discussed, along with strategies for encouraging reading in teacher education programs, including mentioning authors in class discussions and asking students about their favorite…

This article compiles information from program web sites, articles, and interviews with experts to describe the history and current status of the Advanced Placement program and the International Baccalaureate program. The development of the Pre-AP program, the Primary Years program, and the Middle Years program is discussed. (Contains references.)…

Discussion of J. Renzulli's Enrichment Triad and School Enrichment Models finds them supportive of broader inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds yet notes the continued under representation of such students in programs for the gifted. It suggests that addressing the models' implications for access, generalization, long-range impact, and…

This article explores how the unique features of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program enable the cultivation of a school climate and culture that is conducive to the continued academic, cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social growth of a gifted adolescent. The content of the IB program is described. (Contains references.)…

Results of a study of 20 creative people in Brazil found they felt that their mothers had most influenced their creativity and mentored them, that many had experienced feelings of loneliness and being different from their adolescent peers, and that they had received understanding, acceptance, and admiration from their teachers during elementary…

A British study that compared 12 musically gifted children (ages 8- 11) and 12 children gifted in fine arts with controls, found environmental circumstances, especially at home, were of vital importance for exceptionally high-level performance, even when there was provision at schools for developing talent. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The rapid development of special education for the gifted in Taiwan from 1962 until the present is summarized. The comprehensive system of gifted education, using either the special class or the pull-out is described, along with identification procedures that are based on multi-assessment and use a step-by-step screening process. (Contains…

This article describes the gifted identification process of the Westport, Connecticut, school system. The process uses information obtained through six components: a referral form, student rating questionnaire, examples of classroom performance, parent assessment questionnaire, Otis-Lenon School Ability Tests, and performance-based assessment. (CR)

Describes how teams of grade 4-9 gifted students investigated unsolved mysteries like Bigfoot, aliens and UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, and Stonehenge to develop Internet and research skills. Highlights student observations on difficulties encountered using the Internet for research, notes student evaluation of the workshop, and provides addresses…