This study followed 96 gifted students from kindergarten through high school and found that students who qualified for the gifted program on the basis of verbal or quantitative reasoning abilities performed better in academic subjects than did students who qualified only on the basis of nonverbal abilities. (Author/JDD)

Definitions and lists of critical thinking abilities, along with guidelines for utilizing the Delphi Technique, are presented as a procedural model for districts searching for curriculum consensus. Results are reported for a study wherein 16 educators of gifted students used the Delphi Technique to reach consensus on criteria for a thinking skills…

Charleston (South Carolina) Southern University has developed a summer enrichment program for gifted and motivated middle school students focusing on the science-based and mathematics-based professions, especially engineering and research. The program provides special motivational advantages to young girls through individual attention and…

Ripon College (Wisconsin) has developed "colearner" classes as part of the Advance College Experience held each summer for academically able and motivated children. Two classes (in ornithology and computer programing/problem solving) were offered to 15 children and their adult partners (parents, other relatives, or friends). Special…

A survey of 277 white, Hispanic, and African-American parents of gifted children found few intergroup differences in either the characteristics that first indicated their child's giftedness or in current attributes of their child. More whites than others, however, requested an evaluation of their child for gifted program placement. (Author/JDD)

This study of 905 academically talented students (ages 12-16) who completed a 1-year course in high school biology, chemistry, or physics in a 3-week summer program found that the fast-paced courses effectively prepared subjects to accelerate in science and that talented students could begin high school sciences earlier than generally allowed.…

The constancy of intelligence quotients (IQs) of 161 gifted Israeli children, obtained initially in grades K-4 and retested 1-4 years later, was examined. Results indicated that 86% still qualified as gifted on the retest, with mean differences of five to eight IQ points. Performance scores tended to remain constant, whereas verbal scores tended…

To ensure quality programs in gifted education, parents, teachers, and concerned citizens should become involved in development of education policies. Influencing public policy involves determining which government structure has jurisdiction over the policy and lobbying for legislative action by attending public hearings, writing letters, working…

This introduction to a special issue on the work of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (housed at the universities of Connecticut, Georgia, and Virginia and Yale University) stresses the center's mission as conducting research that is directly relevant to the teacher/practitioner and information dissemination aimed at…

The article presents a summary, in outline form, of suggestions for helping gifted girls. Suggestions address the areas of parent education, early identification, gifted peers, early entrance, teacher inservice, special programs, career counseling, and conferences for gifted girls. (DB)

The article presents an approach to instructional design for mainstreamed students with and without mild disabilities, stressing functionality in a three-step procedure: (1) select what the student (general, gifted, learning disabled, or mildly retarded) needs to learn; (2) determine its functional value; and (3) decide how best to teach the…

A survey of 44 secondary level students who attended a summer camp for gifted/talented youth analyzed reasons that campers did not enroll in certain course offerings, ideas for future course offerings, occupational areas of interest, the extent of racism in the schools, and the amount of drug use in the schools. (JDD)

Describes a study of the learning style preferences of 88 honors program students in 3 southern California community colleges. These preferences were compared to national norms for student learning style preferences, and to the teaching strategies used by 9 honors course instructors. (PAA)

The study, with 107 gifted adolescents (ages 11-14), found they had surprisingly mature knowledge of career decision-making factors and had already done career planning more typical of older students. Female students indicated career preferences for occupations paying far less money than those to which male students aspired. No multicultural…

Discusses the consultation model and the role of the classroom consultant for providing gifted/talented education in inclusive classrooms. Stresses the importance of training and support in the transition from being a teacher of the gifted to being a consultant. (DB)