More than 25 years ago, the myth that a small gifted program compensated for a "sick" regular education program took its place in the "Gifted Child Quarterly" special issue pantheon. The myth was framed from the perspective of school districts who implemented limited, part-time programs for gifted students to "comfort…

In many ways, meeting the needs of gifted students through differentiation of curriculum and instruction within the regular classroom seems a perfect solution to the issues that have plagued gifted education for many years and remain largely unresolved. So why "is" it a myth that differentiated instruction in the regular classroom is an…

As a general practice throughout the U.S., gifted students are left to work out their own issues. Although gifted students are generally not considered "high-risk," they too need special attention. High-achieving gifted students experience similar feelings of social and physical anxiety, just like their peers. Additionally, gifted students expect…

To have young children disconnected from school is not in their best interest. Yet, some bright students feel disconnected because the curriculum is well below their readiness level. For academically gifted students, acceleration is an effective-and cost-effective-way of meeting their learning and social needs. We hope the Nation Deceived report…

The No Child Left Behind Act imposes sanctions on schools if the fraction of students demonstrating proficiency on a high-stakes test falls below a statewide pass rate. While the motivation behind this system is improved public school performance, it also provides incentives for schools to focus educational resources on the marginal student rather…

It is common knowledge that our schools and society have changed in many ways, especially due to increasing immigration. Between 1972 and 2004, for example, the percentage of culturally diverse students doubled. The majority of scholarship in education seems to focus on how these changes and trends impact educators and their competence in working…

An analysis of gifted education and multicultural education journals was performed to identify the number of multicultural education articles in gifted education journals and the number of gifted education articles in multicultural education journals. Journals reviewed were "Multicultural Education", "Multicultural Perspectives," "Urban…

Conversations with Josh, a mentee of the author, and other gifted students caused the author to realize that in many cases, what is presented as appropriately differentiated language arts curriculum for gifted/talented students is nothing more than general education curriculum with additional work at the same level as the regular curriculum. If…

It is believed by many that unsophisticated notions of elitism are the bane of the field of gifted education. Some claims of elitism are based on an interpretation of the founding of their country as inherently egalitarian. Educational opportunities that are tailored to student abilities are determined to be inherently elitist and therefore…

To spotlight effective practices, the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) is highlighting schools that are closing achievement gaps and performing at high levels. In 2009, the SBE partnered with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create the Washington Accountability Index. The Index is a new way to measure schools'…

The purposes of this study were to determine the major characteristics of honors programs at colleges and universities in the southern region of the United States and to review the perceptions of honors programs directors relating to the effectiveness of and challenges facing honors programs at these institutions. A survey was administered to…

Raising any child is challenging for parents, but raising a gifted child can be especially demanding. Parents benefit from quality information about giftedness as well as effective parenting strategies for working with very bright youngsters. Parents may wish to better motivate their gifted children, helping them to take personal responsibility…

Understanding the emotional energy of teachers may provide evidence for the nature of the learning environment. Herein, the concept of overexcitabilities (OEs) was used to explore the ways that teachers of general and gifted classes describe their own intensities or emotional preferences. Q methodology was used with 24 teachers from American and…

This groundbreaking study finds that nearly all parents seek schools with a solid core curriculum in reading and math, an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and the development in students of good study habits, strong critical thinking skills, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. But some…

The teacher's of America's one-room schoolhouses long ago mastered the concept of differentiation. Small class sizes were the norm, including children of all ages. Older, or more advanced students, helped others understand their lessons. Students move on to more difficult work as they were ready. Skipping grades was not uncommon. As the population…