This report examines federal involvement in gifted education in the 20 years since the Marland report on needs of gifted and talented students. Noted is the passage, in 1988, of the Javits Bill which implemented the major recommendations of the Marland report including establishment of the Office of Gifted and Talented and training of teachers.…

The COMET summer residential program at Purdue University (Indiana) offers gifted and talented youth in grades 4-6 a week of intensive study in a single content area. Courses stress specific problem-solving skills and development of a rich knowledge base. Extensive program evaluation by students, teachers, counselors, and parents was highly…

This panel interview from the Indiana University Summer Arts Institute examines unique needs of high school students in the Indiana University Campus Program, including peer group establishment, selection of a leader and staff, and provision of challenging confidence-building experiences in what is for many students the most competitive…

Governor's schools are described as innovative programs to accelerate or enrich the learning of gifted and talented students in terms of aptitude development, conceptual development, and personal and social development. Findings from the Tennessee Governor's Schools illustrate program outcomes and program effects. (JDD)

All programs for the gifted and talented should incorporate visual and performing arts, so that students' natural interests and creative abilities are not stifled. Many gifted and talented high school students not classified as artistically talented can achieve in discipline-based curriculum areas stressing nondiscursive art-making activities.…

Discusses the trend toward identifying all children as gifted and the stripping of quality from gifted-child education. Argues that well-intentioned efforts to reform schools by introducing gifted-child education strategies for all students have watered down the offerings for many of the most gifted students. (CR)

Discusses the themes of "Good Will Hunting" and "Titanic" and their messages to educators. The need for gifted children to have an array of people in their lives to nurture their abilities and the need for the development of a New Zealand national policy for gifted children is emphasized. (CR)

Discusses the active advocacy role of teachers of gifted children. Describes basic principles of advocacy, the importance of effective communication and transactional communication, the need to focus on single issues and keep the message simple, letter-writing and phone calls, and dealing with the media. (CR)

Discusses the importance of competitions for gifted students and offers practical tips and techniques for utilizing competitions, not only to enhance talents, but also to nurture positive relationships between the school and community. Gives an example of a community's involvement in supporting competitions. (Author/CR)

Authentic learning consists of applying relevant knowledge, thinking skills, and interpersonal skills to solving real-world problems. Students assume roles of firsthand investigators, writers, artists, or other practitioners committed to producing a product or a service. A Connecticut high school's video-production company embodies a successful…

Discusses gifted identification and the potentially harmful effects of labeling a child "gifted" and making premature assumptions. Parents are urged to allow children to develop their gifts unencumbered by expectations and observe, watch, listen, prompt, affirm, and enjoy as the child engages with the world. (CR)

Discusses the social and emotional problems of unrecognized gifted children whose talents exist in domains distinct from the intellectual, academic, and athletic realms. Two case studies are presented of two gifted elementary students, along with interventions for enhancing effective growth among such students. (CR)

Addresses the argument that the arts can empower education reform through two means: (1) teaching all children the arts and (2) teaching the arts as central to all learning. Conveys that by concentrating on aesthetic literacy and the nonuniversality of children's artistic development, arts educators will gain support for teaching the arts in…

Describes strategies used by one middle school to successfully challenge gifted students in the context of the regular classroom, satisfy their parents, and preserve the best of the middle school concept for all students. Strategies include block scheduling, regular schoolwide recognition programs, a school climate characterized by academic rigor…

Focuses on the connections among the concepts of virtuosity, performance, and knowledge. Defines a virtuoso performance and the two different types of virtuoso performers. Considers to whom the label "virtuoso" should or should not apply and limits its literal application to performers who participate in the interpretive realization of art works.…