At the heart of the controversy over public education in a democratic system is the tension between majority rules and minority rights, and public and individual interests. This contextual framework sets the stage for the emergence of charter schools in Alberta, Canada. This paper describes the establishment and characteristics of the first…

This volume is the first in a series (developed in response to a needs assessment survey of special educators in Alberta, Canada) providing practical suggestions about instructional strategies, classroom management, preparing individual program plans, and understanding special needs. Book 1 highlights strategies for differentiating instruction…

This brief summarizes data on the types of academic programs offered in schools serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students. The 1990-91 American Indian and Alaska Native supplement to the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics provides detailed information on schools serving AIAN…

The term "Flow Experiences" refers to periods of deep, intense involvement in activities that challenge but do not overwhelm one's skills. As conceptualized by M. Csikszentmihalyi (1990), Flow represents a distinct state of consciousness that integrates high but effortless concentration, intrinsic motivation, loss of awareness of self…

Title VI provide Federal funds to states through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended in 1994. Title VI funds can support one or more programs that include school reform activities, the purchase and use of instructional and educational materials, programs for the gifted and talented, and programs of various sorts for the…

This study uses nationally representative data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 to show that information about postsecondary educational institutions (PEIs), guidance, and essential preparatory actions taken by secondary students influence whether an individual will attend a PEI within 2 years of high school graduation, and,…

This book explores nine misconceptions about the nature of giftedness in children. It questions the concept of global giftedness, the division between the terms "gifted" and "talented," the necessity of a high intelligence quotient for the identification of giftedness, the biological basis of giftedness, the destructiveness of the "driving…

A study examined a joint service project undertaken by two Georgia State University (GSU) English department faculty members interested in studying distance learning technology. GSU's system uses fiber optics and technology to connect learners at a remote site to a teacher. The project involved assisting in preparing gifted students in grades 6-8…

This report explores the characteristics of giftedness in minority, language minority, and economically disadvantaged student populations and ways to assess giftedness in these populations. A qualitative content analysis is used to analyze gifted literature to determine characteristics of gifted children in general (n=262) and characteristics of…

Case studies of focus groups as a useful educational research strategy for evaluating noninstructional interventions are described. Focus groups were used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs in the following Virginia school settings: (1) peer counseling programs in 4 high schools with 49 student counselors; (2) gifted programs in 7…

This report provides information on gifted and talented education in Alaska, based on a survey of 154 teachers and 728 parents in 41 of 54 school districts. The report describes student eligibility, service availability, curriculum and administrative models, teacher training, parent satisfaction, and service evaluation. The report considers…

A survey instrument was developed to examine preservice teachers' understanding of classroom issues related to exceptional needs and cultural diversity. The instrument was administered to 832 preservice teachers at universities in Alabama, Michigan, Montana, New York, and Washington at 3 levels (beginning, middle, and end of program). Data are…

This book looks at gifted and talented students from a "national resource" point of view. The first chapter establishes the basic premise that gifted and talented children represent a significant resource to any nation and that it is profitable to the nation to invest in their development and education. Subsequent chapters describe types of…

This theme issue of a newsletter for academically talented youth focuses on getting the best precollege education. It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning by becoming aware of all the options their school offers; making use of them; supplementing and enriching the basic school curriculum; and participating in…

This practicum was designed to increase the number of elementary school students eligible for placement in a gifted program by improving the prescreening process. Major goals were to: (1) improve teachers' ability to identify giftedness in children; (2) improve the referral rate for gifted screening; and (3) increase the identification and…