A review of the literature on best practices, both instructional and curricular, that may lead to increased achievement among gifted students, found that flexible ability grouping, combined with appropriate curricular revision or differentiation, may result in substantial achievement gains both for average and high ability learners. (Contains…

Twelve teachers of the gifted who serve elementary English learners participated in focus groups designed to glean practitioner knowledge concerning effective approaches. Participating teachers characterized gifted English learners as enthusiastic, high-level thinkers. They recommended strategies consistent with identified needs and with the…

In this interview with Dr. Mary Frasier, the creator of the Frasier Talent Assessment Profile, her passion for discovering and helping develop the talents of children from diverse cultural backgrounds and atypical gifted children is discussed. The need for continued research on the signs of potential abilities in children is stressed. (Contains 2…

This article describes the Science Starts Early program, which is designed to expose young, potentially gifted children, particularly girls, to basic scientific principles that will allow them to explore the world around them. A Science Starts Early program curriculum is described and examples are provided of experiments. (Contains references.)…

Describes different options available for gifted high school students, including seminar classes, independent studies, special programs, mentorships and internships, service projects, advanced electives, and extracurricular activities. Options for adjusting the pace of the high school experience are discussed, along with the importance of…

A survey of 909 seventh-graders and their parents about their participation in a regional talent search, preparation, and feelings while taking the test, found students participated primarily to gain experience taking the test and to learn about their abilities. Students and parents reported taking the test was a positive experience. (Contains…

Suggestions for teaching students who are both gifted and learning disabled stresses providing them with compacting and differentiation in the areas of their strengths and direct instruction of learning strategies in their areas of weakness. The article also warns that the child's giftedness may go unnoticed and unaccommodated in favor of…

This article includes information about the development of a rubric originally designed to assess the quality of curricular units that are submitted annually to the National Association for Gifted Children Curriculum Division's Curriculum Competition. Information about four different, but related, uses for the rubric is provided. (Contains…

Advocates an alternative conception of excellence in higher education, one based on how well an institution can develop its students' talents, not on the quality of the entering class's grades and test scores. Such an outlook would increase minority enrollment. (DM)

Issues in current methods of identifying gifted students include the referral process (e.g., problems with establishing a referral rate) and selection standards (problems of criteria, educational setting, level, bias, instruments, and decisions). An ongoing continuing screening process and education of decision makers about sound measurement…

Discusses the rationale for magnet schools or programs and differentiates between a magnet school and a magnet program within schools. Discusses concerns of teachers, students, and administrators in relation to magnet schools and programs. Concludes that magnet programs can achieve the purposes for which they are established. (SLM)

A module is presented to facilitate integrating computers and art into the gifted/talented curriculum. Based on the Enrichment Triad model, specific activities are suggested, such as creating interest development centers, increasing awareness of computer imagery in daily life, exploring art software programs, and performing in-depth investigation…

GATEWAY II is a summer program for fourth and fifth graders in South Carolina which encourages an integrated approach to the visual and performing arts. The program's instructional quality and curriculum creativity level are assessed through observations by a former teacher of gifted children and interviews with student participants. (JDD)

Recommendations for developing comprehensive programs for gifted learners based on the Richardson Study focus on administration, the process of discovering talent, program features, staff development, teacher support, and evaluation. The Pyramid model of program options is presented, and program implementation by four school districts is…

This article responds to criticisms made in the Ebmeier and Schmulbach study (EC 221 845) of the Scholastic Aptitude Test as used by talent search programs such as the Center for the Advancement of Academically Talented Youth (CTY). The history of CTY's uses of cutoff scores and alternative interpretations of statistics are discussed. (PB)