In this study, critical events in the career development of 26 Finnish Academy professors describe the trajectories of their achievement and success. Primary themes included mentors, academic years abroad, strong interest in the domain, and luck. Also described are transformative themes. Personal stories illustrate the individualistic nature of…

Robert J. Sternberg, director of the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, reviews current concerns regarding giftedness and reflects on his work. He laments the use of programs whose efficacy has not been shown and stresses the need to identify giftedness in all its forms. (CR)

A decision of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court set a binding precedent which classifies gifted and talented students as exceptional children and requires that resources already in place within school districts be made available to develop individualized education programs for gifted students. (JDD)

Describes how high school students interested in pursuing a career in art can have their work evaluated by portfolio examiners from the admissions offices of art schools. Suggests that art teachers should make more use of these occasions by accompanying students and preparing them to accept criticism. (KM)

Analysis of Pegnato and Birch's data invalidates the observation that teacher nominations should not be relied upon in gifted identification, as analysis shows that effectiveness and efficiency are related to number of subjects singled out as a result of the chosen cutoff value. An alternative is presented: compare correlation coefficients of the…

This study investigated several nontraditional identification methodologies for their efficacy in identifying both minority and nonminority gifted students. Sixth graders (n=433) were given drawing and problem-solving tasks. Peer and teacher nominations were also used. The assessments identified a proportionate number of minority and nonminority…

A survey of parents (n=844) of school-age children and parents (n=297) of gifted/talented children found strong public support for programs addressing special needs of gifted/talented students, especially if those programs do not reduce services to average or slow learners. (JDD)

Reviews five books on talk in the classroom; teaching with humor and play; how children talk, write, dance, draw, and sing their understanding of the world; talented teenagers; and life histories of women teachers working for social change. (BAC)

Instruments used to measure creativity by 418 school districts as part of their identification procedures for gifted programs were studied. Results indicated that districts often select instruments for assessing creativity without attending to the definition of the construct. Creativity is often assessed in ways that may not be valid or reliable.…

Interviews with six women from working class backgrounds, who had succeeded in higher education, identified common issues in growing up gifted and talented in the working class, the dearth of role models and mentors, the loss of connection with family and friends, and a sense of impostership. (DB)

Gardner discusses an eighth form of intelligence which involves the ability to recognize important distinctions in the natural world. He also expresses ideas about apprenticeships and museums, and current policy on assessment and evaluation. (SW)

The value of certain nonschool experiences is demonstrated in the University of California-Berkeley's summer Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP), which supplements school experiences by inviting adolescents into academic communities. The paper describes ATDP, arguing for a less school-centered vocabulary that will enrich the available…

This article outlines goals and techniques that can be used to seek and employ intuitive skills for improved decision making. The article describes the Brain Skill Management program, which helps organizations identify intuitive talent resources and needs, integrate this talent with traditional management approaches, and develop intuitive talent…

This article argues that providing good gifted and talented education programs is in the nation's economic self-interest and is essential to the United States' future economic competitiveness in the world community. (DB)

This interview with Howard Gardner, author of such books as "The Theory of Multiple Intelligences" and professor of education, addresses such concerns as the nature of cognitive science; parenting; the importance of human relationships in education; the meaning of "intelligence,""talent,""and giftedness";…