Intended for parents and teachers of gifted students (preschool through graduate level), the document provides descriptions in "lay language" of tests used as identification and screening measures in gifted and talented programing. Explained in an introductory section are such concepts as IQ, various uses for tests, types of standardized…

After reviewing old definitions of giftedness and research dealing with characteristics of the gifted, the author presents a definition that focuses on three clusters of traits--above average general ability, high level of task commitment, and high level of creativity. (IRT)

A review of literature regarding the concept of giftedness, the history of education for the gifted, and the identification of gifted children precedes recommendations for establishing an identification procedure, including consideration of service delivery models, program areas, student characteristics, teacher collaboration, formal evaluation…

Reports on a study which attempted to determine differences between two different types of music curriculum. Specifically, the study compares the Kodaly Method with a more traditional curriculum. Concludes that music education based on the Kodaly Method started in early childhood is highly effective for the development of musical abilities. (RKM)

Patterns of Verbal and Performance Intelligence Quotients (IQ) and subtest scores of young gifted children (N=306) were identified on the Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Most students had higher verbal than performance IQs, and the verbal IQ mean was significantly higher than the performance IQ mean. (Author/CB)

The analogy of a compatible marriage is used to describe the relationship between gifted programing and test instrumentation for identification of giftedness. The interaction of programing and instrument development is explored from an historical perspective and from the personal viewpoint of a researcher/practitioner. (Author/JW)

The history of research and attention to artistically talented students from 1850 to the present is offered in this article. Programs for these students have lacked valid test instruments, longitudinal studies, and in-depth research. (DF)

Twenty-one parents who felt that their children fit the descriptors in a gifted checklist brought them in for testing. Sixty-six percent of the children were in the gifted range on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Ss fitting the characteristics but testing below the gifted range all had ear infections the first year of life. (Author/CL)

A summary from a national report on the identification of gifted and talented youth in the USA stresses the importance of linking recent research with practice and offers guidance for comprehensive and unbiased identification procedures. The needs for adequate teacher training, multiplicity of programs, and systematic public advocacy are…

The article reviews findings and recommendations of the Richardson Study, a national investigation of educational opportunities for able learners. Following background information, recommendations are summarized for the following topics: administration, discovering talent, program, staff development and teacher support, and evaluation. (CL)

The article examines problems associated with the design of identification studies and suggests three alternative designs: performance criteria in academic mastery in a domain specific area, creative productivity in domain specific or interdisciplinary areas, and long-range creative productivity. (CL)

Current conceptions of giftedness and intelligence are reviewed and a model of giftedness as an interaction of intelligence, special abilities or talents, self-concept and motivation to achieve is presented. The authors conclude that motivation, self-concept, and creativity should not be components of identification, but instead goals of gifted…

The author reviews the use of the Raven Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) as a general intelligence measure for selection of students to the Chicago public school magnet high school program. Advantages of the APM are cited, including its effectiveness in identifying gifted minority students. (CL)

The author describes the events that convinced him of the central role of creativity in identification of gifted and talented students. He suggests five policies and procedures, including the need for evaluating multiple talents and for considering the kinds of excellence valued by the child's culture or subculture. (CL)

The study involved designing an instrument on characteristics of a quality student and analyzing the changes in students' self-ratings on these characteristics. The instrument, a self-rating scale consisting of 37 characteristics of a quality student, was devised providing for three ratings during a semester on stamine scales. (Author)