Children from divergent populations are not equitably represented in programs for the gifted. A commonly cited cause is over-reliance on standardized test scores. An equally important cause may be that children, who do not fit the profile of a "typical" gifted child created by Terman (1925), seldom are referred for assessment. Terman's research has been sharply criticized for bias in selection procedures, but his conclusions are still generalized to all gifted children. In traditional identification procedures, nomination is based, consciously or subconsciously, on a definition of giftedness and "typical" characteristics described by Terman. Expanded assessment procedures were implemented in targeted schools in a large southwestern school district to increase representation of children from minority populations. As other schools in the district continued to use traditional procedures, a unique opportunity arose to compare characteristics of families of gifted children from targeted and nontargeted schools. Data were collected from families (N = 150) of children placed in first or second grade classes for the gifted during the past two years. Questions were designed to elicit information in categories similar to those used by Terman in 1921-22 and compatible with statistics reported in the U.S. census. Four groups of variables were investigated and comparisons made (a) between the families of gifted children in Targeted and Nontargeted Groups, (b) between Targeted, Nontargeted, and Terman Groups, and (c) between families in Targeted and Nontargeted Groups and families in the community population. Results show the Targeted Group differs significantly from the Nontargeted Group in economic, ethnic/cultural, and educational experience variables. The groups do not differ in family constellation variables. Clear differences exist between the Targeted and Terman Groups in all variables; the Nontargeted and Terman Groups are similar in economic and educational attainment variables. With the exception of higher minority representation in the Targeted Group, that group and the community population are similar. The Nontargeted Group differs from the community population in all economic variables and educational attainment, a result that supports charges of bias in traditional identification procedures. Expanded assessment procedures are recommended for more equitable representation of children from all populations in programs for the gifted.

Gardner (1985) defines intelligence broadly as the ability to solve problems and create products as well as to find or create new problems. He also suggests that every normal individual has the capacity to develop abilities in seven different areas or types of intelligence. Maker (1992, in press) hypothesizes that gifted individuals competently solve problems of all types, that is, problems ranging from well-defined to ill-defined. In this study of spatial intelligence, the theories of both researchers were tested. The primary purpose of the study was to describe behaviors that could be observed, processes subjects reported using, and characteristics of products subjects created as they solved the series of spatial problems. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine if careful observation of processes subjects employed, combined with the subject's report of processes used and an evaluation of products produced could, indeed, paint a clear picture of the subject's spatial abilities. Six research questions guided the study. The three primary areas of investigation were (a) the similarities and/or differences of behaviors observed, processes reported, and characteristics of products across tasks for individual subjects, (b) the similarities and/or differences of behaviors observed, processes reported, and characteristics of products across subjects for each task, and (c) the similarities and/or differences of behaviors observed, processes reported, and characteristics of products to Gardner's description of spatial intelligence. The researcher delineated eight broad categories of observed behaviors, two broad categories of processes reported, and nine characteristics of finished products. She noted both similarities and differences in behaviors, processes, and products across subjects for tasks and across tasks for subjects. Subjects reported that they used processes similar to those described by Gardner (1985); Gardner does not establish behaviors that can be observed as subjects solve spatial problems, nor does he clearly establish characteristics that might be included in products subjects created. Therefore, the behaviors noted and the characteristics of products created by the subjects in this study allowed the researcher to further define spatial intelligence. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The popular belief that has been held for many years has been that students who have been identified as gifted would succeed academically in college because of their previous success in high school. However, in countries with a disadvantaged and unequal school system, one that is stratified according to groups' socioeconomic status, such as Chile, this statement could be questioned. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the three studies presented in this dissertation have provided evidence confirming that gifted students had difficulties related to the transition to and persistence in college. Some of these difficulties were related to gifted students' initial academic performance in college and could be explained by their high school academic preparedness. Students who attended public schools had lower scores on the college entrance test (PSU) and had a lower academic performance in college than their gifted counterparts from voucher (charter) schools, as found in studies I and II. However, despite several academic difficulties, such as failing courses and falling behind their classmates, all students showed high levels of commitment, motivation, and a strong overall desire for continuing their higher education studies, as shown in studies II and III. Other difficulties were related to initial problems regarding social adaptation to college, as shown in study II. Implications for research and practice were discussed in all three studies, and include suggestions such as the creation of pre-college and within-college support programs for college gifted students who have not been provided with challenging and/or high-level opportunities to meet college academic expectations.

Edukologai gabių vaikų ugdymą nagrinėja įvairiais aspektais: identifikavimo, veiklos organizavimo, vertinimo ir įsivertinimo, tačiau stokojama edukologinių įžvalgų apie gabių vaikų ugdymo vadybą bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Problema. Kokia yra matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo vadyba pagrindinėje mokykloje, kokios jos tobulinimo prielaidos? Darbo objektas. Matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo vadyba pagrindinėje mokykloje. Darbo tikslas. Atskleisti matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo vadybos pagrindinėje mokykloje ypatumus ir numatyti jos tobulinimo prielaidas. Darbo uždaviniai. Išanalizuoti mokslinę literatūrą apie matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymą, išryškinant vadybines šio proceso dimensijas. Atskleisti matematikai gabių vaikų atpažinimo proceso vadybinius aspektus. Ištirti mokytojų ir mokyklos vadovų požiūrį į matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo organizavimą pagrindinėje mokykloje. Atskleisti mokyklų vadovų požiūrį į matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo planavimą pagrindinėje mokykloje. Tyrimo teorinį naujumą sudaro tai, kad pirmą kartą matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymas nagrinėjamas vadybiniu aspektu. Ištirtos matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo planavimo ir organizavimo prielaidos yra aktualios bendrojo lavinimo mokyklų vadovams ir tyrėjams. Tyrimo praktinį reikšmingumą sudaro tai, kad empiriškai ištirta matematikai gabių vaikų ugdymo vadyba pagrindinėje mokykloje. Tyrimo pagrindu suformuluotos išvados ir rekomendacijos matematikos mokytojams, ugdymo įstaigų vadovams ir švietimo politikams. Tyrimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The education of gifted children is being examined from various aspects: identification, organization of practical activities, assessment and self- evaluation. However, there is a lack of educational insight into the management of education of mathematically gifted children at secondary school. The results suggest that the concept of talent is quite complex and there is an obvious lack of precise definition of a talented student. There are quite many theories explaining the concept of talent however all of them emphasize only a key structural element of talent - the intellectual ability. In the modern definitions of gifted and creative students not only a high level of intellectual capacity is mentioned, but also the ability to solve problems, and creativity. The aim. To investigate and disclose the managerial aspects of education of gifted children at secondary school. Objectives: 1. To analyze the scientific literature on mathematically gifted students, highlighting the managerial dimensions of the process. 2. To reveal the managerial aspects of identification of mathematically gifted students. 3. To investigate the teachers’ and school principals’ approach to the organization of education of mathematically gifted students at secondary school. 4. To reveal the attitude of school principals to the planning of education of mathematically gifted students. Methods used: The investigation was carried out using questionnaires, the... [to full text]

When an educational change such as gifted child education is introduced into a school one of the key actors in its implementation on the micro-level is the teacher, whose attitude toward the change may be crucial as he is the ultimate user of that change. However, a teacher's workload is often heavy and this leaves him with little time or inclination to cope with the complexities of implementing a gifted child programme such as learning new skills and knowledge required by the programme. Implementation - the process of putting into practice an educational change or activity new to those expected to change - should occur in a supportive environment, and assistance and training should be provided by change agents both external and internal to the school. These change facilitators though, are often remote from the practical problems and concerns which may be experienced by teachers during the process of implementation. It is also unlikely that they will make the day-to-day interventions which are targeted directly at teachers. Consequently, a teacher who is in close contact with other teachers, who has knowledge and experience of their problems and who can gain easy access to their classrooms appears to be in a viable position to act as a facilitator during implementation. The literature indicates that a teacher regarded as a charismatic, credible leader by his peers may assume the role of teacher representative/facilitator, thereby enhancing the process of implementation. He may emerge as a 'second change facilitator' who complements the facilitative activities of the principal. He can also compensate for what the principal does not do. There is little formal recognition or training for this role - an experienced teacher with the potential for becoming a change facilitator may assume this role. He may then respond to the concerns of his colleagues, function as a representative/role model, consult with teachers and reinforce their implementation efforts, coach and train them, provide opportunities for discussion and problem-solving and provide feedback on a day-to-day basis. Unlike those of other change agents, his interventions may be targeted directly at teachers. The teacher's role as possible change facilitator during the process of implementation may be subject to limitations since it appears from this investigation that the degree to which he can make interventions is influenced by the change facilitative style of the principal. Principals, who emerge as key figures during the process of implementation, have been identified as managers, responders or initiators. The principal's style influences the type of interventions a teacher facilitator may make and the roles he can assume. From this study however it appears that the role of teacher-facilitator is a viable and an important one especially in the phase of teacher use. He is able to maintain close personal contact with his colleagues, he is always available for consul tat ion, he can provide direct, personal aid and he is able to target coaching and training activities directly at teachers. By providing a supportive environment and assistance at the classroom level a teacher can facilitate the implementation of a gifted child programme in a school. / Dissertation (MEd)--UPE, 1989

This thesis explores the range of strategies used for educational provision for gifted children in mathematics in a group of schools in England. A review of literature relating to international theory and existing research in gifted education and empirical work into the teaching of gifted mathematicians were carried out. The literature review examined the dominant theories of intelligence and giftedness in general, including the historical background of definitions of giftedness and methods for its measurement, before specifically focusing on the concept of mathematical giftedness. The study was located in primary schools within Greater London, where schools are required to implement the ‘Gifted and Talented’ policy of the UK government. The research was conducted in two stages during the school years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The first stage involved a questionnaire survey sent to primary schools within five Local Educational Authorities. For the second stage of the research, which constituted the main study, a case study approach was used. The main methods of data collection employed within the case study were observations of mathematics lessons, semi-structured interviews with children nominated as able or gifted mathematicians and their teachers, as well as analysing documentary evidence (i.e., school policy, teacher’s planning, children’s assessment records and children’s written work). It was found that schools were responding to the policy in pragmatic terms, although no specific training was provided for practising teachers or school co-ordinators as part of the national training programme in making provision for mathematically gifted children. In practice, in classrooms, it was found that teachers’ level of confidence and expertise, the level of focused attention given to gifted children, the level of support and extension through higher-order questioning, as well as the size of the class and the nature of the work set were factors which affected the progress, perceptions and attitudes of children who were nominated to be able mathematicians. There is a paucity of research which has investigated aspects of provision for gifted and talented children, particularly in mathematics, in the UK. By specifically addressing this topic, this study makes a distinct contribution to current literature in both understanding aspects of mathematical giftedness and the range of provision used. This study makes a particular contribution to finding out how practising teachers in England are responding to a government initiative, which should be of interest to both policy-makers and practitioners. This thesis also presents examples for organising and teaching mathematics to gifted children at higher cognitive levels, within regular classrooms; this may be of interest to audiences internationally, including countries where there are no policies of provision for mathematically gifted children.

Who are talented and gifted (TAG) students and how do we meet their unique needs in the elementary school setting? The body of literature clearly articulates the unique intellectual, social and emotional needs and characteristics of TAG students. Additionally, the literature supports the implementation of differentiated teaching strategies and affective curriculum to help meet these unique needs. This descriptive phenomenological study allowed gifted children, in fifth grade from a Pacific Northwest suburban elementary school, to share their lived experiences through reflective narratives and art. The data collected generated a central theme of Friends and general themes of Awareness, Feelings, Learning, and TAG Programming. Experiences that included friends were, by far, the most commonly shared; however, the participants also shared stories of wanting to be challenged and how they appreciated teachers who were more creative in curriculum delivery. Delisle (2012), Jessiman (2001) and Bergmark (2008) assert that in order to make progress in school reform and/or improvement we need to listen to our consumers and by consumers they are referring to our students. This study captures the gifted child's experience in elementary school and allows their voice to be heard.

Gifted education is a subject for research extensively explored internationally, but in Sweden,the research on giftedness is less extensive. This study examines current theories regarding giftedness and intelligence, as well as some teaching methods used when teaching gifted children. Using the theoretical framework provided by research into intelligence and cognition, seveninterviews with active teachers at the Swedish upper secondary school level regarding their notions of giftedness and how they handle such students are analyzed. The aim is to compare the discourse regarding giftedness and intelligence in academic cognitive research to the discourse in teaching. A comparison of the working environment as related by sevenupper secondary school teachers with research and Swedish Board of Education mandates showsthat there is a discrepancy between the notion of giftedness provided by academia and the notion expressed by the Swedish Board of Education while the interviewed teachers’ notions match the academic definition fairly well.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between specific cognitive variables and classroom achievement among a gifted population. The participants included 389 students in grades five eight enrolled in the Gifted and Talented Education program in a Southcentral Kentucky School district. An experimenter-developed teacher rating scale was used to document classroom achievement, the criterion variable. The predictor variables were (a) locus of control, as measured by the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Scale; (b) the ability to clearly express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originally, and organization of those thoughts, as measured by the Prose Quantification System; (c) knowledge of reading, mathematics, and language art, as measured by the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills; and (d) academic aptitude, as measured by the Test of Cognitive Skills. The first hypothesis stated that these cognitive variables were related to classroom achievement among the gifted. The second hypothesis stated that these relationships would rank from strongest to weakest in the following order: (a) knowledge of reading, mathematics, and language arts; (b) locus of control; (c) the ability to clearly express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originality, and organization of those thoughts: and 9d0 academic aptitude. Stepwise Multiple Regression procedures identified knowledge of mathematics as the single best predictor model of classroom achievement (r=.29, p<.001). Zero Order Correlation coefficients were computed and indicated that the following variables were significantly related to classroom achievement: (a) knowledge of reading (r=.15, p<.05); (b) knowledge of mathematics (r=.23, p< .05). According to the Zero Order Correlation coefficients the first hypothesis was only supported in part. The lack of significant relationships may have been due to (a) limitations of the instruments used; (b) the questionable validity of teacher-assigned grades used to measure classroom achievement 9c0 nonlinear bivariate distributions of the data; 9d0 the restriction in range evidenced by classroom achievement, PQS scores, and TCS scores. The second hypothesis was also only supported in part. As predicted the strongest relationship was between classroom achievement and knowledge of reading (r=.15, p<.05). The next strongest relationship was between academic aptitude and classroom achievement (r=.10, p> .05). Which was predicted to be ranked last. The weakest relationships were between locus of control and classroom achievement (r=.07. p> .05): and the ability to express thoughts and the elaboration, fluency, flexibility, originality, and organization of those thoughts and classroom achievement (r=.07, p>.05). The failure of the last three variables to be ranked in the predicted order was likely due to chance factors, since all of these relationships were nonsignificant. It was recommended that future research (a) utilize instruments that were standardized and commonly used with the gifted; (b) increase the variability of the scores of the cognitive measures and classroom grades by using more grade levels and identified achievers and underachievers; (c) examine the validity of teacher-assigned grades; and (d) explore in depth the relationship between academic aptitude and classroom achievement to develop more reliable and valid predictors of giftedness and classroom achievement.

This study examined the perceptions of gifted middle school students who attended one of two middle school gifted service options as they transitioned into high school. Gifted middle school students from either a center-based gifted service option or a school-based gifted service option from middle schools in a suburban district in Central Virginia participated in the study. Participants who had completed three consecutive years within the gifted service option were purposively selected for the study. Students completed a pre-transition survey at the end of their eighth grade year and a post-transition survey early in their ninth grade year. The survey asked students to identify their high school program choice and provide a reason for their choice in order to establish high school program choice trends among the different gifted service options. The surveys also assessed the differences in the students’ perceptions of the transition from middle school into the chosen high school as it pertains to academic, organizational, and social constructs of the high school program. Students from the center-based gifted program were more likely to choose to attend one of the regional Governor’s schools, and chose to do so because of personal interest and the perception of academic rigor. The students from the school-based gifted service options were more likely to choose to attend one of the district’s specialty centers, and chose to do so because of personal interest and parental encouragement. Prior to transitioning into high school, both the center-based gifted and the school based gifted students had high perceptions of the grades they earned. However, after transitioning into high school, only the center-based gifted students continued to have a high perception of grades earned. Prior to the transition into high school the center-based gifted students had higher perceptions of the academic, organizational, and social constructs. Differences were not found among the post-transition perceptions of the academic, organizational, and social constructs between the two gifted middle school groups; however, the extremely small sample size of the post-transition survey may have impacted these results.