Researchers in the field of giftedness face a major struggle: they can’t agree on a definition of giftedness. If you were to ask 10 giftedness researchers for a definition of giftedness, you’d likely get 11 different answers! This becomes problematic within the field when we try to determine who is gifted and what we should do for them. And from outside the field, this disagreement on things as “simple” as definitions makes us look like we don’t know what are talking about. After all, physicists don’t disagree on the definition of gravity!

In the previous article about those who serve as administrators of gifted programs (AGP), the challenging nature of this role was explored, and the proposal set forth that the many demands that confront an administrator of a gifted program comprise a "Mission Impossible" scenario. Fortunately, there are professionals who are highly capable of merging the roles of leader, manager and advocate, and they are highly successful in their efforts on behalf of gifted students.

The recent audit of Advanced Placement courses mandated by the College Board (see “First Ever AP Course Audit Benefits Stakeholders” in this issue) may cause some parents to question whether AP classes are still a good choice for their gifted children. They are, assures Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education and executive director of the Center for Gifted Education at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

More than a half century ago I began my first serious venture in studying gifted students.  We identified students with Stanford Binet IQ test scores over 150 in the elementary schools of a university-town school system.  The goal was to discover if the elementary teacher could, with some outside help from counselors and psychologists, provide an effective educational experience for a youngster with such advanced cognitive abilities ( one in 1,000).  To our astonishment, instead of the four or five students we expected, we found fifty-four such youngsters in a town of

In August, 120 of Kentucky’s brightest students will begin the school year at the state-supported Kentucky Academy of Mathematics and Science. As its name implies, the school will focus on a strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum and is similar to residential science and math schools in fourteen U.S. states (nine in the Southeast).

In responding to a parent’s concern about a one size fits all type of programming for her fourth grade son in the Consultant’s Corner, I described two factors that influence services: identification and programming. In this column, I will further explain these two factors and provide some tips for parents on how to find information about the identification procedure and work with school districts to develop appropriate services for their child.

In 1980 North Carolina opened the first state-supported residential high school, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics soon became the model for other states. Education leaders realized that such schools could provide innovative learning experiences in a unique environment designed to meet the academic needs of gifted and talented high school students.

In his 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush called for 70,000 teachers over the next five years to lead Advanced Placement math and science courses. This would be an expansion of nearly 38,000 teachers with such training. The initiative also calls for encouraging 30,000 math and science professionals to become adjunct high school teachers. According to Lisa Carboni, director of teacher education in Duke University’s Program in Education, the president appears to believe that all one needs in order to teach is advanced knowledge in a subject area.

Exploring life in a residential high school, Nurturing Talent in High School: Life in the Fast Lane (Teachers College, 2005) shows how the combination of rigorous academics and residential life creates an environment that accelerates the pace of development for gifted students. Author Laurence J.

America's school system keeps bright students in line by forcing them to learn in a lock-step manner with their classmates. Teachers and principals disregard students’ desires to learn more — much more — than they are being taught.

Instead of praise and encouragement, these students hear one word—no. When they ask for a challenge, they are held back. When they want to fly, they are told to stay in their seats. Stay in your grade. Know your place. It’s a national scandal. And the price may be the slow but steady erosion of American excellence. — A Nation Deceived