Should we be concerned if educational resources for gifted and talented children vary widely

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the recommendations and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 1978 and 2001, spanning 3 journals. Those papers have been cited 56 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 6 representative gaps

• Attitudes of 1,200 Educators toward the Education of the Gifted and Talented: Implications for Teacher Preparation (1979) · journal for the education of the gifted · cited 12× · doi

  kecommendations for teacher. preparation in gifted and tal- ented education as suggested by this study are as follows: 1. Greater emphasis upon improving teaching identification procedures of the gifted should be provided, especially at the earlier grade level (Malone, 1975) and for less experienced teach- ers. This could be accomplished by familiarizing educators with operationally defined nomination procedures, which are provided in such devices as Scales For Rating the Behavioral Character- istics of Superior Students (Renzulli et al., 1976) and the Multi- dimensional Screening Device (Kranz, 1975) . 2. Further education is needed in the implementation and adaptation of well-researched instructional models such as “Struc- ture of the Intellect” (Meeker, 1969) ; “The Enrichment Triad Model” (Renzulli, 1977). 3. Considerable emphasis should be directed toward the ne- cessity for and positive effects of well-managed acceleration strategies. 4. The importance of developing creative problem solving skills as a relevant and legitimate educational objective should be stressed. 5. Much greater attention should be given to the affective development of the gifted/talented student’s growth. 211 Journal f o r the Education of the Gifted Vol. 2, No. 6 CONCLUSIONS The results of this study revealed that the educators surveyed were strongly in favor of providing gifted and talented students with appropriate educational alternatives. Most of these educators desired to meet the educational needs of the gifted within the classroom o r through special grouping, but were decidedly not in favor of acceleration for the gifted. The identification of the gifted was perceived as a secondary priority for inservices/work- shops although slightly over half of the educators nominated a student as being gifted. Most gifted/talented nominations occurred in the areas of general intellectual ability and specific academic aptitude, almost to the exclusion of nominations in the other U.S.O.E. definition of gifted/talented areas (Executive Summary, 1971, p. 3 ) . A majority of these educators did, however, indicate that identification of the gifted was difficult. The areas of cre- ativity and affective education were perceived by the sample as being relatively low priorities for inservices/workshops on the gifted/talented. The number of years of teaching experience, the grade level at which the educators were teaching, and whether or not they had attended previous inservices on the gifted/talented were sig- nificantly related to various attitudes toward the gifted and tal- ented. The recommendation for teacher preparation suggested by this study dealt with the need to emphasize the following areas in inservicedcourses on the giftedhalented: 1) operationally defined nomination procedures; 2) instructional models and strategies; 3) strategies for enhancing creative and affective develop- ment. REFERENCES Ciha, T. E. et a]. Parents as identifiers of giftedness, ignored but accurate. Unpublished paper read at the National Association of Gifted Children Con- ference, St. Louis, Missouri, February, 1974. Education of the Gifted and Talented Subcommittee on Labor and Public Wel- fare, U.S. Senate, March, 1972. Executive Summary, Education of the Gifted and Talented, Vol. 1. Report of the Congress of the United States Commissioner of Education, 1971.

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: gifted talented education educators areas teaching identification procedures strategies educational affective inservices teacher preparation ented
• Quality Education for Gifted Minority Students (1983) · journal for the education of the gifted · cited 8× · doi

  Based on this review of the issues, problems, and promising prac- tices, several recommendations can be made. These suggestions are in three major areas: research, program development, and awareness and sharing of information. Research. The single most important need is for research to deter- mine the effectiveness and/or validity of the various procedures that are in use or being proposed. A few specific questions needing answers from research are presented below: 1 . Which instruments or procedures are the best predictor of stu- dents’ success in a gifted program? 2. What are the differences and similarities in the definition of gifted- ness across a variety of cultural, racial, and economic groups? 3 . Which instruments or procedures are the best predictors of stu- dents’ success after leaving school? 4. What is the relative effectiveness of these instruments and pro- cedures for different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups (e.g., are certain instruments or procedures more effective with one group than with another)? 5 . What program options are most successful for children from a particular group? 6. What are the effects of a program emphasizing cultural differ- ences on the success of children from those groups in integrating with or competing with those from the majority culture? 7. What program options are most successful for children with par- ticular characteristics? 8. Is a test of learning rate a more appropriate procedure to use with students from different backgrounds than a test of how much information/knowledge the child possesses? 9. How effective is (a) the use of a matrix or (b) the establishment of separate criteria for admission in the identification of children who are successful in the program or in their lives after leaving school? 10. Which is the most effective approach to teaching children from different groups: emphasis on development of strengths, emphasis

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: program children procedures instruments groups success cultural different effective successful development information effectiveness best dents
• Parents of the Gifted: Perceptions of Psychologists and Teachers (1978) · journal for the education of the gifted · cited 5× · doi

  to professionals were formulated which reflected parents’ perceptions of essential aspects of p a r e n t - professional relationships. One effect of The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) is to focus attention on the unmet needs of par- ents of exceptional children. Much of what is written regarding this need focuses on parents of children with various learning, be- havior, physical or sensory deficits. There is another population of parents who must not be neglected in this massive effort at informational and ethical restitution-the parents of gifted chil- dren. The need and importance of helping parents of children with this “positive” handicap is just as critical as the need to help par- ents of children with so-called “negative” exceptionalities. Per- sonnel in the child-care professions must be aware of the needs of parents of the gifted. Only limited information is available in this area (e.g., Coffey, et al., 1976; Delp & Martinson, 1975; Kauff- mann, 1976). The purpose of this study was to provide parents of gifted children with an opportunity to react to and evaluate the diag- nostic, counseling, and other interactions they have with psycholo- gists and teachers. The study was carried out by tabulating ques- tionnaire responses of parents of gifted children. Based on these results, a series of recommendations to professionals was formu- lated which reflected parents’ perceptions of essential aspects of parent-professional relationships.

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: parents children gifted need professionals reflected perceptions essential aspects professional relationships needs ents must formulated
• An Indication of the Status of Education for Gifted Elementary Children: State of Iowa (1979) · journal for the education of the gifted · doi

  (1) ca r ef u l needs assess- ment by districts pl an nin g pro grams, ( 2 ) more specific a i d t o be offered by D P I , A E A a n d University personnel, a n d ( 3 ) more adequate financial support f o r such p r og r am s. include: INTRODUCTION Public L a w 91-230, Section 806, U.S. Office of Education states, “Gifted and talented children a r e those identified by pro- fessionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities a r e capable of high performance. These a r e children who require differentiated educational programs an d o r services beyond those normally provided by t h e regular school program in order t o real- ize their contribution to self and society.” ’ This Public Law recognizes giftedness may occur in t h e areas of general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creative or lwoductive thinking, leadership ability, visual and performing arts, and psychomotor ability. How can appropriate education f o r the gifted be recognized? Referring to th e baseline definition of gifted children given in Public Law 91-230, Section 806, programs f o r gifted children must be describably different fr om those meant f o r other sub-groups of the school population. They a r e intended to meet the advanced needs of the highly gifted children who comprise the upper 3 f i 226 of the school population, i.e., they should not be programs which the average to “bright” student can successfully perform, and they should be individually based on each gifted student’s strengths, needs, and potential capabilities. Therefore, one may recognize an appropriate program for gifted students by the characteristics indicated in the Marland Report to Congress by the U.S. Commissioner of Education, 1972.’ 1. A differentiated curriculum stressing higher cognitive concepts and processes. 2. Instructional strategies which focus on the learning styles of the gifted as well a s curriculum content. 3. Special grouping arrangements and administrative procedures which a r e tailored to specific children, such as special classes, honor classes, seminars, resource rooms, and others. The State of lonra, through the Depaitment of Public Instruc- tion, has attempted to begin implementation of programs for gifted and talented children by stating its goal for the education of these children in a State Plan unanimously accepted by the State Eoard of Public Instruction. This ovemll goal has been described in a Position Statement disseminated by the Iowa DPI, and may be summarized a s follows: “to provide qualitatively dif- ferentiated educational pi*ograms to meet the unique needs, in- terests, and abilities of the gifted and the talented in the State of Io\va.” The DPI, the Area Education Agencies (AEA’s), and several colleges and universities in Iowa a1.e currently offering services to districts interested in establishing programs for gifted children and in training teachers to work with the gifted. These agencies are aware of and committed to the concept of appropriate edu- cational programs and services, based on Federal and State defi- nitions, for gifted and talented students. This study was conducted to determine the degree to which commitment to gifted education has developed in the 449 public school districts of the State of Iowa. Actual implementation of gifted education on an effective, recognizable basis can only be accomplished within the individual schools. How they interpret on what basis they interpret and implement and implement-and -the guidelines for meeting the needs of gifted and talented stu- dents determines whether the intent of such guidelines is being recognized and met.

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: gifted children education public programs state needs talented school districts specific services ability appropriate iowa
• What the Education Reports Say (1985) · G/C/T · cited 2× · doi

  the academically gifted as those we shouW identify, make although this exclusiveness may not have been the intent. (One gets the impression it was not from the next part of the recommerxlation which takes the include "talented young trouble people.") And, as in other reports, some expression of why this shouki be done (i.e., some statement about the correlation between the future of the nation and the future of the gifted and talented), would have been most wek:ome. to is this a nd that l e a d e r s, legislatures, business Nevertheless, the recommendation should be of special interest to those concerned with the education of the gifted/talented because of another of this report's emphases. It is worth pointing out the only reporting group that made a strong effort to include governors, members of state leaders, l e a d e rs of labor professional associations. ( O t h er such people, but groups E.C.S. made a special point of assuring that such was the very nature of the task force it put together.) The report is also singular in the direct address it makes these leaders represent. The message is that the education problems feiced by our society are the problems of the whole society, not just those of the schools and the nation, conceived as some abstract entity. the communities included to In calling on these groups to assist in changing the conditions of our schools, the E.C.S. Task Force is echoing a message articulated for some time by educators of the gifted/talented who have tried to involve other societal sectors — particularly the business sector — in advancing the educational aims of these young people. This initiative now can be capitalized on and expanded by drawing on the energy the created responses to Action for Excellence by legislatures, business, labor, and professional groups. Leaders in the gifted/talented education movement would do well to folk>w up in this area. states by in many This report does not make specifk: mention of the gifted/tsüented, but, like a Nation at Risk it insists the national interest in education "can be asserted and dramatized most effectively by the federal government." to

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: gifted talented education people nation business report leaders groups make include young future legislatures special
• Gifted Children in the Current Policy and Fiscal Context of Public Education: A National Snapshot and State-Level Equity Analysis of Texas (2001) · Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis · cited 29× · doi

  Should we be concerned if educational resources for gifted and talented children vary widely from school to school, district to district, or state to state? Does it matter whether those resources are distributed unevenly by race or social class? This article begins by addressing the basic underlying question: Do gifted and talented children require supplemental resources at all? Two alternate theoretical perspectives are discussed.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: resources gifted talented children school district state concerned educational vary widely matter whether distributed unevenly

Questions about this gap