In this study, life satisfaction and its correlates were explored through analysis of the experiences and psychological traits of highly gifted students who were accelerated into an early college-entrance program. Happiness, fulfillment in life, assuredness, and good dispositions are constructs that point toward positive character development and…

Clear and comprehensive criteria for developing and evaluating gifted programs are needed. These criteria would define selection of program students and program characteristics. Programs should involve all potentially able students and should be innovative, intellectually stimulating, comprehensive, enthusiastic, and divergent. (MSE)

The Academically Gifted Project in Greensboro, North Carolina, sought to increase racial/ethnic group representation in an elementary school's Academically Gifted Program by enhancing referral and evaluation procedures rather than lowering or changing requirements for identification. This paper describes the project's development, procedures used,…

The author provides guidelines for determining the target audience for a gifted program evaluation. Descriptions of several approaches for program evaluation are offered. (Author/SW)

Information is provided on South Carolina's Project SEARCH, which is designed to identify and serve potentially gifted rural African American children in the regular classroom. Nontraditional measures of giftedness, teacher development initiatives, instructional material selection, strengthening collaboration, and problems encountered are…

A model for annual evaluations of a school system's gifted programs is presented. The evaluation should address objectives in five program goal areas: identification, curriculum, staff development, parent and community involvement, and the evaluation process itself. (DB)

This reprint of an article on Israel's proposed residential high school for students gifted in the arts and sciences is preceded by a commentary that highlights the use of alternative methods of assessment for identifying talented students in the arts and the development of a coherent sequence of art skills. (Contains references.) (CR)

Guidelines for use in formative evaluation of gifted and talented programs focus on objectives, obstacles (such as using standardized tests to evaluate gifted programs), and models. Steps are listed for initiating, carrying out, and completing formative evaluation. (CL)

The author reviews types of measures for assessing the educational outcomes of gifted programs including questionnaires and checklists, norm-referenced achievement tests, criterion-referenced measures, and constructive-response and selective-response tests. (SW)

This article presents a framework for conducting effective evaluations of programs for gifted students, reflecting current best practice. The evaluation framework proceeds through four stages: preparing for the evaluation, designing data collection and analysis, conducting the evaluation, and reporting findings and follow-up. A planning matrix is…

The evaluation of gifted programs is examined in terms of setting group and individual goals, measurement problems (validity, reliability, precision, ceiling effect, and overtesting), comparison groups (national norms or pre- and posttesting), and implementing evaluation strategies. (DB)

Addresses the issues faced when evaluating an early-childhood gifted-education program from two fields of study, early childhood and gifted education, that represent different perspectives. Describes the evaluation process and the resulting effect of the evaluation on the constituents and stakeholders of an early-childhood program. (Author/CR)

The author discusses the selection and use of control groups, particularly in studies evaluating gifted programs. Factors affecting evaluation design decisions are outlined, the control and abuse of control groups is discussed, and some useful data collection design procedures are reviewed. Also considered is the analysis of data from contrast…

The program utilizes the gifted extension model, which is composed of four sections: (1) content, which is divided into the areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes; (2) process, which consists of decision making, creativity, and cognition; (3) output, in which students learn problem solving skills; and (4) evaluation, in which the gifted student…

There has been no piece of education legislation in the past decade that has stirred so much comment and controversy as the No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-110; Elementary and Secondary Education Amendments of 2001). This comprehensive law is designed to ensure quality education for all students, particularly those at risk for academic problems…