The main goal of this paper is to investigate cross-cultural factors that predict academic ability among mathematically gifted Olympians in Finland and the United States. The following two research problems are formulated: (1) What factors contribute to or impede the development of the Olympians' mathematic talent? and (2) Do the Olympians fulfill…

This article explores head teacher and middle leader perceptions of leadership talent identification, development, succession and retention in 12 contextually different urban primary schools. The schools are located within a single local education authority in the English West Midlands. The study is constructed to inform the research agenda in the…

This theme issue on gifted high school students presents several feature articles, a California legislative update, and an editorial. In "Summer Seminar '93--California in the 21st Century," Janis Van Dreal describes a 2-week residential program in which gifted high school students examined California's future. "Visiting a Gifted…

This article discusses the development of Able Pupils Extending Opportunities (APEX) Saturday Workshops and Summer Schools in England. The APEX program is focused on building confidence and extending the experiences of pupils from Year 1 to Year 9. Identification, recruitment, application procedures for workshops and summer schools are described.…

In this interview, Seokee Cho, the Director of the Research Center on the Education of the Gifted and Talented, discusses the implementation of gifted education in Korea, key issues in gifted education, the role personality plays in giftedness, the importance of mentors, parental involvement, ability identification, and fostering giftedness. (CR)

A British study that compared 12 musically gifted children (ages 8- 11) and 12 children gifted in fine arts with controls, found environmental circumstances, especially at home, were of vital importance for exceptionally high-level performance, even when there was provision at schools for developing talent. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The rapid development of special education for the gifted in Taiwan from 1962 until the present is summarized. The comprehensive system of gifted education, using either the special class or the pull-out is described, along with identification procedures that are based on multi-assessment and use a step-by-step screening process. (Contains…

This conference presentation analyzes the present and anticipated future employment situation for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers in the Federal Republic of Germany. On the whole, it is determined that supply and demand for mathematicians, scientists, and engineers will be generally balanced, though there may be imbalances in individual…

This article describes recent developments in gifted education in New Zealand. Government initiatives that have resulted in professional development programs and the creation of a gifted and talented community within the Ministry of Education's Online Learning Center are discussed, and recommendations by the Working Party on Gifted Education are…

This article describes several initiatives in which Creative Problem Solving, in combination with career exploration and mentoring, has been used successfully to identify and develop the talents of "at-risk" populations. During the past decade, the Lost Prizes project helped turn around the lives of talented but troubled high-school…

Science-technology circles were powerfully shaken three years ago by the granting of annual subsidies of one hundred thousand yuan to specially invited professors when the "Changjiang Scholars" Program set up by Li Ka-Shing and the Ministry of Education started up. Today, another big uproar has been triggered by Qinghua University's…

Examines the role of mentors in providing individual tutoring and support in the field of creative writing. The organization of mentorship programs is explained and the Creative Arts Program, a two-level Singapore program that provides mentors to secondary and junior college students, is described. (Author/CR)

Advocates Chinese educational reform that returns the focus to elementary and secondary schools, away from higher education, competition, and promotion-oriented programs. Argues funds, admittedly limited, will be best spent on universal education that utilizes talent, improves the quality of national culture, and develops student creativity.…

Profiles the numbers and types of Shanghai (China) students studying abroad from 1978 to 1985. Discusses how many went at their own expense, and how many went with governmental support. Identifies ways to ensure students' return because the rationale for studying abroad is to improve the pace and quality of China's modernization. (CH)

Czechoslovakia's talented youth in the natural and technical sciences are served through identification and developmental activities in elementary and secondary school; postsecondary opportunities in universities, the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, and the Slovak Academy of Sciences; and the School for Young Talents, which prepares future…