In his career in education, the author has spent much time working on behalf of independent schools and non-profit organizations both in the U.S. and abroad. He believes that his work in the world of tuition-driven institutions has given him some insights into the care and feeding of successful schools. He further believes that many of the things…

Attempts to evaluate the cognitive-motivational profiles of students with reading comprehension difficulties have been scarce. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to assess the discriminatory validity of cognitive, motivational, affective, and psychopathological variables for identification of students with reading difficulties, and…

The power of culture to shape gender identities becomes particularly crucial for adolescents as they make the transition from child to adult. Yet as adults we offer little coherent, direct instruction in such matters. The author advocates supporting girls as they explore complex and empowering literacy practices, particularly online.

Black males and females are consistently underrepresented in gifted programs. Just as unfortunate, countless reports and studies indicate that too many Black males are not succeeding in school settings. A scholar identity model, grounded in various achievement-based theories, is shared in this article as one solution to addressing the educational…

The early identification of students at risk of school failure and the development of strategies to improve their chances of success in school are important topics for researchers, policy makers, and educators. This report examines high school outcomes and determines, through data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, if any…

Item response theory (IRT) has been used extensively to study differential item functioning (dif) and to identify potentially biased items. The use of IRT for diagnostic purposes is less prevalent and has received comparatively less attention. This study addressed differential objective function (dof) to identify potentially biased content units.…

This unit is designed to help students better understand the concept of nationalism and the powerful influence it has on group sentiments today. Nationalism can be a positive or negative force, providing avenues for either inclusion or exclusion of peoples. The unit focuses on the basic concepts of nationalism and identity by drawing upon historic…

This book's purpose is to help teachers and administrators in British schools review their schools in order to provide a high quality education for every student regardless of ethnic or racial identity or cultural tradition and work towards removing prejudice, harassment, and discrimination. The British legal framework pertaining to equal…

This report examines three sets of standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and provides recommendations for curriculum, teaching, and assessment of students showing mathematical talent. Specific recommendations are suggested for programs, teaching strategies, resources, and alternative means of evaluation…

This paper discusses how elitism and anti-intellectualism have affected the teaching of intellectually gifted students. It examines methods of identifying the intellectually gifted child. It traces trends in education of the gifted through history and discusses the issues of equity, elitism, and anti-intellectualism which have resulted in…

This study of 19 northern Michigan Ojibwa families examined antecedents to holding traditional values, and the relationship between mothers' and fathers' level of holding traditional values and their elementary school children's academic and social functioning. Participating families had a child between ages 3 and 11 years; the focal child of the…

The dynamics of underachievement among gifted and nongifted black students were studied with students in grades 6 through 9 in 5 Virginia public school districts. A traditional model of underachievement, defining it through a regression model, and a nontraditional model that used grade point averages (GPAs) and self-reported level of effort in…

This policy brief describes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as involving three characteristics: inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The brief reviews the causes of ADHD, including the belief that it is primarily an inherited, neurobiological disorder. The effects of ADHD on children are discussed and may include: other…

What giftedness really means has been discussed over centuries. This exploration, by a researcher involved in the study of mathematically talented youth, considers that giftedness may take many forms. The construct of general intelligence is probably the most widely studied psychological construct, but it is apparent that the IQ is not an ideal…

This report reviews and compares the legal rights of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The first and second sections detail the statutory framework of the laws and legal requirements pertaining to eligibility, identification, and local and…