The research of psychologist and educator Leta Hollingworth (1886-1939) in the areas of psychology of women, mental retardation, and intellectual talent is summarized. Topics include the variability hypothesis of male/female differences, the seeming greater incidence of mental retardation among males, identification of the gifted, and myths about…

This article reviews events subsequent to a 1977 Julian Stanley speech on the topic of educational non-acceleration. It describes the evolution of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, focusing on program development, student identification through talent searches, criteria for student selection, and the need for additional funding. (PB)

Discussed is Brazil's struggle to achieve consensus between the arguments for egalitarianism and elitism in gifted education. Also described are Brazil's efforts to define giftedness, identify gifted children, and develop curriculum extension programs. The importance of creativity in both identifying and nurturing special talent is emphasized.…

Describes a classroom demonstration that illustrates the error of using an inappropriate test to conclude that a specific ability does not exist within a subject or a population. Shows ways to expand the lesson to cover the issue of null conclusions. Points out social and methodological implications of the demonstration. (Author/LS)

This literature review examined the congruence between parental estimates and professionals' assessments of the abilities of children with disabilities. Results suggest that there are strong, positive correlations between parental and professional judgments, and that methodology relates to the degree of congruence between parental and professional…

This paper describes world perspectives on gifted education, focusing on definitions, identification procedures, and attitudes. It then examines key areas in gifted education that require further clarification and rigorous examination. (Author/JDD)

Talented students (n=520) in grades three through five were given the Quantitative, Reading Comprehension, and Verbal sections of the Lower Level of the Secondary School Admission Test (developed for fifth through seventh graders). Students' scores covered nearly the entire possible range indicating that the SSAT-L effectively differentiated among…

This article describes the Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments, developed for use by school decision makers. Development of the scale is reviewed in terms of five areas of assessment: validity, reliability, propriety, respondent appropriateness, and utility. Specific guidelines and cautions in using the scale are also…

About 900 gifted teenagers attend the Summer Residential Program of the Talent Identification Program at Duke University's East Campus or Marine Lab in North Carolina each summer. The program offers accelerated academic instruction, an on-campus residential experience, and planned social and recreational activities. (DB)

A special education professor who has written curricula for gifted/talented students and developed programs for underserved students answers questions concerning identification of students, including handicapped students, for gifted programs; the purpose of differentiated curricula for gifted/talented students; types of curriculum modifications;…

Introduces the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS): a Strength-Based Approach to Assessment for use in schools, mental health clinics, and social service agencies. BERS is designed so that adults can accurately and efficiently identify children's behavioral and emotional strengths, rather than their deficits, problems, and pathologies.…

Develops a mapping sentence to construct test items measuring academic and creative abilities in mathematics at four levels. Describes the three stages of the process of developing the mapping sentence and presents examples of test items representing each ability/level combination. Contains 63 references. (Author/ASK)

Explores use of tests with more- vs. less-precise age norms to identify disabilities in preschool children. Standard scores associated with the same raw score shifted gradually across age groups on tests with more precise norms, and shifted more dramatically on tests with less precise norms. Indicates that many preschool tests have norm tables…

This rejoinder to criticism of a previous article defends the Columbus Group definition of giftedness and talent by comparing and contrasting this definition with Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Thresholds of giftedness and talent, including generalizability and clinical experience that support the Columbus Group definition,…

Investigates the types of problems students need to be able to solve in order to succeed in a technology-based age of information and the abilities and understanding that success requires. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/ASK)