2006-2007
Gifted Education News <!-- span.headline-large1 {font-family:Verdana; color:black; font-weight:bold} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} a:link.none_und {text-decoration: none;} -->
| August 15, 2007 | San Diego sticks with small class size for gifted
students Exceptionally gifted San Diego students will stay in small classes after parents strongly opposed a district proposal to add an average five students to the 20-student classes. Regular classes can contain more than 30 students. San Diego Union-Tribune |
| August 11, 2007 | Wisconsin to develop statewide criteria for
identifying gifted Frustrated by spotty gifted education and identification, Wisconsin parents and educators convinced the state education department to consider new rules on how students should be identified. Some, however, had hoped for a more unified approach to gifted education identification rules. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| August 11, 2007 | Young prodigy relies on near-perfect memory for
music Daniel Price has never read a sheet of music, but at age 6, he performed perfectly Johann Strauss' "The Blue Danube," and by age 9, he could play back just about any piece after hearing it one time. Daniel, 16, who has complete visual impairment and Asperger's syndrome, is a musical prodigy, who will soon release a CD of original music. The Sun (Baltimore) (free registration) |
| August 5, 2007 | Gifted children with autism not
"savants" Children with autism who are intellectually gifted are often dismissed as "savants," but a new study in the August issue of Psychological Science found they score high in memory, attention and goal-setting as long as higher language skills are not necessary. Science Daily Magazine |
| August 2, 2007 | Student ideas, inventions drive engineering
camp A University of Massachusetts summer science and engineering camp helps some 550 middle- and high-school students exercise their creativity. "School is becoming so book-driven that kids don't have the time or opportunity for engaging projects and authentic problem-solving activities," said program founder Douglas Prime. "I believe most of them can become more empowered as critical and creative problem solvers." The Boston Globe |
| July 16, 2007 | Study: NCLB not working for gifted,
challenged Under No Child Left Behind, students in the middle have made the largest gains, while gifted students stagnate and the bottom 20% may even lose ground, according to a new University of Chicago study. Education Week |
| July 15, 2007 | Science teacher to bring cutting-edge research back to
classroom Arizona science teacher Sharon New is spending her summer in high-tech labs where researchers manipulate genes and create nanotechnology. She hopes her time at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute will help her bring cutting-edge research back to advanced high school students. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) |
| July 6, 2007 | Gifted, mainstreaming programs benefit from NCLB
growth models Increasingly popular "growth models," in which individual student progress is measured rather than grade-level changes, showed one district that its top students improved less than other students during the past two years and another that mainstreaming was improving scores among students with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education has allowed nine states to pilot growth models, but some are pushing to amend NCLB to allow such models in any state. The New York Times |
| July 5, 2007 | Teens with visual impairments hone
senses Emma Liu, 14, is one of five visually impaired U.S. students who headed to a French perfume school for four days to create scents, celebrate abilities and bond with other visually impaired teens. Olivier Baussan created the school nine years ago to help young people discover their abilities rather than focus on their disabilities. The Washington Post |
| July 2, 2007 | Kentucky district to screen all for special-ed, gifted
services Some Kentucky elementary students soon all will be tested to see whether they need special services or qualify for gifted programs. "For learning disabled children, a lot of times that discrepancy is not going to show up until third grade or fourth grade, and so you've lost ground with a child," said Vivian Hudson, the Glasgow district's special-services director. Glasgow (Ky.) Daily Times |
| June 28, 2007 | Arizona to mine data to individualize
education Real-time individual student data soon will aid Arizona educators in tailoring their teaching to each student because of a $6 million U.S. grant. Teachers will "have the information they need to understand where their individual students are doing well academically and where they need help," state superintendent Tom Horne said. "Because the teachers will be able to focus their instruction on the needs of each student, the students will learn more and perform better on each test." The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) |
| June 22, 2007 | Study: Social rank, not biology, leads to higher
IQs Boys treated as the oldest, either by birth or because older siblings died, score higher on IQ tests than their younger brothers, according to a Norwegian study in Friday's issue of the journal Science. The study ends decades of controversy over whether nature or nurture results in the slightly higher IQ among oldest children. The New York Times/Associated Press |
| June 22, 2007 | Gifted sixth grader wins braille essay
contest Leanne Deiuliis, who is visually impaired and gifted, won the Pennsylvania Council for the Blind's "What My Life Would Be Like Without Braille" essay contest. A sixth-grader, Leanne also has helped write "Seeing Through God's Eyes," a book produced by the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| June 18, 2007 | Artists with disabilities show off
talents Ray Zambo, who was paralyzed at 16, paints despite having no movement in his fingers, and this month is one of 21 artists with disabilities participating in a popular San Diego exhibit. "I love to paint," Zambo said. "It takes me away from the everyday stuff that goes on." San Diego Union-Tribune |
| June 18, 2007 | Gifted 16-year-old graduates college with three
majors Andrew Hsu hasn't taken his driving test yet, but he'll become the second-youngest graduate of the University of Washington this month with majors in neurobiology, biochemistry and chemistry. Andrew attended an advanced public school program until he was 7, then took distance learning high school courses as a home-schooler, and began college courses at 12. The Seattle Times |
| May 29, 2007 | Book: Parents must stop pressure for
perfection In a new book, "Shut Up About ... Your Perfect Kid!", sisters Gina Gallagher and Patricia Konjoian say they're sick of the pressure for perfection, especially as parents of children with disabilities. Parents who brag about their children's athletic, academic or artistic achievements need to be more considerate of children struggling to reach basic standards. The Hartford Courant (Conn.) |
| May 29, 2007 | Parents calling on IDEA to stop cuts in gifted
programs Wisconsin law requires that gifted and talented students be identified but says nothing as to how they should be educated, resulting in a piecemeal approach that is frustrating some of the state's brightest students. Some parents are invoking parts of the 1970s legislation for students with disabilities to request the most basic of resources that are being cut on the local and national level. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| May 29, 2007 |
Dangerous Book for Boys Here you will find instructions on how to skip stones, fold a paper hat, make a battery, and hunt and cook a rabbit. It includes a description of the Battle of Thermopylae, but also how to play Texas Hold 'Em poker, and use the phrases "Carpe diem" and "Curriculum vitae." The unapologetic message is that boys need a certain amount of danger and risk in their lives, and that there are certain lessons that need to be passed down from father to son, man to man. The implication is that in contemporary society basic rules of maleness aren't being handed off as they used to be. The Wall Street Journal |
| May 25, 2007 | Top middle-school mathematician inspires
awe Elizabeth Synge, 13, who is Mathcounts' top U.S. middle-school female mathematician, aced the Math SAT at 11 and breezed through AP Calculus at 12. "She has the kind of mathematical maturity you see in graduate students, combined with an utter delight for the subject, all the elements that make her awe-inspiring," said James Tanton, a math teacher who mentors Elizabeth. The Boston Globe |
| May 16, 2007 | As "highly gifted" merge with "regular gifted", some
fear decline As Houston merges its selective 4,000-student Vanguard program for highly gifted students with its standard gifted-and-talented offerings, some Vanguard parents fear their children's curriculum will be watered down. "There is anxiety and I think some people are voting with their feet and leaving the schools," says parent Martin Cominsky, who chaired the committee that recommended opening up Vanguard classrooms to more gifted children. Houston Chronicle |
| May 11, 2007 | Gifted students seek out new
opportunities Parents in San Diego schools are seeking out challenging classes for their gifted children, while some gifted Arizona students are attempting to tackle real-world problems. In England, a summer university-led program will offer courses for 22,000 gifted and talented children. San Diego Union-Tribune, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix), BBC New York magnet's fate a struggle between excellence and access: A New York public school principal who allegedly heavily screened pupils and forced out all but those from the "best" families was herself forced out despite her gifted magnet students achieving nearly 100% passing rates on state exams. New York Magazine |
| May 4, 2007 | Training program improves gifted
identification More North Carolina gifted students from underrepresented groups are being identified as more teachers complete university training programs to recognize and teach the brightest students. One magnet school has more than quadrupled its number of identified gifted and talented students who are pulled out of mainstream classrooms for more challenging instructional time. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) |
| April 24, 2007 | Florida gifted programs granted temporary
reprieve Florida lawmakers won't drop gifted education for now, but instead will freeze funding at current levels and study the issue. Parents of gifted students organized against proposed cutbacks, but some lawmakers say they are determined to eliminate excess spending at some schools. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) |
| April 23, 2007 |
Parents call for more gifted education A Pennsylvania group is trying to expand gifted education from just two hours a week in one school district. Gifted children are not allowed to accelerate out of regular classes and are not given enough to keep them interested in the regular curriculum, one parent says. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |
| April 13, 2007 | Florida considers cutting high-school gifted
programs A proposal before Florida lawmakers would only designate a student as "gifted" through the eighth grade. Bill supporters note high schools already receive funding for programs designed for bright students, including AP, dual enrollment and IB programs. Opponents argue that gifted student courses are created specifically with this student set in mind. The Miami Herald |
| April 9, 2007 | States reconsider gifted education Florida and Wisconsin are part of a growing trend to identify gifted children who are traditionally underrepresented in academically advanced classrooms, giving advocates hope that interest in gifted students is again increasing after years of focus primarily on underachieving children. Education Week |
| April 6, 2007 | Project nurtures gifted poor and ELL
students A program to develop math talent among poor students and English language learners who are often overlooked in gifted programs is drawing broad attention after a successful pilot in 10 schools. Federal grants to identify underrepresented gifted students offer only about one cent per gifted student. The Christian Science Monitor |
| April 2, 2007 | West Virginia may retool gifted student
requirements With just 2% of West Virginia students being identified as gifted, which is below the national average, the state is considering revamping its review policies in an effort to open its gifted program to more students. West Virginia currently requires students to score in the 98th percentile to be considered gifted. Herald-Dispatch.com |
| March 26, 2007 | Competition fierce for NYC gifted
kindergarten A two-month delay in acceptance letters for New York's coveted gifted-and-talented kindergarten program has parents on edge after the system overhauled the admissions process in an effort to make it more equitable. Previously, applications were sorted locally; processing in the new centralized system is taking longer. The New York Sun |
| March 26, 2007 | British children with special needs targeted by
bullies Children with special needs are singled out for bullying, a British committee found, and it warns teachers are not trained sufficiently to deal with the problem. The National Autistic Society Scotland found in a separate survey that 38% of autistic children endured bullying at school. The Independent (London) |
| March 12, 2007 | Algebra classes for
eighth-graders take wing Experts say the trend toward early algebra is driven by a desire to open the door for higher learning in math and science. Nationally, more than 42% of eighth-graders now take algebra or more advanced math, up from 27% in 2000, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Washington Post |
| March 9, 2007 | Houston schools may cut red tape for gifted
students Gifted Houston students would automatically be enrolled in gifted classes instead of first being required to obtain parental permission, which can be difficult if parents speak limited English. Under the proposed opt-out policy, paperwork would be required only from parents who do not want their children in the program. Houston Chronicle |
| March 9, 2007 | Small Orlando school effective but
costly Florida's Orange County School Board may soon close the 474-student Hungerford Preparatory High School, a magnet school for the past seven years. Although the school is an effective alternative to most supersized Orlando schools, Hungerford has the highest per-pupil cost of any high school in the county. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) |
| March 7, 2007 | Iowa high schoolers load up on
credits Two in 10 Iowa community college students are still in high school, thanks to an initiative that allowed 25,578 students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously last year. The free program can save college-bound students money, but there are opponents who say the initiative may push some students too quickly. The Des Moines Register (Iowa) |
| March 7, 2007 | Prestigious competition inspires scientific
research The 65-year-old Intel Science Talent Search, in which 40 finalists compete for a $100,000 scholarship, has produced six Nobel Prize winners and programs in nearly 500 U.S. high schools to teach students to conduct cutting-edge research. The New York Times |
| February 28, 2007 | Magnets not outperforming traditional schools in N.C.
county As parents across North Carolina sign their children up for magnet schools, a Wake County district report shows that test scores among the specialty schools aren't any better than those of typical programs. Wake's magnet schools are nationally recognized. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) |
| February 26, 2007 | Debating the "Brain Glitch" Theory Neurologist turned classroom teacher, Judy Willis, warns readers not to be "fooled by policymakers or program developers who use the term brain-based learning in ways that many medical and teaching professionals consider irresponsible." An blog post examines Willis's concern that problematic research is guiding federal policy-makers and advancing a narrow approach to reading instruction, and requests feedback from readers on effective ways to teach struggling readers. View the blog. |
| February 23, 2007 | Study: Despite hard courses, high schoolers learn
less Two Department of Education studies released Thursday show high-school students are learning less than students just 15 years ago, despite more rigorous classes and higher grade-point averages. The reports -- part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress -- also showed only the slightest narrowing of the student achievement gaps between blacks and whites and Hispanics and whites since 1990. Los Angeles Times |
| February 9, 2007 | Sheet Music Archive Sheet Music Archive is a great resource for all classical musicians. This Web site offers more than 10,000 pages of classical sheet music, including works from Beethoven, Paganini, and Tchaikovsky. Visitors are free to download two pieces per day, or they can buy the entire collection on CD for only $19.95. In addition, visitors can download useful files and utilities, such as Acrobat Reader, and can upload scanned public-domain sheet music. www.sheetmusicarchive.net |
| February 8, 2007 |
Television Opportunity for Accelerated GT 3rd-7th CBS is currently in production on a new one-hour primetime game show for the CBS television network. According to a letter I received from the show's casting director, "In this one-hour unique and positive game show, one adult stakes his or her pride and reputation against a team of talented and gifted kids. Our purpose is to celebrate young people and education by making role models out of kids who are working hard to fulfill their educational goals. "From geography to sports, history to movies, the kids will
defend their intellectual capital against these grown up challengers, combining
their academic talents to challenge the adult and send him or her packing."
If you know of a gifted child who might be interested in
this opportunity, the following information will be helpful.
Deadline Feb 19, 2007 |
| February 7, 2007 | Gifted programs in lurch of NCLB The federal government gives less than $10 million annually for gifted programs and states are finding that their extra dollars must be spent on NCLB reading and math programs, which often leaves intellectually gifted students out in the cold. The New York Times |
| February 5, 2007 | Grade acceleration leaps in
popularity Georgia's third-largest school district, Dekalb County, is drafting a policy on grade acceleration at the behest of parents who think a policy would be beneficial to gifted students. A recent study shows that acceleration does not have as adverse an effect on children's social lives as once thought, so the process is resurging. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |
| February 2, 2007 |
Duke Gifted and Talented Newsletter Launched Online Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) is offering their quarterly newsletter, the Duke Gifted Letter, online and free of charge. Content includes timely and practical information for parents of academically gifted children. Seven years of archived issues are also available on the website. Source: Duke University |
| February 2, 2007 |
Early College High School in Texas The Texas Education Agency awarded grants, totaling $3.7 million, to establish early college high schools in school districts throughout the state. Funding, which was authorized by the 2005 Texas Legislature, will be split between high schools and local colleges to create dual credit courses. Sources: North Texas e-News, Bryan College Station Eagle |
| February 2, 2007 |
GT testing for all Florida students may be in the works The Department of Education proposed a rule change requiring all Florida students to be tested for entrance into gifted programs. This new rule would allow children from families who are unable to afford private testing a chance to enroll in a more challenging program. Also, under the proposed changes, the minimum IQ score to define a gifted child would be lowered from 130 to 120. Sources: The Gainesville Sun, The Sun Herald, The Herald-Tribune, The Miami Herald |
| February 2, 2007 |
A Growing Phenomenon – Early College High Schools As the number of early college high schools continues to grow across the country, American high school students are gaining opportunities to earn college credits through these accelerated options. Many programs allow students to take courses that will count for both high school and college credit, also known as dual enrollment, earning both a high school diploma and college associate degree simultaneously. (Browse Early Colleges. Browse Dual Enrollment Opportunities) ( CBS News, Winston-Salem Journal, California State University, Los Angeles) |
| February 2, 2007 |
Study provides insight on nurturing gifted students According to a 35-year longitudinal Vanderbilt University study, young
gifted students need the full support of their teachers, parents and social
networks to reach their full potential as adults. The study’s findings show that
more than just a child’s innate cognitive ability is needed to excel -
educational opportunities, motivation, and hard work are also crucial. Results
also displayed significant differences among the very top students measured:
those who have scored highest are the most likely to earn more patents, get a
Ph.D., and have higher incomes. |
| February 2, 2007 | School for gifted up for vote School board members in district 158 in McHenry County, Ill., are considering a plan to offer an accelerated learning program to the district's gifted student population. The proposal would offer a special curriculum for the students performing in the top 2%(story) |
| January 29, 2007 | Minorities few in New
Hampshire gifted program Less than 2% of Hispanic students in Nashua, N.H., are involved in the gifted program, while 12% are enrolled in the schools. Officials are looking for ways to make the district's gifted program reflect the schools' diversity. Specialist Francia Barksdale wants the school system to use the assessment Exploring Potential to make sure poor and minority students are more fairly represented in the program. (story) |
| January 29, 2007 | Accelerated Reader program under
scrutiny People are taking the Accelerated Reader program, often used to monitor supplemental reading, to task. They say the program awards too few points for reading classic texts, while rewarding children more points for reading popular books with less value. (story) |
| January 22, 2007 | Ohio elementary school looking at IB
certification Cassingham Elementary in Bexley, Ohio, could become the state's first elementary school to have an International Baccalaureate program. Students are required to learn a foreign language and think globally under the program, used in about 2,000 schools worldwide. (story) |
| January 18, 2007 | Opinion: Devote
more resources to the gifted Charles Murray of the American Enterprise Institute concludes his three-part commentary by suggesting that the future of the nation depends on how schools respond to the educational needs of the intellectually gifted. (story) |
| January 16, 2007 | MySpace to offer parents free
software The popular social-networking Web site, MySpace.com, will offer parental notification software called Zephyr, which will enable parents to determine what age, location and name their children are using to communicate with people, but won't allow them to access their child's e-mail. (story) |
| January 10, 2007 | Parents criticize Kline's gifted admissions
plan Many parents are dissatisfied with New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Kline's new admissions plan for gifted and talented elementary-school students. The switch, put in place this year, has had a few glitches, including giving shorter notice of entrance-exam dates. A school spokeswoman said organizing the large number of applications and verifying residency has caused delays. (story) |
| January 8, 2007 | Counselor for gifted one of few Andy Mahoney is one of a few professionals nationwide who counsels gifted students of all ages to help them hone their skills. Mahoney says too often people have one undiagnosed disability that holds them back from overall success. (story) |
| January 8, 2007 | The challenge of educating young
adolescents With preteen angst a challenge to educators, The New York Times explores the options for grade structuring, including K-8 schools, middle schools or even abbreviated high school terms that drop the last two years. (story) |
| January 5, 2007 | Gifted students continue lawsuit over
T-shirt A group of 24 gifted students all formerly of Chicago's Beaubien School took a 4-year-old battle over wearing a T-shirt that labels them "gifties" to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, even though they've scattered to new high schools and lost in previous lower court cases. That school's principal refused to let the then-eighth-graders wear the shirts, claiming he had banned the word. (story) |
| January 5, 2007 | Science courses evaluated for
rigor The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board in North Carolina has asked school staff to formally evaluate their entry-level chemistry, biology and physics classes and decide if they're difficult enough to be labeled honors. (story) |
| January 5, 2007 | Florida's gifted category could
change Proposed updates to Florida's policy for gifted and talented students would admit those with IQs of 120 to 129, lower scores than typical. The idea could cost taxpayers $370 million and is expected to see opposition. (story) |
* many of these are taken from the Council for Exceptional Children's electronic email news CEC SmartBrief