November 18, 2009

Gifted education in Virginia to be scrutinized for racial disparities
Officials in Virginia will study why the state's gifted programs enroll so few minority students after questions were raised by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Virginia enrolls 1.2 million students, of which 26% are African-American and 9% are Hispanic. However, African-Americans make up only 12% of the state's gifted students, and Hispanics represent only 5%. The state's analysis will be used to determine best practices for identifying gifted and talented students. The Washington Post (11/18) , Richmond Times-Dispatch (Va.) (11/18)

November 12, 2009

Math Lab program challenges N.J. students who are gifted
A new program featuring an accelerated, compact curriculum is being used by a New Jersey district to develop advanced math skills among 24 fourth- and fifth-graders selected to participate. While some parents and educators disagree with the district's decision to specialize instruction for such a small group of students, supporters of the Math Lab program say it is the best way to challenge the district's top math students. NorthJersey.com (Hackensack, N.J.) (free registration) (11/12)

Fewer girls than boys at Texas school for students who are gifted
Educators at Houston's Rainard School for Gifted Students say the lower representation of girls in its student body may reflect a tendency by them to conform instead of taking on more challenging coursework. Female students may be also be less willing to give up social connections to attend specialized schools, said Jennifer Dunham, who runs Rainard with her husband. Dunham said that many of Rainard's students -- just 25% of whom are girls -- have come from schools where they were bored, unchallenged or felt like they did not fit in. Houston Chronicle (11/11)

November 10, 2009

Ky. school is urged to identify minority students for gifted program
Two outside experts are recommending that a Kentucky middle school look at the way it identifies students as gifted to ensure that minority and low-income students are included. The consultants also suggested the school provide additional gifted-education teachers and professional development, improve communication within the program and that a comprehensive K-12 program be developed in the district. Daily News (Bowling Green, Ky.) (11/10)

November 11, 2009

Minnesota schools work to meet needs of students who are gifted
A new gifted-education academy at Minnesota's WestWood Elementary School is joining similar programs in the Minneapolis area designed to group students who are gifted to keep them engaged and challenged. Teachers say the format allows them to move through material more rapidly without as much skills practice and repetition, and it provides time for rigorous projects and other enrichment activities designed for students who are gifted. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (11/11)

November 8, 2009

Virginia school for students who are gifted takes on trout program
Fourth-graders at a Virginia school for students who are gifted are learning about water quality by caring for fertilized brook trout eggs. The national Trout in the Classroom program is aligned with state curriculum standards, says science teacher Michele Ferrell. "Students are seeing how hard it is to take care of fish in closed environments, much less in the open water where people are polluting," she said. Daily Press (Newport News/Hampton, Va.) (11/8)

Canadian advocates criticize proposal to eliminate Asperger's diagnosis
Canadian advocates and parents of children with Asperger's syndrome disagree with a proposal to eliminate the disorder from a diagnostic manual, saying it will likely cause confusion instead. Those revising the manual say Asperger's would be wrapped into a broad category of autism spectrum disorder to provide clarity. But advocates and parents say Asperger's is unique and includes a number of characteristics that differentiate it from autism. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (11/5)

Virginia reviews updates to gifted-education programs
Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine is considering revisions to gifted-education guidelines that would require school districts to identify and track students who may be gifted as early as kindergarten while shifting responsibility for the approval of gifted programming from state control to local districts and advisory boards. Gifted-education expert Tracy Cross said Virginia already provides strong programs for gifted students and that the state may be the best in the country for gifted programs. Daily Press (Newport News/Hampton, Va.) (11/2)

Texas may link teacher-training programs to student achievement
A proposed rating system in Texas is aimed at holding teacher-training programs accountable for their graduates' success in the classroom. Given preliminary approval by the State Board for Educator Certification, the rules would use student achievement to help determine which programs are producing the most -- and least -- effective teachers. Final approval could occur in February. Houston Chronicle (11/1)

Minnesota school finds success with gifted and talented program
A growing gifted and talented education program at Minnesota's Prairie Elementary School addresses the needs of students who are gifted by providing in-classroom support as well as enrichment programs in and out of school. The program favors "clustering" -- offering classroom support to teachers whose students have met certain achievement standards -- over pulling students out of class for specialized instruction. Teachers are also offered training on how to recognize students who may be gifted. Daily Globe (Worthington, Minn.) (10/31)

October 29, 2009

Educators work to keep gifted program alive in California district
With district funding on hold for the Gifted And Talented Education program in Redlands, Calif., administrators are looking for other ways to keep the program going. Bringing in volunteers from local universities to help run after-school enrichment programs is an option being considered at one elementary school. Meanwhile, teachers at another elementary school are conducting the programs in school because they have been trained to teach gifted students. San Bernardino County Sun (Calif.) (10/29)

October 25, 2009

Researchers will study method to identify ELL students who are gifted
Researchers at the University of South Florida will examine whether nonverbal assessment tests help to ensure that English-language learners are better represented in gifted-education programs. The Department of Education will spend $1.6 million to fund REACH -- Recognizing Extraordinary Accomplishments of Children -- to look at using nonverbal tests and to train teachers in recognizing characteristics that might identify children as gifted. The Tampa Tribune (Fla.) (10/25)

Minnesota district looks at improving gifted education
Officials in Minnesota's Brainerd School District heard recommendations from a task force commissioned to help them improve K-12 programs for students who are gifted. Among other things, the task force recommended that all students in kindergarten -- rather than those handpicked by teachers or whose parents request it -- be screened for inclusion in gifted programs. The Brainerd Daily Dispatch (Minn.) (10/24)

Educator: NCLB allows neglect of students who are gifted
Students who are gifted lack protection under No Child Left Behind, which forces teachers to spend a majority of their time helping struggling students while students who are gifted remain unchallenged, writes Stephen J. Schroeder-Davis, a curriculum specialist for a Minnesota school district. Schroeder-Davis argues that "the chasm between what gifted students could learn and what they are actually learning" is creating an achievement gap separate from those of race and economics. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (10/22)

 Florida district allows teachers more freedom with gifted curriculum
Teachers and parents of gifted students in a Florida district have won a battle to ensure that their students are challenged in the classroom. Officials have backed off a requirement that gifted students adhere to a strict curriculum and cover the same material as traditional students. Under the new rules, teachers may skip some material that gifted students already know. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (10/20) , The Palm Beach Post (Fla.) (10/20)

NYC private school with $28,500 tuition opens for gifted students
Twenty-six students are enrolled this year at a new private school in New York City where annual tuition is $28,500. The school caters only to students who are gifted. The Speyer Legacy School will use special private-school admission test scores, reports from preschool teachers, and students' performance in simulated classes in considering candidates for admission. Noting high demand for the city's few gifted-education programs, school officials will begin with classes in grades K-2 and plan to increase enrollment to 324 students in K-8 by 2015. The New York Times (free registration) (10/18)

Dual-language program for gifted students in Texas district is shrinking
A dual-language program for elementary-school students who are gifted in Brownsville, Texas, is shrinking from a high of six schools to just three this year. The program allows for gifted students who speak either language to be taught together -- using English and Spanish on alternate days -- with the goal that they all be academically proficient in both languages by fifth grade. Some teachers and principals say the amount of work and resources needed to prepare dual-language lessons may have caused support for the program to fade. The Brownsville Herald (Texas) (10/17)

·         New Hampshire district to explore gifted-program options for middle school
The Keene Sentinel (N.H.) (10/14)

Gifted curriculum lacked teacher review, says Indiana union
The teachers union in Carmel, Ind., has filed a complaint against the school board for adopting a new gifted and talented elementary-school curriculum without taking proper legal steps. The Carmel Clay Education Association alleges that the board was required by law to seek teacher input or review of the curriculum prior to approval, and its failure to do so constitutes a violation of fair-labor practices. The Indianapolis Star (10/14)

Parents in Michigan district dislike new criteria for gifted math
One Michigan school district recently changed the way it chooses and teaches students advanced mathematics, leaving some parents upset that their gifted children will not continue in the accelerated classes. The district says it uses a combination of assessment scores in math and cognitive reasoning -- as well as grades, exam scores and teacher recommendations -- to select students in fourth through eighth grades for accelerated math instruction. However, parents say a good program for accelerated children has been cut. Press & Argus (Howell, Mich.) (10/13)

Online gifted school is taught by Stanford Ph.D.'s
About 80 full-time students attend an online high school operated out of a Stanford University building. At a cost of about $13,000 per year, students can take part in the gifted curriculum taught primarily by instructors who have doctorates from Stanford. Classmates may be around the globe, but they still have access to more traditional student activities. "There is a student government, there's a newspaper, there's a yearbook, there's a math team, there's a literary journal, there's a culinary society," a program official said. KGO-TV (San Francisco) (10/12) 

Gifted Maryland student struggles against school red tape
 Drew Gamblin is a gifted 16-year-old high-school student in Ellicott City, Md., who wants a traditional high-school experience. But Drew and his parents also want him to receive high-school credit for coursework he has completed at home and through a local community college, therefore not repeating the classes at his high school. School officials say this may not be possible, and Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews writes that Drew's predicament illustrates the "clumsy handling of kids like him all over the country" when it comes to educating gifted students. The Washington Post (10/5)

October 3, 2009

Connecticut teen who lost both legs is a competitive swimmer
Rachel Grusse, whose legs were amputated when she was 16 months old, participates regularly in sports, including swimming competitively for her high-school team. Growing up in a "swimming family," Grusse first learned to swim at age 2 and began competing by 10. "I've heard some people say that I'm an example [to other kids]. But to me, I really don't feel like I'm any different," Grusse said. "I'm just doing what I can and doing the best that I can." The Hartford Courant (Conn.) (10/3)

Talented surfer with Asperger's syndrome impresses top surfers
The new film "Just Add Water" focuses on Clay Marzo, a 20-year-old surfer with Asperger's syndrome and an unmatched surfing technique, say some of the sport's best. "Clay is so good because he has Asperger's, not in spite of it," said the director of the film. "His level of focus in the wave is incredible, he makes instant natural connections with the water, something very few people have." USA TODAY (9/28) 

Should gifted programs be part of special education?
A Louisiana group of special educators has urged the state to remove gifted-student programs from special education, fearing they are taking valuable resources away from students with special needs. About 23,000 Louisiana students are classified as gifted, while 85,000 students have disabilities. Advocates of gifted education say advanced students lose out if not challenged. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (9/27)

Advocates, parents in Mass. say gifted students need attention
Gifted education is not a priority in Massachusetts, say some parents of and advocates for gifted children. The state ranked 50th in the amount of funding spent on teaching gifted students, according to the Massachusetts Association for Gifted Education, and only six other states do not require or fund gifted education. Some education officials say core education must come first, particularly when faced with tight budgets. But advocates say gifted children need access to specialized instruction. The Boston Globe (9/20)

§  Cognitive scientist says educators focus too much on learning styles (The Washington Post)

Pennsylvania school district looks to improve gifted education
The Hollidaysburg Area School District in Pennsylvania is upgrading its gifted-education program to offer students emotional support as well as academic challenges. Educators have developed a five-year plan to improve gifted education. This year, teachers implemented differentiated learning for gifted students, and upcoming changes include a student-to-student mentoring program and integrated planning among gifted-program teachers. The Altoona Mirror (Pa.) (9/15)

New techniques are needed to uncover gifted students
Florida's gifted students deserve more attention and an assessment system that detects their abilities, according to an editorial. Figures in one region of the state show a decline in the number of gifted students, which illustrates misguided policies, according to the editorial. That, the board argues, is unfair to students. TCPalm.com (Fort Pierce, Fla.) (9/15)

Arts combine with academics at magnet school for gifted students
An Arizona magnet school for artistically and academically gifted students is infusing fine-arts education into academic lessons as a way to improve student learning. "Kids that are artistically motivated incorporate those talents into different core-learning areas that help them go deeper in their learning and make more connections," said Lynn Tuttle, director of arts education and comprehensive curriculum for the Arizona Department of Education. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (9/13)

Program allows gifted children to take classes on Saturday
A program at Tennessee's Vanderbilt University offers Saturday education to gifted students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Saturday Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young was founded in 2008 and saw about 300 students during spring and summer sessions. "This is a way to allow [children] to develop, from a creative standpoint, interests and skills that they may have," said a parent. "It's something the normal classroom isn't well-equipped to accommodate." The Tennessean (Nashville) (9/7)

September 5, 2009

Teen who cannot see composes, plays and records harp music
The Jacksonville Journal-Courier (Ill.) (9/5)

September, 2, 2009

Public, private schools deal differently with gifted education
Some private and public schools have disparate approaches to teaching gifted students. Many public schools -- often lacking resources for individualized attention -- put high achievers into special programs. Private schools are more likely to take an integrated approach, offering personal attention to foster individual student achievement. A student in Virginia's Fairfax County said she saw her grades drop after transferring to a private school, a change she ascribed to more difficult coursework in general-education classes. Connection Newspapers (Alexandria, Va.) (9/2)

Louisiana district may convert school into magnet for gifted children
A New Orleans-area school district is awaiting approval to convert a public elementary school into a magnet school for gifted students. Changing over Airline Park Elementary school would serve a dual purpose: It would satisfy the requirements of a desegregation order to offer equivalent facilities on both sides of the Mississippi River, and it would help alleviate demand for gifted education. "There is no doubt the school will fill," said a district official. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans) (9/2)

What makes a good teacher? (Richmond Times-Dispatch (Va.))

August 30, 2009

Public libraries will get audiobook upgrades
A federal program is under way to replace outmoded audiobook players for people who cannot see or have who visual impairments. The digital devices, which feature improvements such as Braille labels, faster rewind and playback, and reduced size, will initially be distributed to veterans and centenarians who are visually impaired, followed by libraries for patron use. Detroit Free Press (8/30)

Program for gifted middle-school students is located at high school
A Missouri program for gifted middle-school students puts them into a high-school setting at the start of sixth grade. The Middle Years Scholars Program enrolls about 40 students per grade each year, challenging them with some high-school course work. The students see their high-school peers infrequently. "We want to challenge them, but we certainly realize they are 11 years old," said the program's director. Springfield News-Leader (Mo.) (8/26)

Gender, income and race gaps found in SAT results
The latest SAT results show wide differences in scores when broken down by factors such as gender, income and race. The greatest racial disparity was between Asian students, who scored an average of 1,623 out of a possible 2,400, and black students, who averaged 1,276. Average female students' scores were 27 points lower than average male students' scores. The College Board said that SAT participation by minorities reached 40%, the highest rate yet. USA TODAY (8/26)

Parents: Math changes may shortchange students who are gifted
Changes to a Missouri school district's math classes have some parents worried that students who are gifted could get shortchanged in instruction. Central Middle School has decided to no longer group students by ability, a move Principal Mark Kiehne said was premature at the fifth- and sixth-grade levels. "I believe all kids need to be taught to their level, whatever that is," countered one parent at a recent school board meeting. Southeast Missourian (Cape Girardeau) (8/25)

Apply response-intervention tactics to students who are gifted
With modification, the Response to Intervention model can work for children at all ability levels, writes gifted education specialist Tamara Fisher. Typically applied to bring lagging students up to par, Fisher writes, RTI should be considered as a concept for continually challenging high-achieving students. Teacher Magazine (free registration)/Unwrapping the Gifted blog (8/24)

Program puts gifted high-school students on college campus
A new academic program allows gifted high-school juniors and seniors from the Miami-Dade school district to take classes at Florida International University. The Academy for Advanced Academics offers a mix of high-school and college curricula; students may graduate with up to two years of college credit. "It's impossible to really experience college unless you are actually there -- and we will be there," said a student. The Miami Herald (8/23)

Gifted students guide their own learning in summer program
Students participating in a summer program for gifted children in Illinois were divided into small groups to learn about everything from robotics to filmmaking. "See how excited they are about learning?" said program director Jon C. Neidy. "That's how every class should be. They're learning what they want to know, and the teacher is connecting it to things they already know." Journal Star (Peoria, Ill.) (8/3)

Asperger's syndrome plays a role in new movies
Two movies now in theaters and one set to open next year feature Asperger's syndrome. The syndrome is linked to autism and typically mixes high intelligence and verbal skills with social awkwardness. "The more I learned about Asperger's, the better metaphor it felt like for the condition of all of us in terms of a desire for connection to other people," said Max Mayer, writer-director of the romance "Adam." The New York Times (8/3)

Cluster approach to be used for gifted students
About 500 gifted elementary-school students in Pennsylvania will be clustered for academic subjects, mixing with other students only for art, gym and music classes. A review of the district's gifted-students program suggested it would be more effective if the students were grouped. The goal is to get gifted students thinking at a more-complex level. The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.) (7/31)

Camp offers haven, challenge for gifted students
The Keller Citizen (Texas) (7/29)

Missouri gifted student gets perfect scores on ACT, SAT
Columbia Daily Tribune (Mo.) (7/26)

IPod videos guide social behavior for teens with Asperger's syndrome
A Minneapolis program is using iPods to help teens with Asperger's syndrome overcome difficulties with social interaction. Staff at the Fraser Child & Family Center created a set of short videos demonstrating social skills that can be stored and viewed on an iPod. "It's a mental checklist for things to think about when you're interacting with other people," a program worker explained. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul) (7/25)

Editorial: Summer gifted programs enhance education for all
Maryland should restore funding for a statewide summer gifted program, The Washington Post's editorial board writes. The intensive program has been offered for 42 years and costs less than $500,000. Supporting the program would show the state wants all students to reach their potential, the board writes. The Washington Post (7/3)