Gifted education 422315 222392086 2008-06-29T02:56:29Z Pastoes 6888835 {{globalize}} '''Gifted education''' (also known as '''Gifted and Talented Education''' ('''GATE'''), '''Talented and Gifted''' ('''TAG'''), or '''G/T''') is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the [[education]] of [[child|children]] who have been identified as [[gifted]] or [[talent]]ed. There is no standard definition of what a gifted student is. In the United States, each state's department of education determines if the needs of gifted students will be addressed as a mandatory function of public education. If so, the state determines the definition of which students will be identified and receive services, but may or may not determine how they shall receive services. If a state does not consider gifted education mandatory, individual districts may, thus the definition of what gifted is varies from state or district.<ref>National Association for Gifted Children {{cite web|url=http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=532|title=The Big Picture}} NAGC webste. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.</ref> In contrast with [[special education]], gifted education is not regulated on a national level, although recommendations by the [[US Department of Education]] are offered. As such, funding for services is not consistent from state to state, and although students may be identified, the extent to which they receive services can vary widely depending upon a state or district's monetary resources. ==Justification== Advocates of gifted education contend that gifted and/or talented youth are motivationally or perceptually or intellectually prepared for a challenge not offered in the standard curriculum, so that it is appropriate to pace their lessons more aggressively by encouraging them to participate in honors courses, [[Advanced Placement Program|Advanced Placement]] courses, [[International Baccalaureate]] courses, and other sources of educational enrichment and acceleration. They also claim that the needs of many gifted students are still neglected, as schools tend to place emphasis on improving education for the "average" student or students at the margin of success. Some argue that too many resources are diverted from gifted education to the other end of the special education spectrum, disabled students. This may be an [[unintended consequence]] of the development of [[disability rights]] [[litigation]], which some [[Pundit (politics)|pundit]]s argue has led to the [[disabled]] receiving escalating resources at the expense of needed growth for gifted programs and even for core curricula (see [[special education]]). However, many advocates believe that both [[special education]] and gifted education deserve more resources, on the general principle that each child should receive a challenge appropriate to his preparedness and motivation. The families of gifted and disabled students are often dissatisfied with the education system, which, while it may suit the majority of students, often fails to provide for those with special needs. ==History== ===BCE to the Renaissance=== Gifted and talented education dates back thousands of years. In [[China]]'s [[Tang Dynasty]] (circa 618 [[CE]]), [[child prodigies]] were summoned to the imperial court for specialized education <ref name="bce">Colangelo, p. 5</ref>. [[Plato]] (c. 427–c. 347 BCE) advocated providing specialized education for intellectually gifted young men and women.<ref name="bce"/> Throughout the [[Renaissance]], those who exhibited creative talent in [[art]], [[architecture]], and [[literature]] were supported by both the government and private patronage.<ref name="bce"/> ===Sir Francis Galton=== One of the earliest western studies of high function in humans was completed by [[Sir Francis Galton]], who between 1888 and 1894 developed and compiled measurements of over 7,500 individuals to gauge their natural intellectual abilities. In his studies he determined that if a parent deviates from the norm, so will the child, but to a lesser extent.<ref>"Francis Galton, Sir." ''World of Sociology''. 2 vols. Gale Group, 2001. </ref> Galton believed that people could be improved through engineered [[heredity]], a movement he named [[eugenics]]. He categorized people into gifted, capable, average, or degenerate and recommended breeding between the first two categories, and forced abstinence from the latter two. His term for the most intelligent and talented people was "eminence", and after studying England's most prominent families, determined that one's eminence was directly related to his direct hereditary line.<ref>"Francis Galton." ''Science and Its Times'', '''5''': 1800 - 1899. Gale Group, 2000.</ref> ===Lewis Terman=== At [[Stanford University]] in 1916, [[Lewis Terman]] adapted [[Alfred Binet]]'s [[intelligence test]] into the [[Stanford-Binet]] test, and created the term "[[intelligence quotient]]" (IQ). According to Terman, the IQ was one's mental age compared to one's physical age, as compared to a sampling of other people within one's age range.<ref>"Lewis Madison Terman." ''American Decades''. Gale Research, 1998.</ref> He defined intelligence as "the ability to carry on abstract thinking".<ref>"Lewis Madison Terman." ''Encyclopedia of World Biography'', 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.</ref> The [[US Army]] commissioned Terman as a major during [[World War I]], and for the first time, intelligence testing was given to a wide population of drafted soldiers. Using his own adaptation of intelligence testing, Terman developed percentiles and determined that the most gifted fell within the top 2% of scores from the Stanford-Binet. Terman undertook extensive [[longitudinal studies]] of 1,500 children in [[California]] who scored within the top 2% - a score of 140 or above - and continued to evaluate them throughout their lives. Subjects of these case studies were called "Termites" and the studies began in 1921, and again in 1930, 1947, and 1959 after his death. Terman's studies have to date been the most extensive on high-functioning children, and are still quoted in literature today. Common conceptions that highly intelligent children were prone to ill physical and mental health, that their intelligence burned out early in their lives, and that they either achieved greatly or underachieved were dispelled by Terman's studies. Instead, he found that there is little relationship to later achievement in life by highly intelligent children, and that weakness and [[insanity]] were not directly linked to high intelligence.<ref>"Lewis Madison Terman."Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 6: 1956-1960. American Council of Learned Societies, 1980.</ref> ===Leta Hollingworth=== A professional colleague of Terman's, [[Leta Hollingworth]] was the first in the United States to study how best to serve students who showed evidence of high performance on tests. Although recognizing Terman's and Galton's beliefs that heredity played a vital role in intelligence, Hollingworth gave similar credit to home environment and school structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiana.edu/%7Eintell/lhollingworth.shtml|title=Leta Stetter Hollingworth}} University of Indiana website. Retrieved December 31, 2007</ref> Hollingworth worked to dispel the pervasive belief that "bright children take care of themselves"<ref name="hochman">Hochman, Susan K. {{cite web|url=http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/letahollingsworth.html#adol|title=Leta Stetter Hollingworth: Her Life}} Webster University website. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.</ref> and emphasized the importance of early identification, daily contact, and grouping gifted children with others with similar abilities. Hollingworth performed an 18-year-long study of 50 children in New York City who scored 155 or above on the Stanford-Binet, and studied smaller groups of children who scored above a 180. She also ran a school in [[New York City]] for bright students that employed a curriculum of student-led exploration, as opposed to a teacher providing students with a more advanced curriculum they would encounter later in life.<ref name="hochman"/> ===The Cold War=== One unforeseen result of the launch of [[Sputnik]] by the [[Soviet Union]] was the immediate emphasis on education for bright students in the United States, and settled the question if the federal government should get involved in public education at all.<ref>Toppo, Greg (October 3, 2007). {{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-10-03-sputnik-education_N.htm|title=Sputnik heralded space race, focus on learning}} USA Today website. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.</ref> The [[National Defense Education Act]] (NDEA) was passed by Congress in 1958 with $1 billion US to bolster science, math, and technology in public education. Educators immediately pushed to identify gifted students and serve them in schools.<ref>Arthur S. Flemming (January, 1960). "The Philosophy and Objectives of The National Defense Education Act." ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science'' '''327''' pp. 132-138.</ref> Students chosen for gifted services were given intelligence tests with a strict cutoff, usually at 130, which meant that students who scored below the 130 were not identified.<ref name="carpenter">Carpenter, Mackenzie (June 10, 2001). {{cite web|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20010610giftediqsidereg8.asp|title=The IQ factor: Despite advances in defining gifted children, intelligence testing still plays a large role.}} Post-Gazette.com. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.</ref> ===Marland Report=== The impact of the NDEA was evident in schools for years after, but a study on how effective education was meeting the needs of gifted students was initiated by the US Department of Education in 1969. The Marland Report, completed in 1972, for the first time presented a general definition of giftedness, and urged districts to adopt it. The report also allowed students to show high functioning on talents and skills not measurable by an intelligence test. The Marland Report defined gifted as <blockquote>"Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas, singly or in combination: #General intellectual ability, #Specific academic aptitude, #[[Creativity|Creative]] or productive thinking, #[[Leadership]] ability, #[[Visual arts|Visual]] and [[performing arts]], or #Psychomotor ability."</blockquote> The report's definition continues to be the basis of the definition of giftedness in most districts and states.<ref>McClellan, Elizabeth (1985). "Defining Giftedness." ''ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children''; ERIC Identifier: ED262519</ref> ===A Nation at Risk=== In 1983, the result of an 18-month-long study of secondary students was published as ''[[A Nation at Risk]]'', and was an eye-opening declaration that students in the United States were no longer receiving superior education, and in fact, could not compete with students from other developed countries in many academic exercises. One of the recommendations the book made was to increase services to gifted education programs, citing [[curriculum]] enrichment or acceleration specifically. The US federal government was also urged to create standards for the identification and servicing of gifted students.<ref>National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983). "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform." ''The Elementary School Journal'' '''84''' (2) p. 112-130</ref> ===Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act=== [[The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act]] was passed in 1988 as part of the [[Elementary and Secondary Education Act]] (ESEA). Instead of funding district-level gifted education programs, the Javits Act instead has three primary components: the research of effective methods of testing, identification, and programming, which is performed at the[[ National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented]]; the awarding of grants to colleges, states, and districts that focus on underrepresented populations of gifted students; and grants awarded to state and districts for program implementation.<ref>US Department of Education{{cite web|url=http://www.ed.gov/programs/javits/index.html|title=Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program}} US Department of Education website. Retrieved December 31, 2007</ref> Annual funding for grants must be passed by US Congress, and totaled $9.6 million US in 2007,<ref name="javits">National Association for Gifted Children {{cite web|url=http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=572|title=Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act}} nagc.org. Retrieved on December 31, 2007.</ref> but the money isn't promised. Since becoming president, [[George W. Bush]] has eliminated the money every year, but members of Congress override the president to make sure the grant money is distributed.<ref name="winerip">Winerip, Michael (April 5, 2006).{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/nyregion/05education.html?pagewanted=1|title=No Child Left Behind? Ask the gifted}} ''The New York Times''. Retrieved on December 31, 2007</ref> ===No Child Left Behind=== The most recent US federal education initiative was signed into law in 2002. The goal of [[No Child Left Behind]] (NCLB) is to bring proficiency of all students to grade level, but critics note it does not address the needs of gifted students who perform above grade level. The act imposes punishments on schools, administrators, and teachers when students do not achieve to the plans designs, but does not address any achievement standards for high functioning students, forcing schools and teachers to spend their time with low achieving students. An article in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' declared, "The unmistakable message to teachers -- and to students -- is that it makes no difference whether a child barely meets the proficiency standard or far exceeds it."<ref>Goodkin, Susan (December 27, 2005).{{Cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/26/AR2005122600553.html|title=Leave No Gifted Child Behind}} ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved December 31, 2007.</ref> Gifted services have been recently eroding as a result of the new legislation, according to a 2006 article in ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref name="winerip"/> ==Forms of gifted education== Attempts to provide gifted education can be classified in several ways. Most gifted students use a combination of approaches at different times. ===Separate classes=== Gifted students are educated in either a separate class or a separate school. Classes like this are sometimes called "Congregated Gifted Classes". Separate or independent schools are schools with a primary mission to serve the needs of the academically gifted. Such schools are relatively scarce and often difficult for families to locate. Such schools often need to work to guard their mission from occasional charges of elitism, support the professional growth and training of their staff, write curriculum units that are specifically designed to meet the social, emotional, and academic talents of their students, and educate their parent population at all ages. Some TAG classes offer directed studies, where the students lead a class themselves and decide on their own projects, tests, and all other assignments. ===Self pacing=== Self-pacing methods, such as the [[Montessori Method]], use flexible grouping practices to allow children to advance at their own pace. Self-pacing can be beneficial for all children and is not targeted specifically at those identified as gifted or talented, but it can allow children to learn at a highly accelerated rate. Directed Studies are usually based on the students self pacing. ===Acceleration=== Pupils are advanced to a higher-level class covering material more suited to the pupils' abilities and preparedness. This may take the form of [[grade skipping|skipping grades]] or completing normal curriculum in a shorter-than-normal period of time. Partial acceleration is a flexible approach which can advance a student in one field, such as mathematics or language, without changing other studies, such as history and sports. Some colleges offer [[early college entrance program|early entrance programs]] that give gifted younger students the opportunity to attend college early. In the U.S., many [[community colleges]] allow advanced students to enroll with the consent of school officials and their parents. Acceleration presents gifted children with academic material from established curricula that is commensurate with their ability and preparedness, and for this reason is a low-cost option from the perspective of the school. However this may result in a small number of children taking classes targeted at older children, and individual students in an acceleration program may or may not feel socially accepted by much older students. The social disconnect is most apparent when a profoundly gifted young child is enrolled in classes with teenagers and young adults. It is least apparent when a moderately gifted student is advanced by only one or two years. Some advocates have argued that the disadvantages of being retained in a standard mixed-ability classroom are substantially worse. For example, psychologist Miraca Gross reports: "the majority of these children [retained in a typical classroom] are socially rejected, isolated and deeply unhappy [by their same-age peers with typical academic talents]. Children of IQ 180+ who are retained in the regular classroom are even more seriously at risk and experience severe emotional distress."<ref>[http://www.gt-cybersource.org/Record.aspx?NavID=2_0&rid=10586 Factors in the social adjustment and social acceptability of extremely gifted children<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Pull-out=== Students spend a portion of their time in a gifted class, and the rest of their time with same grade students of varying abilities. These programs vary widely, from carefully designed half-day academic programs to a single hour each week of educational challenges. Their effectiveness is difficult to measure because of the diversity of programs, and is highly debated. A positive outcome likely depends on the level of challenge a student receives during the majority of their time at school. ===Enrichment=== Students spend all class time with their peers, but receive extra material to challenge them. Enrichment may be as simple as a modified assignment provided by the regular classroom teacher, or it might include formal programs such as [[Odyssey of the Mind]], [[Destination Imagination]] or academic competitions such as [[Brain Bowl]], [[Future Problem Solving]], [[National History Day]], [[science fair]]s, or [[spelling bee]]s. This work is done in addition to, and not instead of, any regular school work assigned. Critics of this approach argue that it requires gifted students to do more work, not the same amount of work but at a higher level. ===Homeschooling=== An umbrella term encompassing myriad educational options for gifted children: part-time schooling; school at home; classes, groups, mentors and tutors; and [[unschooling]]. In many states, the population of gifted students who are being [[Homeschooling|homeschooled]] is rising quite rapidly, as school districts responding to budgetary issues and standards-based policies are cutting what limited gifted education program remain extant, and families seek educational opportunities that are tailored to each child's unique needs. ===Summer school=== This covers a variety of courses, such as [[CTY]] and [[CTYI]] that take place in the summer. ===Hobby=== Activities like [[chess]], foreign languages, art, or music give an extra intellectual challenge outside of school hours. ==Studies of giftedness== Differences in intelligence have been known for recorded human history, but the development of early intelligence tests by [[Alfred Binet]] led to the [[Stanford-Binet IQ test]] which was developed by [[Lewis Terman]], who began long-term studies of gifted children with a view to checking if the popular view "early to ripen, early to rot" was true. He showed this popular belief was false and many of the children (dubbed "Terman's termites") were studied for decades. Modern studies by James and Kulik<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=EvCDzqIH3ysC</ref> conclude that gifted students benefit least from doing reasonably typical studies in a mixed-level class, and benefit most from learning with other similarly advanced students in accelerated or enriched classes. ==Commonly used terms in gifted education== Source: Frequently Used Terms in Gifted Education<ref>http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=565</ref> '''[[Differentiated instruction|Differentiation]]''' Modification of a gifted student’s curriculum to accommodate their specific needs. This may include changing the content or ability level of the material. '''Affective Curriculum''' A curriculum that is designed to teach gifted students about emotions, self-esteem, and social skills. This can be valuable for all students, especially those who have been grouped with much older students, or who have been rejected by their same-age, but academically typical, peers. '''Heterogeneous Grouping''' A strategy that groups students of varied ability or accomplishment in a single classroom environment. '''Homogenous Grouping''' A strategy that groups students by specific ability, interest, or subject area. '''Individualized Education Plan (IEP)''' A written document that addresses a student's specific individual needs. It may specify accommodations, materials, or classroom instruction. IEPs are often created for students with disabilities, who are required by law to have an IEP when appropriate. Most states are not required to have IEPs for students who are only identified as gifted. Some students may be intellectually gifted in addition to having learning and/or attentional disabilities, and may have an IEP that includes, for instance, enrichment activities as a means of alleviating boredom or frustration, or as a reward for on-task behavior. In order to warrant such an IEP, a student needs to be diagnosed with a separate emotional or learning disability that is not simply the result of being unchallenged in a typical classroom. ==Controversies== Controversies concerning gifted education are varied and often highly politicized. They are as basic as agreeing upon the appropriateness of the term 'gifted' or the definition of 'giftedness'. For example, does 'giftedness' refer to performance or potential (such as inherent intelligence)? Many students do not exhibit both at the same time. Measures of general intelligence also remain controversial. Early IQ tests were notorious for producing higher IQ scores for privileged races and classes and lower scores for disadvantaged subgroups. Although IQ tests have changed substantially over the past half century, and many objections to the early tests have been addressed by 'culture neutral' tests (such as the [[Raven's Progressive Matrices|Raven test]]), IQ testing remains controversial and even the usefulness of IQ measures remain controversial. Some schools and districts only accept IQ tests as evidence of giftedness. This brings scrutiny to the fact that many affluent families can afford to consult with an educational psychologist to test their children, whereas families with a limited income cannot afford the test and must depend on district resources. Gifted programs are often seen as being elitist in places where the majority of students receiving gifted services are from a privileged background. ===Definition of giftedness=== Educational authorities differ on the definition of [[giftedness]]: even when using the same [[IQ]] test to define giftedness, they may disagree on what [[gifted]] means - one may take top 2% of the population, another would take top 5% of a population, which may be within a state, district, or school. Within a single school district, there can be substantial differences in the distribution of measured [[IQ]]. (The [[IQ]] for the top percentile at a high-performing school may be quite different from that at a lower performing school.) In ''Identifying Gifted Children: A Practical Guide'', [[Susan K. Johnsen]] (2004) explains that gifted children all exhibit the potential for high performance in the areas included in the United States federal definition of gifted and talented students: {{quotation|The term 'gifted and talented' when used in respect to students, children, or youth means [those who show] [[evidence]] of high performance capability in areas such as [[intellectual]], [[creative]], [[artistic]], or [[leadership]] capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the [[school]] in order to fully develop such capabilities.|P.L. 103–382, Title XIV, p. 388}} [http://www.nagc.org/ The National Association for Gifted Children] in the U.S. defines giftedness as: {{quotation|Students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities}} This definition has been adopted in part or completely by the majority of the states in the United States. Most have some definition similar to that used in the [[State of Texas]], whose definition states: {{quotation|[The phrase] 'gifted and talented student' means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment, and who: *exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area; *possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or *excels in a specific academic field.|74th legislature of the State of Texas, Chapter 29, Subchapter D, Section 29.121}} The major characteristics of these definitions are (a) the diversity of areas in which performance may be exhibited (e.g., intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, academic), (b) the comparison with other groups (e.g., those in general education classrooms or of the same age, experience, or environment), and (c) the use of terms that imply a need for development of the gift (e.g., capability and potential). ====Reliance on IQ==== Some authors question the existence of "[[General intelligence factor|the g factor]]" and thus hold that the result of an IQ test is meaningless, rendering the notion of giftedness meaningless. The most famous example is ''[[The Mismeasure of Man]]'' by [[Stephen Jay Gould]]. In her book, ''Identifying Gifted Children: A Practical Guide'', Susan K. Johnsen (2004) argues that schools should use a variety of measures of students capability and potential when identifying gifted children. These measures may include portfolios of student work, classroom observations, achievement measures, and intelligence scores. Most educational professionals accept that no single measure can be used in isolation to accurately identify every gifted child. Even if the notion of IQ is generally useful for identifying academically talented students who would benefit from further services, the question of the cutoff point for giftedness is still important. As noted above, different authorities often define giftedness differently. ===The theory of positive disintegration=== Overexcitability has been a popular theme in many gifted circles over the past twenty years. Overexcitability is a component of developmental potential, a part of Dabrowski's theory of [[Positive Disintegration]], a theory of personality development. The application of [[TPD]] to gifted education is one of several (other applications include [[psychotherapy]], personality theory, philosophy of Man, etc.). ===Appropriateness of forms of gifted education=== This is the most hotly debated aspect of gifted education. Some people believe that gifted education resources lack availability and flexibility. They feel that in the alternate methods of gifted education, the gifted students "miss out" on having a "normal" childhood, at least insofar as "normal childhood" is defined as attending school in a mixed-ability classroom. Others believe that gifted education allows gifted students to interact with peers that are on their level, be adequately challenged, and leaves them better equipped to take on the challenges of life. Another facet of this controversy is the effectiveness of the programs dependent upon resources that are pushed more toward students who are struggling. Gifted Education is not mandated in many states, making it elective for districts to earmark money for. Many lower-achieving districts and schools must make crisis decisions on programs that are not high priorities. As a result, gifted students at these schools are not served, or not served effectively. ===Impact on other parts of the education system=== Some critics have claimed that gifted programs result in educational [[triage]], with the gifted program taking a disproportionate amount of school resources, leaving other pupils with much reduced resources. (See, for example, the writings of [[Mara Sapon-Shevin]].) There is little evidence of such effects, especially in contrast with the resource consumption of [[special education]] programs. The most common gifted programs are also the lowest cost: skipping grades and modified assignments in the regular classroom. Gifted programs can also face problems with the singling out of the gifted students by regular students. Gifted programs that are in the same school but under a separate program can cause a problem with [[bullying]],<ref>[http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2006/060406.Peterson.bullies.html Purdue University study]</ref> as a specific set of targets, already singled out for a reason that might fuel a bully's [[insecurity]] (above-average performance intellectually), are objects of [[abuse]]. Such a program can result in gifted students being discriminated against by other students. This obviously has negative effects on the students as well, perhaps not just limited to a dim view of 'normal' students. However, some people could argue that while students may be teased for high intellectual capacity, they would also be able to make friends amongst peers who are treated the same way and not let the bullies be such a big impact on their life. ===Emotional aspects of gifted education=== While giftedness is seen as an academic advantage, psychologically it can pose other challenges for the gifted individual. A person who is intellectually advanced may or may not be advanced in other areas. Each individual student needs to be evaluated for physical, social, and emotional skills without the traditional prejudices which either prescribe either "compensatory" weaknesses or "matching" advancement in these areas.<ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=iF8BrSrOqjwC (c.f., page 157)</ref> A person with significant academic talents often finds it difficult to fit in with schoolmates.<ref>[http://www.geniusdenied.com/articles/Record.aspx?NavID=13_23,13_23&rid=11219 The intellectual and psychosocial nature of extreme giftedness<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> These pressures often wane during adulthood, but they can leave a significant negative impact on emotional development. Social pressures can cause children to "play down" their intelligence in an effort to blend in with other students.<ref>[http://homepage.tinet.ie/~iagc/iagc.htm#Why an oige<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> "Playing down" is a strategy often used by students with [[clinical depression]] and is seen somewhat more frequently in socially acute adolescents. This behavior is usually discouraged by educators when they recognize it. Unfortunately, the very educators who want these children to challenge themselves and to embrace their gifts and talents are often the same people who are forced to discourage them in a mixed-ability classroom, through mechanisms like refusing to call on the talented student in class so that typical students have an opportunity to participate. Students who are young, enthusiastic or aggressive are more likely to attract attention and to disrupt the class by working ahead, giving the correct answers all the time, asking for new assignments, or finding creative ways to entertain themselves while the rest of the class finishes an assignment. This behavior can be mistaken for [[ADHD]]. Academically talented students can also be the inadvertent victims of well-meaning adults who overestimate an individual student's non-intellectual talents. The adults they admire may confuse the students' obvious academic talents with general wisdom and experience. Such students may be given inappropriate liberties (such as the unsupervised use of a credit card or permission to attend parties which the same parent might refuse to a typical student), or not given normal advice on important subjects like sexual behaviors and illicit drugs. Parents may forget that talented students benefit from a normal family life. Some ambitious parents plan an entire family's life around their desire for a child to excel in school. As with any child, being treated as if you are the center of the universe will lead to self-centered and egotistical behaviors. Finally, G&T students are statistically somewhat more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disability such as [[bipolar disorder]] and to become addicted to drugs or alcohol.<ref>[http://www.rapiddetoxhelp.com/busy_professionals.php ODI For Busy Professionals<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1977.tb00702.x?journalCode=add Blackwell Synergy - Addiction, Volume 72 Issue 4 Page 349-356, April 1977 (Article Abstract)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.talentdevelop.com/articles/GTA.html Gifted, Talented, Addicted<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.sengifted.org/articles_adults/Tolan_DiscoveringTheGiftedExChild.shtml SENG: Articles & Resources - Discovering the gifted ex-child<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/druguse.asp ADA.org: A-Z Topics: Drug Use<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.danaroc.com/inspiring_011606lauriegunst.html Laurie Gunst | Inspiring People | Living Louder | DanaRoc.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>http://www.axley.com/articles.html?CID=%5E&AID=90 PMID 4879917 PMID 1262090</ref> These additional issues can require special attention in school. ==Gifted and talented programs== :''For a list of more than one hundred local programs at schools all around the world, see [[List of gifted and talented programmes]].'' A '''Talented and Gifted program''' is an academic program that caters to excelling students. The program may be found in various forms in [[school]]s around the world, often with the name "Talented and Gifted" (TAG) or "Gifted and Talented Education" (GATE). Availability and quality of formal programs varies from place to place. Classes may either be in the form of more challenging, in depth or advanced courses, or in the form of a regularly scheduled [[seminar]] that covers extracurricular material. ==See also== <!-- Add your program to the [[List of gifted and talented programmes]], not to other articles. --> * [[Mensa International]] * [[Rationale for gifted programs]] * [[Exceptional education]] * [[Selective schools]] == Notes == {{reflist|2}} ==References== {{Nofootnotes|date=February 2008}} # Broecher, J. (2005). Hochintelligente kreativ begaben. LIT-Verlag Muenster, Hamburg 2005 (Application of the High/Scope Approach and Renzulli's Enrichment Triad Model to a German Summer Camp for the Gifted) # Colangelo, N., & Davis, G. (1997). Handbook of gifted education (2nd ed.). New York: Allyn and Bacon. # Davis, G., & Rimm, S. (1989). Education of the gifted and talented (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. # Hansen, J., & Hoover, S. (1994). Talent development: Theories and practice. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. # Johnsen, S. (1999, November/ December). The top 10 events in gifted education. Gifted Child Today, 22(6), 7. # Newland, T. (1976). The gifted in historical perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. # Marland, S. P., Jr. (1972). Education of the gifted and talented: Report to the Congress of the United States by the U.S. Commissioner of Education and background papers submitted to the U.S. Office of Education, 2 vols. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (Government Documents Y4.L 11/2: G36) # Piirto, J. (1999). Talented adults and children: Their development and education (3nd ed.). Waco, TX,: Prufrock Press. # U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (1993). National excellence: A case for developing America's talent. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. #Sriraman, B. (2004). Gifted ninth graders' notions of proof. Investigating parallels in approaches of mathematically gifted students and professional mathematicians. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Vol. 27, no.4, pp. 267-292. #Sriraman, B. (2005). Are Mathematical Giftedness and Mathematical Creativity Synonyms? A theoretical analysis of constructs. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, vol.17, no.1, pp. 20-36. #Sriraman, B & Steinthorsdottir, O. (2007). Excellence and equity in education and talent development: Components of a Hegelian dialectic. Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, vol. 6, no. 1 & 2, pp. 91-102. #Sriraman, B (Guest Editor) (2007). Perspectives on talent development in mathematics education. Mediterranean Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, vol. 6, no. 1 & 2, pp. 1-152 #Sriraman, B. & Dahl, B. (2007). On bringing interdisciplinary Ideas to Gifted Education. In press in L.V. Shavinina (Ed). The International Handbook of Giftedness. Springer Science # http://www.umt.edu/math/reports/sriraman/abstract_14.html {{Alternative education}} [[Category:Gifted education| ]] [[Category:Alternative education]] [[Category:School terminology]] [[Category:Giftedness]] [[de:Begabtenförderung]] [[ja:ギフテッド教育]] [[ro:Educaţia copiilor supradotaţi]]