This report on the educational needs of American gifted and talented students identifies indicators of an educational crisis, describes the current status of education for these students, and presents recommendations to meet the educational needs of these students. Indicators demonstrating the need for change include the relatively poor performance by American students on international tests and the small number of students performing at the highest levels on National Assessment of Educational Progress tests. Recent studies have shown that gifted and talented elementary school students have mastered 35-40% of the curriculum in five basic subjects before they begin the school year; most regular classroom teachers make few, if any, provisions for talented students; highest achieving students study less than an hour a day; and only 2 cents out of every $100 spent on K-12 education supports special opportunities for talented students. A review describes how gifted and talented students are currently identified, the number of students served, the kind of support available, the kind of education most gifted and talented students receive, and characteristics of effective programs for these students. Seven recommendations are offered: (1) set challenging curricular standards; (2) establish high-level learning opportunities; (3) ensure access to early childhood education; (4) increase learning opportunities for disadvantaged and minority children with outstanding talents; (5) broaden the definition of gifted (a broadened definition based on the federal Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act is offered); (6) encourage appropriate teacher training and technical assistance; and (7) match world performance. (Contains 43 references.) (DB)

Based on research conducted by The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, this guidebook presents a framework for increasing reading achievement, fluency, and enjoyment. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model Reading Framework (SEM-R) focuses on enrichment for all students through engagement in challenging, self-selected reading, accompanied by instruction in higher order thinking and strategy skills. A second core focus of the SEM-R is differentiating instruction and reading content, coupled with more challenging reading experiences and advanced opportunities for metacognition and self-regulated reading. Chapters cover each of the three phases of the framework, implementation variations, and organization strategies, and the appendices provide handouts, booklists, charts, and more.

Examines research and literature that deal with assessment, with the focus on issues related to the identification of potentially gifted students from racial and ethnic minority groups, economically disadvantaged students, and those with limited English proficiency. The major reasons for under representation are discussed and proposals are made for designing strategies to reduce or eliminate test bias, improve the referral process strategies, and stress cultural strengths rather than deficits.