From the editor's desk.Welcome to Volume 29, Number 1 of the Roeper Review. This issue includes a number of articles that consider the effects of large-scale contexts on gifted education Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented. Programs providing such education are sometimes called Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) or . These contexts include national and state legislation and policies, which exert some intended and unexpected influences on bright young people and their schools and programs. Other articles explore the effects of programs, and the ways in which various populations think about giftedness. Collectively, they scrutinize widely accepted notions about intelligence, emotional and social aspects of high ability, and the attributes necessary for academic success over the long term. It is undeniable that federal and state legislation and policies can have profound effects on the experiences of the gifted and talented. Three articles provide windows into these influences. One explores the impact of state policies. Two others delve into some dimensions of the No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly known as NCLB (IPA: /ˈnɪkəlbiː/), is a United States federal law that was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001 (NCLB NCLB No Child Left Behind (US education initiative) ), which has been exerting strong influence from outside our field. In the article, "A Five-State Analysis of Gifted Education Policies," Elissa Brown, Linda Avery, Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Bess B. Worley II, and Tamra Stambaugh lament the lack of guidance for gifted education from the national level. Finding little national coherence in formal policy, they argue that gifted education depends on the particularities of state-level decisions. Accordingly, we need stronger understanding of state policies and their effects on practice. This study investigated these issues, reflecting them against the program standards of the National Association for Gifted Children The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is an association in the United Kingdom for gifted and talented children, and their parents. They offer training and courses, and publish academic research in relevant areas of education. . The authors recommend further investigations along these lines as well as other research and development initiatives for the field. Marcia Gentry, in "No Child Left Behind: Neglecting Excellence," explores the effects of this high-profile legislation on the gifted. Essentially, she finds that NCLB tends to be antithetical an·ti·thet·i·cal also an·ti·thet·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or marked by antithesis. 2. Being in diametrical opposition. See Synonyms at opposite. to gifted education and undermines the well-being of the underprivileged children it purports to help. Among other problems, it cripples or eliminates special programs for the gifted by pressuring educators to deliver a one-size-fits-all curriculum to very diverse student populations. In addition, it promotes the use of untested alternatives such as charter schools, vouchers, and alternate route An official alternate route is a bannered highway that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. Originally, the term for these routes was "optional"; but in 1959, the designation became alternate. teacher preparation systems. Along similar lines, in the article "Inside Today's Classrooms: Teacher Voices on No Child Left Behind and the Education of Gifted Children," Charlotte Mendoza reports the results of a study surveying teachers to assess the effects of NCLB on gifted education. Among her findings are the ways in which the legislation forces teachers who work in diverse roles to ignore differentiation by diverting much of the scant instructional attention they normally can give to high-ability children toward low achievers. The teachers tend to report extreme disappointment and frustration with the punitive, ineffective nature of NCLB. In "Beliefs About Differences Between Ability and Accomplishment: From Folk Theories to Cognitive Science cognitive science Interdisciplinary study that attempts to explain the cognitive processes of humans and some higher animals in terms of the manipulation of symbols using computational rules. ," David Lohman advocates seeking evidence that might challenge our own current views. He reviews evidence pertaining to the extent to which intelligence and achievement can be seen as separate. Arguing that simplistic sim·plism n. The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications. [French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple distinctions don't often pass deeper scrutiny, he reveals strong influences of context on intelligence and achievement. In essence, Lohman stresses that it is important to shift from labeling by intelligence measures to measuring excellent capacities in a domain. In "Perceptions of Developmental, Social, and Emotional Issues in Giftedness: Are They Realistic?" Sherry Bain, Stephani Choate, and Stacy Bliss explore college students' perceptions to tease out their impressions of social, emotional, and family aspects of their experiences, as well as predictions of future accomplishments. Among their findings are misconceptions about the likelihood of social and emotional problems. They conclude with implications for education of the gifted including the need to correct inaccurate perspectives on developmental, emotional, and sociocontextual aspects of high ability. While other articles in this issue look at giftedness from the standpoints of K-12 teachers or college students, Scott Chamberlin and Alan Moore
Alan Moore (born November 18, 1952[7] in Northampton) is an English writer most famous for his influential work in comics, including the acclaimed graphic novels consider the higher-education faculty frame of reference. Their article, "Cognizance The power, authority, and ability of a judge to determine a particular legal matter. A judge's decision to take note of or deal with a cause. That which is cognizable to a judge is within the scope of his or her jurisdiction. of Gifted Education Among Elementary-Education Professors from MCREL Member States," inspects the degree of knowledge about giftedness and talent that is prevalent among teacher-preparation professionals. Among their findings is a general lack of in-depth knowledge about high ability and weak inclinations to prepare fledgling teachers for work with bright young people. In "Project STREAM: A 13-year Follow-Up of a Pre-College Program for Middle- and High-School Underrepresented un·der·rep·re·sent·ed adj. Insufficiently or inadequately represented: the underrepresented minority groups, ignored by the government. Gifted," Donna Rae Clasen provides the results of an investigation into the extent that specific attributes predict the subsequent academic performance of minority and low-income students who were identified as gifted in middle school. Her findings magnify mag·ni·fy v. To increase the apparent size of, especially with a lens. the value of multiple forms of identification. The study also reveals the effects of a university and school pre-college partnership, showing its impact on academic outcomes for involved students. Our "Evolving Field" section includes pieces by Suzanna Henshon and Jim Gallagher
Speaking of exceptional knowledge bases, we are fortunate that Jim Gallagher regularly provides a snippet A small amount of something. In the computer field, it often refers to a small piece of program code. of his multi-layered knowledge about giftedness and talent and seasons it with his unique blend of wisdom in our "According to Jim According to Jim is an American situation comedy television series originally broadcast by ABC. The show premiered with little publicity in October 2001, following the surprise hit comedy My Wife and Kids. " feature. In this issue, he challenges our presumptions with "The Five Best and Five Worst Ideas in Gifted Education." Valerie Ambrose pinch hits for Dona Matthews as Book Review Section Editor for this issue, providing interesting overviews of Being Smart about Gifted Children: A Guidebook for Parents and Educators reviewed by Suzanna Henshon; Teaching Class Clowns Class Clowns is an annual search for Australia's funniest highschool student. This competition runs as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and is one of the major events of the festival. (and What They Can Teach Us) reviewed by Karen Higgins-Biss; and Married to Genius reviewed by Joan Freeman. Finally, the strength of an academic field arises from the combined expertise of its professionals. Our field is fortunate to have exceptional thinkers, many of whom contribute to Roeper Review as authors and reviewers. I am grateful to these people for the diligence and insight they apply to the journal. Dr. Don Ambrose, Editor, Roeper Review Professor of Graduate Education Graduate Department, School of Education College of Liberal Arts liberal arts, term originally used to designate the arts or studies suited to freemen. It was applied in the Middle Ages to seven branches of learning, the trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. , Education, and Sciences Rider University Rider University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in Mercer County. It consists of four academic units - the College of Business Administration, the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences, the College of 2083 Lawrenceville Road Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648-3099 ambrose@rider.edu |
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