A Study Of The Relationship Between Curricular Characteristics Recommended By Recognized Authorities And Curricular Characteristics Found In Existing Programs For Academically Gifted Students

The study surveyed the 190 largest school districts in the United States and 18 recognized authorities in the field of education for the academically gifted. Each of the school districts was presumed to have a program which served the academically gifted; The recognized authorities were given a list of 48 curricular characteristics and were asked to check the degree to which they would select each characteristic for inclusion in a program for the academically gifted. The school districts were given the same list of 48 curricular characteristics and were asked to check the degree to which each characteristic was included in their program for the academically gifted; Seventy-one percent of the school districts and 67 percent of the recognized authorities who were surveyed responded. The recognized authorities and the school districts were in general agreement regarding the inclusion of 41 of the 48 curricular characteristics in programs for the academically gifted. The major findings of this study were that, in general, school districts which offer programs for academically gifted students are offering within those programs the curricular characteristics which the recognized authorities recommend be offered; The only area of apparent disagreement between the recognized authorities\u27 recommendations and the school district practices was in the area of evaluation of programs. The authorities recommended programs be evaluated by non-program personnel significantly more frequently than school districts reported this being done; This study yielded recommendations that further research be done to show: which of the 48 characteristics are most effective in raising the quality level of programs for gifted students; the existence and effectiveness of programs for the gifted; what impact a program has on gifted students; the effectiveness of these characteristics in meeting program objectives; and the type of training a teacher needs to be successful teaching gifted students