ABSTRACT
Do gifted students warrant special attention in the public schools in the United States? Divisive rhetoric and heated political discourse surround the identifi cation and education of gifted students and lead to the opposing philosophical issues of egalitarianism versus elitism. While American society admires and rewards gifted athletes both fi nancially and socially, children who display exceptional cognitive ability challenge the sensitivities of critics who contend that appropriately differentiated academic experiences for highly able children are somehow unfair to other children. The political concerns of diverse pressure groups create a tug-of-war over the appropriation of resources for students of high ability, that is, those who might be labeled “gifted.” Researchers have chronicled the ambivalence in the United States over the concepts of giftedness and intellectual talent (Benbow & Stanley, 1996; see also Gallagher & Weiss, 1979). Colangelo and Davis (2003) concluded that “The ‘love-hate’ relationship society has had with gifted education has led to both an energetic focus on gifted students and a near total ignoring of their needs” (p. 9).
