ABSTRACT
In many ways, curriculum is the raison d'etre of gifted education. This chapter examines principles and best practices for designing such curricula. It uses three categories to discuss curriculum: the source and organization of curriculum; the goals and priorities of curriculum; and the tailoring of curriculum. The chapter delineates principles for curriculum design for all students based on consensus among professional organizations, standards documents, and curriculum experts in general and gifted education. Curriculum that is discipline-based needn't be the educational equivalent of limp broccoli or a painful shot. High-quality curriculum should include such problems, products, and performances in the form of substantive tasks and assessments. Flexibility in curriculum allows students to simultaneously strengthen high skill areas and develop areas of weakness.
