ABSTRACT
School districts should create a continuum of services for gifted students that are responsive to students' needs, talents, and abilities. The development of appropriate gifted education programming requires comprehensive services based on sound philosophical, theoretical, and empirical support. The cases illustrate the challenges that are involved in providing appropriate educational services for gifted and talented students in a variety of settings. Rural districts are impacted by limited funding and limited access to supplemental learning resources that educators in cities and suburbs can easily access. Acceleration requires high academic ability and helps match the level, complexity, and pace of the curriculum with the readiness and motivation of the student. High-quality programs use research-based assessment practices and offer an array of services to address cognitive and affective needs. Parents want the optimal services for their gifted and talented children. Educators want to include research-based best practices when designing and implementing curriculum and instruction for gifted and talented learners.
