WHO IS THE GIFTED LEARNER

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Who is the gifted learner? Often the I.Q. score is used as the projection to measure I.Q. If this is the sole judgment of I.Q, then one may consult the Stanford-Binet Form LM , the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, or the Silverman & Kearney tests. Each of these three tests defines an I.Q. of 140 as the nominal IQ for a gifted child. Estimated statistical occurrence of the children in this range is one or two children per a million children. Highly and profoundly gifted children may be defined as those who score above the third or fourth standard deviation on IQ test, or who are prodigies in a particular domain. (Webb, Meckstroth, & Tolan)

The State of Texas definition of the gifted and talented student states:

The phrase gifted and talented student means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who:
•    Exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area;
•    Possess an unusual capacity for leadership; or
•    Excels in a specific academic field - 74th legislature of the State of Texas, Chapter 29, Subchapter d. Section 29. 121

Actually, identifying the gifted learner is not the problem. Properly educating and providing experiences for the gifted learner is the problem.  In 1988, the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was passed. This Act is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Javits Act has three primary components: 1. the research of effective methods of testing, identification, and programming, which is done at the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented; 2. the awarding of grants to colleges, states, and districts that focus on

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