Rethinking Gifted Education

Gifted education is in a period of transition unlike any it has experienced in this generation. Thinkers within the field and without are questioning the practice of gifted education, the theoretical foundations on which this practice rests, and even the value and legitimacy of the concept of giftedness. This fresh and provocative volume contains essays by leading thinkers on gifted education and by writers outside the field who have examined it critically. Each author examines, reconsiders, and challenges the assumptions and beliefs underlying the theory and practice of gifted education—providing a “roadmap” to guide both current considerations of and future planning for gifted education programs.

James H. Borland is a Professor of Education and Chair of the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University.

“This comprehensive volume should, indeed, help gifted-child specialists, teachers, and parents ‘rethink gifted education.’ It is ably edited by Dr. James Borland, one of the foremost leaders in the field. The contributing authors include many of the most thoughtful, experienced researchers, theorists, and practioners.”
— Julian C. Stanley, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Founder of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY), Johns Hopkins University

"James Borland has been a thoughtful advocate and critic of gifted education. This book focuses on a number of important issues that need attention and resolution if gifted education is going to be pivotal in the discourse on education. A challenging book."
— Nicholas Colangelo, Myron and Jacqueline Blank Professor of Gifted Education, and Director of the Belin-Blank Center, College of Education, The University of Iowa.