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The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent DevelopmentThe University of Iowa College of Education

Sourcebook Connecting Alternative Education & Gifted Education

Belin-Blank CenterDr. Nicholas Colangelo

Dr. Susan AssoulineMr. David Rogers

Ms. Erin Fitzharris

Iowa Department of EducationMs. Rosanne Malek

Dr. Ray Morley Be Remarkable

SCHOOLS

Iowa Alternative Schools Project Sourcebook Connecting Alternative Education & Gifted EducationBelin-Blank CenterDr. Nicholas Colangelo, Dr. Susan Assouline, Mr. David Rogers, Ms. Erin Fitzharris

Iowa Department of EducationMs. Rosanne Malek, Dr. Ray Morley

We acknowledge the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program for its support of the Iowa Alternative Schools Project and for its support in the creation of this sourcebook.

We acknowledge the Iowa Association for Alternative Education (IAAE) for their support of the Iowa Alternative Schools Project. The participation of Iowa alternative schools and programs and their teachers has been an integral part of the project since its inception in 2003. Endless thanks to the students who, through their involvement, have helped to shine light on a truly unique group of individuals—those who are academically gifted and attend alternative schools.

© 2007, The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center. All rights reserved.This publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the authors.

IASP Sourcebook �

“Here I can be me and still learn what I need to know.”Iowa alternative school student

“I like this form of schooling over traditional high school because

you can progress faster.”Iowa alternative school student

“I love coming to school. I look forward to my classes. My teachers here have been awesome. I get individual attention with the small class sizes.”

Iowa alternative school student

“I can actually sit down and talk to my teachers on the same

level. I mean, I can talk to them easier than my family. They

aren’t teachers, they’re friends”

Iowa alternative school student

“I feel more welcome here by the students. I don’t feel like I’m an outcast here.”Iowa alternative school student

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Contents1��45678

Introduction | p.4

Alternative & Gifted Education | p.6

Gifted & At-Risk? | p.8

Case Study | p.10

Identification | p.1�

Findings | p.14

Suggestions | p.16

Resources | p.�0

IASP Sourcebook 4

Introduction12345678

1

Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, DirectorBelin-Blank Center

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The Iowa Alternative Schools Project (IASP) was set in motion by one question: Are academically gifted students attending alternative schools and programs? In 2003, The Iowa Department of Education, in partnership with The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center, the Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE), and a pilot group of Iowa alternative schools, was awarded a federal Javits Education Program grant to identify and help serve academically gifted students in alternative settings. The results are in, and the answer to our initial question is yes: gifted students are

attending alternative schools and programs in Iowa. This sourcebook has been designed not only to share the results of the IASP, but also to briefly explore the central themes of both alternative education and gifted education. In addition, the sourcebook will offer suggestions and resources for serving students who require the unique educational provisions offered by both fields. This sourcebook is another example of the state of Iowa’s diversity of educational opportunities for its students.

IASP Sourcebook 6

Alternative & Gifted Education12345678

� Alternative Education

Generally speaking, alternative school programs are designed to serve students who, for a variety of reasons, do not succeed well in the traditional school structure. Some students face challenging situations at home. Some struggle with substance abuse. And still others have been turned off by the regular school system. For some students, an alternative route is a necessity for continuing their school education. Nearly every alternative school and program in Iowa focuses on student needs first. Some of the common characteristics include:

• Flexibility: students can take classes in the morning, afternoon, and/or evening based on choice and personal preference

• Small Class Sizes: the teacher to student ratio is smaller than that of traditional school settings

• Informal Environment: students may address teachers by first name and participate in decision-making

• Nurturing Environment: the social and emotional needs of students are given as much attention as their curricular needs

• Community Involvement: the classroom extends beyond the school and into the local community, state, nation, and world

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Alternative & Gifted Education

Gifted Education

Gifted education is about providing appropriately challeng-ing and meaningful opportunities for high-ability students. Most noticeably, these are students who tend to score very well on standardized tests, perform well in the classroom, demonstrate a strong command of verbal and/or quantitative concepts, and use creative thinking skills with ease. Though these students may acquire, apply, and retain knowledge more efficiently than their peers, they still need advocates to ensure their abilities continue to grow. The typical services for these students include enrichment (delving deeply into specific topics) and acceleration (progressing through content more quickly). To the right is Iowa Code’s definition of gifted and talented children. While many forms of giftedness exist, the IASP has focused on students’ academic abilities. For the pur-pose of this grant, academically gifted students are those who score within the 90th percentile on a standardized test.

Iowa Code 257.44 Gifted and talented children defined.

“Gifted and talented children” are those identified as possess-ing outstanding abilities who are capable of high performance. Gifted and talented children are children who require ap-propriate instruction and educational services commensurate with their abilities and needs beyond those provided by the regular school program.

Gifted and talented children include those children with demonstrated achievement or potential ability, or both, in any of the following areas or in combination:

1. General intellectual ability. 2. Creative thinking. 3. Leadership ability. 4. Visual and performing arts ability. 5. Specific ability aptitude.

89 Acts, ch 135, § 44

IASP Sourcebook 8

Gifted & At-Risk?12345678

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From the start, the IASP project team—as well as many alternative school teachers—believed that very bright students were attending alternative schools. However, little, if any, research had been conducted as proof. The summarized articles to the right, while not specifically addressing alternative school students, support the understanding that gifted adolescents can also be at-risk of not doing well in school.

While the researchers of these two articles discuss significant issues concerning the types and prevalence of at-risk gifted students, the IASP is unique in that it focuses on whether or not such students in Iowa are turning to alternative schools as a means of continuing their education rather than dropping out of school.

In September 2006, The Iowa Department of Education reported that there are a total of 115 alternative schools and/or programs in Iowa.According to estimates in “Iowa Success Stories of Alternative Schools and Students,” Iowa alternative schools and programs are educating between nine and ten thousand students annually (IAAE, 2004). At the national level, the 2001 “District Survey of Alternative Schools and Programs,” conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), reported 10,900 alternative programs in existence serving 612,900 students nationally.

If state and national trends continue, the number of alternative schools and programs will continue to rise. It is a goal of the IASP to match this rise by providing alternative school educators with the ability to both identify and serve their talented students at an academic level appropriate to the students’ abilities.

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In their frequently referenced article, “Profiles of the Gifted and Talented,” educators George T. Betts and Maureen Neihart combine observations, interviews, and literature reviews to develop six theoretical profiles of gifted and talented students.

They state that gifted students vary greatly in terms of behavior, feelings, and needs and should not be perceived as one group characterized by one set of descriptors. Below is Betts and Neiharts’ varied list of gifted and talented profiles.

1. The Successful - the majority of identified gifted students - successful in school - popular with teachers - extrinsically motivated and dependent

2. The Challenging - divergently gifted - creative - nonconformists who question teachers - not as frequently identified as “gifted” - have lower self-esteem

3. The Underground - underachievers - resist identification as “gifted” - identify with “non-gifted” peers - need alternatives and support

4. The Dropouts - angry and depressed - perceive school as irrelevant - pursue outside interests - need counseling

5. The Double-Labeled (Twice-Exceptional) - less-often identified - physically or emotionally handicapped - view weaknesses rather than gifts a priority - need challenging academic experiences

6. The Autonomous - self confident and enthusiastic - successful in school - popular with teachers - intrinsically motivated and independent - risk takers

While students who could be described as “successful” or “autonomous” are often easy to identify, the other four types of gifted learners (“challenging,” “underground,” “dropouts,” and “double-labeled”) frequently go unrecognized as gifted. The IASP project team believes it is possible that these are the types of gifted students who are likely to attend alternative schools.

Betts, G.T., & Neihart, M. (1988). Profiles of the Gifted and Talented. Gifted Child Quarterly, 32(2), 248-253.

In “Gifted Dropouts: The Who and the Why,” educators Joseph S. Renzulli and Sughee Park discuss their findings from comprehensive longitudinal studies of gifted high school dropouts. Below are some of their significant discoveries.

A comparable percentage of gifted and non-gifted students dropped out of school between eighth and twelfth grade—indicating that students of all ability levels could be at risk of dropping out of school • 5% of the 3,520 gifted students they followed from eighth grade through high school ended up dropping out of school • 5.2% of non-gifted students within the same study ended up dropping out of school

Renzulli and Park’s “results indicated that many gifted dropouts were from low socioeconomic-status families and racial minority groups; had parents with low levels of education; and participated less in extracurricular activities. Also, reasons for gifted male dropouts were more related to economic issues, while reasons for gifted female dropouts were more related to personal issues, although both males and females were likely to offer school-related reasons”(p. 261).

Renzulli, J.S., & Park S. (2000). Gifted Dropouts: The Who and the Why. Gifted Child Quarterly, 44(4), 261-271.

IASP Sourcebook 10

Case Study12345678

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The following is a case study of one of the eighty-eight students who have been involved in the IASP. Because the variety of students involved has been vast, it would be impossible to capture each student’s experience. However, this story serves as an example of the types of challenges and opportunities that students in this project have encountered. Like many students, “Todd” was nominated for the project based on his strong academic abilities.

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Case StudyAs a junior in an alternative high school in Iowa, Todd describes his entire educational experience, elementary through high school, as quite positive. Due to his high math scores on standardized tests, Todd became involved in gifted and talented programs in elementary school. He enjoyed these programs because he felt more challenged and because he was with students of similar ability levels. Through junior high and high school, he took advantage of course acceleration and honors courses and now says that he has had good teachers at each of the schools he attended. However, due to a single event at his previous high school when Todd got into a fight, he felt he was no longer welcome at school. Complicating the situation, a couple of Todd’s older siblings had been

“kicked out” of the same high school. This only furthered Todd’s feeling of not being wanted, especially by the school’s administration. Looking to escape the negative reputation he felt preceded him, Todd decided to seek a fresh start at the alternative school in his town.

Another component affecting Todd’s educational experience has been his home life. His parents separated when he was young and he has not been in touch with his father since before kindergarten. In addition, Todd mentions that one older sibling has a physical disability and another struggles with bipolar disorder. As much as he looks up to his siblings and receives positive encouragement from them, dealing with such physical and psychological difficulties significantly contributes to the stress his family experiences at home. As

Todd indicates, he has experienced a lot of drama in his family and has had to grow up quickly as a result.

Todd enjoys the smaller environment and hands-on learning approach that his alternative high school provides. He feels that the school work is rather easy, but he says the same about the school work at his previous high school as well. At his alternative school, he has completed in an online AP Psychology course through the Iowa Online AP Academy (IOAPA). Instead of returning to his previous school, Todd plans to graduate from his alternative high school. After graduation, Todd looks forward to continuing his education by attending college on the west coast. He plans to study graphic and computer design.

Sharing Todd’s story is one way to provide a picture of the types of students involved in the IASP. Many have participated in gifted programs during their education. Many have encountered more than their share of difficulties in life. Many score well on standardized tests. All attend an alternative school in Iowa where teachers believe in their academic abilities and potential. Before the IASP, virtually no information about bright students in alternative schools was available. Students like Todd are helping to change this.

Parts of this case study were originally published in J. Purcell’s and R. Eckert’s Designing Services and Programs for High-Ability Learners: A Guidebook for Gifted Education (2006).

IASP Sourcebook 1�

Identification12345678

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One hurdle that the IASP had to clear was identifying academically gifted students in alternative schools. Typically, gifted and talented students are identified at the elementary school level through a variety of standardized tests, teacher nominations, school performance reviews, and behavior checklists. While all of these methods of identification can be reliable sources, identification is not a flawless process. This posed an interesting challenge for the IASP; how to identify gifted at-risk students at the secondary level who may or may not have been identified earlier in their education. The following became the IASP identification process.

A Using the IASP Nomination Form, alterna- tive school teachers determined who they

felt could perform at a high-ability level.

B Nominated students completed a variety of assessments in order for the IASP team

to learn more about their academic abilities.

C Nominated Students completed a survey in order for the IASP team to learn more about

their educational experiences.

D Students who performed within the 90th percentile on the IASP assessments were

classified as academically gifted students.

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Please take a few minutes in order to nominate students for The Iowa Alternative Schools Project who you feel can perform at a high academic level. Below you will find a suggested nomination guidelinethat lists several general characteristics of academically gifted students. Please review these characteristics as you think of the students you would like to nominate. Once you have completedyour nominations, please return this form to your school’s site coordinator.

Suggested Nomination Guideline: Characteristics of Academically Gifted Students

I. Student reasons well with academic ideas

II. Student has a strong command of spoken and written language

III. Student reasons well with numbers

IV. Student reasons well with abstract concepts

V. Student’s academic work shows promise of high ability

VI. Student shows motivation in academic areas

VII. Student is considerably more academically capable than their performance demonstrates

(which implies that the student is an underachiever)

Student’s Name Grade Reason for Nomination

1

2

3

Thank you for your participation in the

Iowa Alternative Schools Project - Nomination Form

Iowa Alternative Schools Project!

IASP Sourcebook 14

Findings12345678

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From the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2007, 88 nominated students from 12 Iowa alternative schools participated in the IASP individualized assessment process. In addition, 69 teachers from the project’s initial seven pilot schools completed the teacher survey. The following information represents the results.

Note to Iowa’s alternative schools: The Belin-Blank Center will continue to assess students in Iowa’s alternative schools to determine academic strengths. This assessment will continue to be provided as service at no cost to schools. If interested, please send an email to: belinblank@uiowa.edu

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Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

The CogAT measures students’ reasoning abili-ties. The test is made up of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal sections. While the CogAT is a traditional pencil and paper test, IASP pilot trials revealed alternative school students preferred this type of assessment over others, such as the ITED. In addition, many students indicated that they enjoyed the novelty and chal-lenge the test provides. More information about the CogAT is available at www.cogat.com.

n=88 nominated students

28 students (32%) scored in the 90th percentile based on national age percen-tile rank within at least one of the three CogAT batteries (Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal).

54 students (61%) scored at the “above average” (77% – 95%ile) to “very high” (96%–99%ile) level based on national age percentile rank within at least one of the three CogAT batteries (Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal).

Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT)

The DAT measures students’ mechanical rea-soning, space relations, and abstract reasoning abilities. More information about the DAT is available at www.harcourtassessment.com.

n=34 nominated students (not offered Year 2)

17 students (50%) scored at the 90th per-centile or above in one of the three DAT tests (Mechanical Reasoning, Space Relations, and Abstract Reasoning).

IASP Student Survey

The IASP team developed the Student Survey to learn more about students’ educational expe-riences and future aspirations.

n=88 nominated students

49 students (56%) report having partici-pated in gifted and talented education programming/services at various levels of their education.

Regarding what students like about their alternative school that is different from their previous school, student responses fit into the following themes:

• Small Class Size & Personal Attention• School Atmosphere• Positive Teachers • Scheduling Options • Less Pressure • Self-Paced Learning • Positive Atmosphere among Students • More Challenging

Among students’ plans after gradua-tion, the three most common involve continuing their education:

• 4-year university (18%) • Community college, transferring to a

4-year university (18%)• Community college (17%)• Other (11%)• Work Full-Time (10%)• Don’t Know (8%)• Technical/Trade School (6%) • No Response (13%)

IASP Teacher Survey

The IASP team developed the Teacher Survey to learn more about alternative school teachers’ perceptions of gifted education and professional development needs.

n=69 of 143 alternative school teachers from the seven pilot schools during the 2004/2005 academic year

59 teachers (86%) believe there are academically gifted students in their classrooms.

More teachers (52%) expressed satisfac-tion with their current attempts to teach gifted and non-gifted students in the same class than those who expressed dissatisfaction (36%).

More teachers (49%) expressed dissatis-faction with their attempts to challenge higher ability students than those who expressed satisfaction (30%).

This could mean that although respondents are comfortable with combining gifted and non-gifted students in the same classroom, they feel that they are not challenging the gifted students as well as they could.

42% of teachers indicated having no gifted education professional develop-ment and many others indicated having very little gifted education professional development.

71% of teachers reported that either they are unfamiliar with their district’s TAG coordinator or they have little to no interaction with this person.

IASP Sourcebook 16

Suggestions123456787

In order to better serve academically gifted students in alternative schools, the IASP offers the following suggestions to members of both the alternative education field and gifted education field.

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Collaboration

At the heart of the IASP is the understanding that some students need to be served by both gifted education and alternative education. Therefore, the most important suggestion that the IASP can offer is for alternative school educators and gifted educators to open the lines of communication. By doing so, the collaboration of teaching strategies can be individualized to best serve these unique students.

As documented in the IASP’s Teacher Survey, many alternative school educators have had little to no professional development related to gifted education. The IASP asks that alternative school educators look to their district’s talented and gifted (TAG) coordinator or TAG teacher(s) to find out about ways they can learn about their district’s TAG policies and upcoming TAG development opportunities. At the same time, the IASP asks that TAG coordinators and teachers include alternative school educators in their district’s TAG announcements and professional development opportunities.

The IASP project team strongly believes that educators from both fields have a wealth of knowledge and experiences that, when combined, will only further serve the gifted, yet at-risk students within their communities.

Differentiated Instruction

To better challenge and motivate their high-ability students, the IASP suggests alternative school educators apply differentiated instruction (DI) within their classroom. The IASP’s DI Workshop instructor, Nancy Grimes, explains “differentiating instruction is a way of thinking and systematically planning that acknowledges differences by providing students with choices in how they apply content and skills at appropriate challenge levels. When given the opportunity to learn as much as possible even with different starting points, students can and do soar. Teachers who utilize differentiated methods often observe an increase in student engagement and motivation with stronger achievement results.”

To assist alternative school educators in learning about DI, the IASP has created a website that includes five differentiated units created by Iowa alternative school teachers. All writers attended the IASP’s DI Workshop. Their units are intended to challenge high-ability students in alternative school settings. Alternative school educators are encouraged to review these units and use them in their own classrooms. In this way, these educators can begin to explore how they, too, can apply DI within their own curriculum.

Please visit the website at:

www.iowadiunits.org

Acceleration

Acceleration can be defined as “an educational intervention that moves students through an educational program at a faster than usual rate or younger than typical age” (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004). The IASP asks that alternative school educators complete the Acceleration Checklist (pgs. 18-19) in an effort to continue the dialogue of how best to serve their high-ability students. After reading over the types of acceleration and accompanying descriptions, the following three steps should be completed:

1. Each acceleration type should be marked as either currently in place or not currently in place at your school.

2. A consensus should be reached concerning whether or not this acceleration option would be effective if offered to students.

3. Ideas should be generated as to how to implement those acceleration types seen as potentially effective but not currently offered.

The IASP Acceleration Checklist was originally printed in the Fall 2006 IAAE Journal. An electronic version is also available online at:

www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/programs/altschools/

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S. G., & Gross, M. U. M. (2004). A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students: Volume I, II. Iowa City, IA: The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

IASP Sourcebook 18

Concurrent/Dual Enrollment – taking a course at one level while also receivingcredit for that course at a higher level

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Currently in place?

Would it be effective?

Yes No Yes No

Type of accelerationand brief description

If this type of acceleration is not currently in place but would be effective, how could it be

implemented?

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1Grade-Skipping – advance one gradelevel ahead of age peers

Continuous Progress – match pacing ofcontent to student’s rate of learning

Self-Paced Instruction – student setshis/her own pace of learning

Subject-Matter Acceleration/ PartialAcceleration – student accelerates inone or more content areas

Combined Classes – academic interac-tion between students of differentgrade levels

Curriculum Compacting – focusingon advanced content and enrichmentactivities

Telescoping Curriculum – increasingpace of instruction to result in ad-vanced grade placement

Mentoring – tutor provides advancedinstruction

Extracurricular Programs – coursescompleted outside of school for credit

Correspondence Courses – studentcompletes courses by mail, ICN, Inter-net or TV

Early Graduation – completes HS in 3 ½ years or less

Advanced Placement – course and APexam taken with the possibility of gain-ing college credit

Credit by Examination – earning ad-vanced credit by showing mastery ofsubject matter

Early Entrance into College – beingawarded advanced level of instructionat least one year ahead of time

IASP Acceleration Checklist*

Southern, W. T., & Jones, E. D. (2004). Types of Acceleration: Dimensions and Issues. In N. Colangelo, S. G. Assouline, M. U. M. Gross(Eds.), A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students: Volume II (pp. 5-12). Iowa City, IA: The Connie Belin &Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

*Checklist has been adapted from Southern & Jones’ original list of acceleration to match the types of acceleration most applicable at thehigh school level and for alternative school students

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Concurrent/Dual Enrollment – taking a course at one level while also receivingcredit for that course at a higher level

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Type of accelerationand brief description

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1Grade-Skipping – advance one gradelevel ahead of age peers

Continuous Progress – match pacing ofcontent to student’s rate of learning

Self-Paced Instruction – student setshis/her own pace of learning

Subject-Matter Acceleration/ PartialAcceleration – student accelerates inone or more content areas

Combined Classes – academic interac-tion between students of differentgrade levels

Curriculum Compacting – focusingon advanced content and enrichmentactivities

Telescoping Curriculum – increasingpace of instruction to result in ad-vanced grade placement

Mentoring – tutor provides advancedinstruction

Extracurricular Programs – coursescompleted outside of school for credit

Correspondence Courses – studentcompletes courses by mail, ICN, Inter-net or TV

Early Graduation – completes HS in3 ½ years or less

Advanced Placement – course and APexam taken with the possibility of gain-ing college credit

Credit by Examination – earning ad-vanced credit by showing mastery ofsubject matter

Early Entrance into College – beingawarded advanced level of instructionat least one year ahead of time

What Resources Are Needed for Acceleration?

StudentWilling-

ness

TeacherWilling-

ness

SchoolWilling-

ness

DistrictWilling-

ness

FinancialCost

Travel Facilities

Acceleration Checklist available online at: www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/programs/altschools/

IASP Sourcebook �0

Resources123456788

The IASP recommends the following resources regarding alternative education and gifted education.

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Alternative Education Resources

Iowa Association of Alternative Education www.iaae.net

“The Iowa Association of Alternative Education serves to ensure that every young person may find a path to the educational goals of the community.”

International Association for Learning Alternatives www.learningalternatives.net

“The mission of the International Association for Learning Alternatives is to lead, promote and support learning alternatives and choice options. This mission signals our interest in seeing that parents and students have choices of educational programs to meet their needs, interests, learning styles and intelligences. We believe that one-size education program does not fit everyone and that education is best served by having choices for all.”

National Dropout Prevention Center www.dropoutprevention.org

“The mission of the National Dropout Preven-tion Center/Network is to serve as a research center and resource network for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to reshape school and community environments to meet the needs of youth in at-risk situations so these students receive the quality education and services necessary to succeed academically and graduate from high school.”

Gifted Education Resources

Belin-Blank Center www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank

“Our vision is to inspire and serve the worldwide gifted community of students, educators, and families through exemplary leadership in advocacy, programming, and research.”

Institute for Research and Policy on Accelerationwww.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/acceleration

“The Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) is dedicated to the study of curriculuar acceleration for academically talented students.”

Iowa Talented and Gifted Association www.iowatag.org

“ITAG promotes advocacy at the state and local levels, pre- and in-service training in gifted education, and parent/guardian/community awareness, education, and involvement.”

National Association for Gifted Children www.nagc.org

“The National Association for Gifted Chil-dren (NAGC) is an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences.”

Publications

A Nation Deceived www.nationdeceived.org

A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students aims to educate the public on the many forms of school acceleration through the pre-kindergarten and college level. As the report and website note “America’s schools routinely avoid academic acceleration, the easiest and most effective way to help highly capable students. While the popular perception is that a child who skips a grade will be socially stunted, fifty years of research shows that moving bright students ahead often makes them happy.”

Iowa Acceleration Scalewww.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/pubs/ias.html

“The Iowa Acceleration Scale, 2nd Edition (IAS) is a tool for use by educa-tors, administrators and parents considering whole-grade and single-subject acceleration for students in grades K-8.”

Genius Denied www.geniusdenied.com

The accompanying website to Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting our Brightest Young Minds provides an assortment of gifted education resources to students, parents, and teachers. In addition, this website clearly lays out gifted educa-tion policies at the state level.

Be Remarkable

The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education

and Talent Development

600 Blank Honors CenterThe University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 52242-0454800-336-6463319-335-6148

belinblank@uiowa.eduwww.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank

The Universit y of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, national origin, color, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associa-tional preference. The Uni-versity also affirms its com-mitment to providing equal opportunities and equal ac-cess to University facilities. For additional information contact the Office of Equal Opportunities and diversity, 319-335-0705.

The Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development empowers and serves the gifted community through exemplary leadership in programs, research, and advocacy.