EducationNews.org

1) Congratulations on making the cover of Time. How did that come about?

Thank you. Jan Davidson and I met the reporter, John Cloud, at the Wallace Symposium sponsored by the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa. We just stayed in touch with John and kept him apprised of interesting news items about gifted issues throughout the years, including the opening of The Davidson Academy of Nevada that occurred last August (2006).

2) It seems that finally the gifted in our country are getting some recognition. It seems long overdue. What has brought this awareness about?

Yes, it seems there is a growing interest in this population of students, which we are very excited to see.  I think published statistics about what is happening globally helped bring this about, such as "The World Is Flat," and additional information about how the U.S. is losing ground to other nations in terms of science, mathematics and technology education. These trends are definitely making an impact and more policymakers are paying attention to how we, as a nation, serve gifted students.

3)  How are our schools "failing our geniuses"?

Basically, our education system is "failing our geniuses" by not being flexible and open-minded to the unique needs of, and solutions for, profoundly gifted students in terms of options available to them such as acceleration and dual enrollment (see Twelve Cost Effective Educational Options for Serving Gifted Students). Of course, there are students who find a way to soar, in spite of the limitations of current educational practices.  For example, our Davidson Fellows scholarship recipients have been able to develop their talents and interests in specific areas of study thanks to the support of exceptional parents, teachers and mentors.

4) What really needs to be done differently in the schools?

If we, as a nation, could find a way to individualize education so that students aren't limited to being grouped by age but by ability in various subject areas, that would make sense to many of us who work with gifted students. This "individualizing" of education would benefit all students, not just the gifted.

5) I am concerned not just about kids with I.Q. scores above 130, but also about kids in the 120--130 I.Q. range - kids regarded as "at promise". How do we help them meet their potential?

Again, individualizing education through differentiation and utilizing other classroom management techniques to optimally match the curriculum to the student, or group of students, seems to work best in keeping gifted students challenged in school. (This is what The Davidson Academy does for each student.)  Acceleration (grade skipping) works for many gifted students, but not all. In order to help families decide if acceleration is the best choice for their gifted or profoundly gifted student, we suggest using the Iowa Acceleration Scale which gathers information from teachers, parents and the student to see if acceleration is a good fit. Also, readers may want to visit www.GeniusDenied.com for a list of What Educators Can Do, including Best practices of schools that nurture excellence.

6) I know it seems trite, but do letters to congressmen and Senators help the cause of gifted kids?

It will help if they receive enough of them. Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa) has been the champion of gifted education at the Federal level along with the National Association for Gifted Children. There is no Federal mandate for gifted education so the rules and funding vary from state to state and district to district. We have a state policy section of our web site that provides details on the gifted education policies for each of the 50 states.

7) I understand that this also reached the television airways. Do you have a link and what transpired on the show?

Yes, ABC Nightline reporter John Donvan visited the Academy last spring and produced a segment titled, 'Profoundly Gifted' Students Find Home in Reno (click the play arrow on the top right video screen to view the clip). John spoke to a few of the students and their parents who moved across the country to attend the Academy.

8) What do you have planned for the future?

We hope to continue moving forward with plans for The Davidson Academy, including moving into a larger facility on the University of Nevada, Reno campus for the 2008-2009 school year which will allow us to significantly increase the number of students we can serve. We also expect continued growth in the number of profoundly gifted students served through our overarching, national nonprofit foundation Davidson Institute for Talent Development, particularly through the Young Scholars program and the Think Summer Institute.

9) Do you have a web site where readers can get more information about the Davidson Academy and your books? 

Yes, certainly!  The Davidson Academy website is www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu and to learn more about the book, Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds by the Davidsons with Laura Vanderkam, please visit www.GeniusDenied.com. The portal website for the Davidson Institute that lists all of our programs and services can be found at www.Davidson-Institute.org

10) What question have I neglected to ask?

Why is it important for our nation to support gifted students? Gifted education in our country is sometimes referred to as a "quiet crisis". It is quiet because it denies an appropriate education to a relatively small group of students, our most gifted problem solvers, and gets little or no funding. It is a crisis because our failure to nurture highly intelligent students will deny future generations the opportunity to benefit from their achievements and deny civilization the opportunity to advance. Currently, up to 20 percent of high school dropouts test in the gifted range and nearly half of all gifted students are underachievers because the educational program they are provided is too easy. For more statistics, please visit Why our Nation Needs to Educate our Gifted and Talented Youth.

Note: As director of The Davidson Academy of Nevada, Colleen Harsin, M.A., MSW oversees the educational environment of a growing student body of profoundly gifted students, many who moved across the country to attend this free, public school. Colleen works with the students, their parents, teachers and professors to optimally match educational options to each student's needs in order to challenge them to reach their full potential.

Published August 29, 2007