Nurturing the talents of most gifted and talented children is one of the most exciting yet controversial issues in education today. The base of the controversy is society's “love-hate” relationships with giftedness and talent (e.g. Benbow& Stanley 1996; Gallagher & Weiss, 1979). On one hand, we admire the talent and drive of individuals who rise from humble backgrounds. On the other, our nation has a longstanding commitment to egalitarianism, reflected in that mighty phrase “All men are created equal.” Both educators and people on the street are caught in the confusing tension between encouraging yet restraining individual accomplishment (Gardner, 1982).

Society swings back and forth between the goals of equity versus excellence. When excellence is of concern – as in 1957 when the Russians' Sputnik beat America into space and 1983 when the A Nation at Risk report jolted American educators – programs for the brightest quickly receive priority. When equity is the primary concern, as in the 1960s, early 1970s, and resurfacing in the 1990s, planning suitable educational programs for gifted students is put on a back burner or in the closet. Equity typically is translated as helping slow-learning, disadvantaged, and other at-risk students become more equal. Unfortunately, treating issues of equity and excellence as antagonistic and mutually exclusive is destructive to the development of sound education practices that meet the educational needs of every individual student.

Introduction to the Handbook of Gifted Education, Nicholas Colangelo Gary A. Davis, 2003

 

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