Journal for the Education of the Gifted
Spring 1999, Volume 22, Number 3

Learning to Play the Game: Female Students Discuss Their Success in High School
Mary G. Rizza

The importance of understanding student learning preferences is well established in the literature. Using qualitative methodology, this study examined learning through the eyes of 20 high-achieving female students enrolled in single-sex and coeducational secondary schools. Learning and success in school was described by the participants as the result of taking an active stance toward the material and understanding their style preferences, which included an inclination for learning within contexts and a tendency to study alone. Implications for classroom practice are included.

Post-High School Outcomes of High IQ Adults With Learning Disabilities
Gregory A. Holliday, James R. Koller, & Carol D. Thomas

This study examined the long-term, post-high school outcomes of 80 adult vocational rehabilitation clients who had been independently identified as having both high intellectual ability and learning disabilities severe enough to meet stringent federal and state vocational rehabilitation eligibility requirements. Comprehensive follow-up survey responses were examined to explore client educational history, postsecondary educational and training levels, vocational and career counseling, work experiences, and psychosocial issues affecting life satisfaction. Results suggest that these adults were generally functioning at levels consistent with their learning-disability deficits rather than at levels commensurate with their identified intellectual strengths. Recommendations are offered for advocates who work with this population; for further research; and for those individuals who, themselves, have similar characteristics.

Action Research and Practical Inquiry: How Can I Meet the Needs of the High-Ability Student Within My Regular Education Classroom?
Lynn Hughes

There may be many other teachers who are in the same situation as I am: trying to meet the needs of the high-ability student within the regular education classroom. In this paper, I present an action research project outlining the steps I took on an issue of importance to me and my students. Four techniques were shown to be useful: differentiated instruction, student choice, flexible groupings, and mixing enrichment with acceleration.

Talent Developed: Conversations With Masters in the Arts and Sciences: Diane Ravitch - Eduction Policy Maker and Writer
Rena F. Subotnik

Diane Ravitch is a highly influential education policy maker and prolific writer. She was the former Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to the Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander; she is now a member of the National Assessment Governing Board and Fellow of the Brookings, Manhattan, and Progressive Policy Institutes.