BEYOND GIFTED EDUCATION - BUILDING A SHARED AGENDA FOR SCHOOL-REFORM

This article explores the ways in which gifted education programs as t hey are currently defined, designed, and implemented lead schools away from rather than toward broader school reform. The author argues that gifted education programs Junction as a form of educational triage, p roviding an excellent education for those students for whom educationa l failure would not be tolerated while leaving the general educational system untouched and immune from analysis and critique. Educational, political and economic justifications for gifted education are explore d with particular reference to alternative ways to conceptualize the d ebate and the response so that the needs of all students are addressed . Consequences for teachers, students, and society of implementing gif ted programs are discussed. Some of the key issues critical to the ree xamination of the gifted construct are then explored, including: silen ce, the pain of gifted students, characteristics of appropriate differ entiation, the fear of abandonment of gifted students, the excellence/ equity debate, and the possibilities of wide-scale reform. The article concludes with an elaboration of research and policy agendas that cou ld move the educational system forward and avoid positioning school re form advocates, gifted education proponents, and full inclusion suppor ters in opposition to one another.