A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

   FOR RELEASE                                Contact:  David Thomas
   October 12, 1995                                   (202) 401-1579

The University of Connecticut at Storrs will administer the center, working collaboratively with City College of New York, Stanford University, the University of Virginia and Yale University.

"We know that some gifted and talented students are overlooked," Riley said, "especially students who speak limited English, have a disability or are economically disadvantaged. The center can be a resource for schools looking for better, more effective ways to identify and help these exceptional students. And in finding ways to better serve gifted and talented students, we can expect to learn things that will be of value for teaching all students."

In addition to the primary members, the consortium is comprised of 337 school districts, 52 state and territorial departments of education, and a consultant bank of 167 researchers associated with 86 universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Included in the consortium are representatives from historically and predominantly black colleges and universities, from colleges and universities serving primarily Hispanic students, and from tribal colleges serving Native Americans.

The five-year grant, funded under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1994, will be administered by the department's National Institute on the Education of At- Risk Students in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. The grant will support research designed to answer such basic questions as:

• What are the most effective ways of identifying, nurturing, and developing the many talents of students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds? How can schools ensure that all students are provided with challenging learning opportunities?

• How can programs developed for gifted and talented students be used to improve the education of all students within a school? What strategies developed for ensuring high performance in gifted and talented children can be used for total school improvement?

• How can researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others work together to design and conduct effective research and ensure that it informs policy and practice?

The center will be directed by Dr. Joseph S. Renzulli, a prominent education researcher in gifted and talented education.