Started in the 1970"s, America"s Gifted & Talented programs .

             are used to enhance the curriculum of students included in either .

             category in order to challenge and strengthen their unique abilities. .

             These students are usually provided a separate class with specialized .

             lessons in all areas and a teacher with a special degree in gifted .

             education. I feel that it is important that the teacher was a gifted .

             student who would know what the students must face as "above average" .

             members of their school. The job market for gifted education offers a .

             wide range of opportunity and gifted teachers are needed all over the .

             country.

             One of the earliest programs for gifted and talented students .

             was set up in 1974, at The Old Donation Center, in Virginia Beach. .

             Students scoring within the top 3% of students on an assessment test .

             are referred here to be further challenged. These students are .

             considered gifted and have special teachers and classes to promote .

             development of their talents and minds. Programs like this began to .

             pop up around the nation in the 70"s; however, gifted students were .

             looked down upon by teachers, parents, and peers. Many people .

             considered them to be "freaks" because they were different. They .

             didn"t understand the implications of the terms "gifted" and .

             "talented". Most people simply expected gifted students to act more .

             mature or to be geniuses, even though gifted students are the same as .

             other children in their needs as human beings. Some gifted students .

             were forced to grow up too fast and some simply ignored the fact that .

             they were smarter than others, thus, they were lost in the shuffle. .

             The irony of it all is that gifted-ness seems to run in families and .

             the children of these repressed gifted students are, themselves, .

             gifted.

             But what exactly is a "gifted" student? Students (elementary .

             & secondary) are given a repertoire of tests. These tests check IQ, .