E. Jean Gubbins
The University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT
The third year of operation of The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented is half over, and we are looking at some of our accomplishments. We established a national advisory system to determine the research directions and a network of Collaborative School Districts for our quantitative and qualitative research ‘ studies. We wanted the process of research design and implementation to include representation from every slate and territory. Well, we finally hit the mark of 50 states as of December 1992 with the addition of Delaware. We also added one territory: Virgin Islands. We would like to welcome new districts. Now we are looking for contact persons in three remaining territories: Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Trust Territory. Do you know anyone?
The mark of 500 was reached in January in response to the NRC/GT invitational conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Research and Classroom Practices in Gifted and Talented Education Conference was oversubscribed beyond our expectations when 500 people pre-registered. We planned a local conference for 100 people, as part of our annual meeting with the National Research Center Advisory Council, and stretched all accommodations to the limit by admitting 280 people. The conference featured 13 research studies and several of these same studies are highlighted in this edition of the NRC/GT Newsletter under Year 2 Updates. We are thrilled with the response for requests for information about the Center’s research. More publications are being released each month. We will keep you apprised of their availability. Take a look at the Winter, 1993 edition of the Journal for the Education of the Gifted. The entire volume features several research studies that you have helped us to implement.
Our mailing list has grown to over 5000 people. The dissemination process is critical to getting the research results into the hands of practitioners in a timely manner. You can be an integral part of the process. Share the NRC/GT materials with colleagues, parents, and friends. Our materials are not copyrighted; feel free to reproduce all documents – just cite the NRC/GT as the source. 50/500/5000 can become 50000 contacts with your help.
Print media and conferences are not our only communication techniques. Last year’s satellite video presentation on Curriculum Compacting by Dr. Sally M. Reis, Peg Beecher, and Del Siegle was very effective. We are still receiving requests for copies of the videotape and guidebooks. We are currently finalizing plans for another satellite presentation, focusing on thinking skills. For a soon to be available informational packet, please write to our Dissemination Coordinator, Dawn R. Guenther.
We are currently developing our resubmission proposal for Year 4 of The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. We are expanding initial plans which have worked so well, and we are incorporating new ideas based on feedback from so many of you in our network. Our Collaborative School Districts, National Research Center Advisory Council, and Consultant Bank Members make our research center a model operation. The network continues to grow, and we would like to welcome new members of our Consultant Bank.
50/500/5000 to plans for Year 5 of The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (1994-95)—we continue to focus on past accomplishments, present research, and future activities. The evolving research findings will continue to have an impact on the educational opportunities for students and professional development experiences for practitioners.