Critical Issues and Practices in Gifted Education: What the Research Says is the definitive reference book for those searching for a summary and evaluation of the literature on giftedness and gifted education. The book presents almost 50 summaries of important topics in the field, providing relevant research and a guide to how the research applies to gifted education.

Sample topics addressed include alternative assessment, counseling, early childhood, highly gifted students, homeschooling, parenting, and policy and advocacy. Each chapter adopts a rigorous, empirically grounded approach to inform the reader's understanding of the research in gifted education.

Despite a century of research on giftedness, the enthusiasm and rhetoric surrounding various programs, models, and approaches often exceed the level of available support—or even contradict the available evidence. This book provides an objective assessment of the status of available knowledge in each area, offers guidance in the application of the research, and suggests areas of needed research.