The readings in this ready-reference report on specific program evaluations, offer critical guidance in the development and utilization of instruments for assessing gifted and talented programs, and are designed to stimulate the discussion of issues surrounding the evaluation of gifted programs. Key features include: (1) Carolyn M. Callahan's comprehensive and insightful examination of the past, present, and hopeful future of gifted program evaluation; (2) Research-informed theories, practical guidelines, and successful models of evaluation; and (3) Recommendations for future exploration. Program evaluation has been considered an important, but neglected component of gifted education for the last three decades. "Program Evaluation in Gifted Education" provides much needed direction to program developers and practitioners who desire to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of gifted programs. The ERGE Series: The National Association for Gifted Children series Essential Readings in Gifted Education is a 12-volume collection of seminal articles from "Gifted Child Quarterly". Put the knowledge and power of more than 25 years of research on giftedness and talent into your hands with the leading theories, studies, and findings the experts in the field have to offer. Following a Series Introduction (Sally M. Reis) and a Introduction to Program Evaluation in Gifted Education (Carolyn M. Callahan), this book contains ten chapters: (1) Asking the Right Questions: The Central Issue in Evaluating Programs for the Gifted and Talented (Carolyn M. Callahan); (2) Formative Evaluation of Gifted Programs: A Process and Model (Kyle R. Carter, Wilma Hamilton); (3) The Role of Evaluation in Inservice and Staff Development for Educators of the Gifted (Marilynn J. Kulieke); (4) Anchoring Assessment with Exemplars: Why Students and Teachers Need Models (Grant Wiggins); (5) The Assessment of Creative Products in Programs for Gifted and Talented Students (Sally M. Reis, Joseph S. Renzulli); (6) Making Evaluation Work: One School District's Experience (Linda D. Avery, Joyce VanTassel-Baska, and Barbara O'Neill); (7) An Evaluation of the Catalyst Program: Consultation and Collaboration in Gifted Education (Mary S. Landrum); (8) Evaluation of a Full-Time Self-Contained Class for Gifted Students (Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Gordon B. Willis, and Donna Meyer); (9) Expert Benchmarks for Student Academic Performance: The Case for Gifted Children (Eva L. Baker, John Schacter); and (10) Qualitative Assessment of Gifted Education (Sara W. Lundsteen). This book concludes with an index.