Describes how the greening of the urban environment is becoming an increasingly significant part of innercity renewal. Discusses the importance of urban wildlife, barriers to change, and opportunities for improving urban wildlife habitats. (14 references) (MCO)

This interview with Angela Goethals, a 14-year-old professional actress and academically gifted high school student, looks at her early acting experiences, her attitudes about acting, how she combines academic and acting responsibilities, and necessary sacrifices. (DB)

This article briefly describes the consultant teacher model for providing special educational services to gifted and talented students. Summaries of five recommended print resources about the consultant teacher model are included. (DB)

Educational achievement testing is discussed from four perspectives: (1) political accountability; (2) parental need for information on children's academic achievement; (3) the undue influence of achievement tests on curricula and instruction; and (4) students' views of testing. It is concluded that standardized testing has an overall negative…

This paper compares dynamic assessment of reading abilities to traditional assessment in the areas of orientation (process versus product), procedure (response to instruction versus enumeration of existing abilities), and interpretation (patterns of response to instruction versus indices such as percentiles or stanines). (DB)

This paper reviews the status of children with disabilities throughout the world. It summarizes United Nations information on the prevalence of disability and on prevention efforts. Progress is noted in the areas of immunization, increased early intervention services, community-based rehabilitation, and increased recognition of governmental…

This article presents an overview of the situation of families of children with disabilities in Jordan, where special education services are provided to less than 3 percent of the target population. A survey of professionals at 14 special schools identified major family needs and concerns. (Author/DB)

This paper reports results of surveys administered in 1989 and 1990 to 197 Zimbabwean teachers. Results indicated low levels of acceptance of integration of pupils with disabilities, despite official educational policy supporting integration. Attitudes differed depending on specific impairment and whether the teacher's own classroom or classrooms…

This paper summarizes and evaluates the research on the relationship between allergies and learning disabilities. The paper considers definitional and conceptual issues, anecdotal reports, experimental studies, and the Feingold hypothesis. It concludes that the role that allergies play in learning disability is complex and interrelated with other…

This literature review examines the psychological aspects of the savant syndrome in people with intellectual disabilities, focusing on the means by which such abilities as calendar calculation are accomplished and highlighting variables (such as intense motivation in one area) postulated as important for development of the syndrome. (Author/DB)

Interviews with 4 gifted learning-disabled boys, (aged 9 to 12), their parents, and their teachers identified themes in their social/emotional development including interpersonal relationships, self-concept, and learning characteristics. Unique characteristics included a powerful fear of failure, inconsistent social skills, and a fluctuating self…

On measures of ability to improve writing quality, motivation to write, confidence in writing, and attitudes toward writing, 29 middle level students classified as mastery oriented consistently scored higher than 21 students classified as helpless. The 66 students classified as neither mastery oriented nor helpless had mean scores between the…

The reactions of 60 gifted students and 60 regular students in grades 4, 6, and 8 to an audiotape of age-appropriate riddles, jokes, puns, satire, and nonhumorous items were compared. Results indicated that gifted subjects performed significantly higher in spontaneous mirth response and comprehension of verbal humor than the general population…

An expert teacher was studied, using ethnographic and phenomenological techniques, as he planned and taught 2 philosophy courses to gifted students, ages 12-18. The paper provides an overview of the teacher's thoughts and an explanation of the impact of an unwritten and unobservable collection of knowledge on the teacher's observable planning and…

Thirty-five high ability Black students (ages 9-15) attending a predominantly White university summer enrichment program were compared to 35 White peers. Results suggest that, despite differences in achievement and social status, Black students were accepted by White peers and were comparable in self-concept and academic self-esteem. (Author/JDD)