The Vermont Department of Education has a definition for children who can be considered "gifted and talented." It says the term means "children identified by professionally qualified persons who, when compared to others of their age, experience, and environment, exhibit capability of high performance in intellectual, creative or artistic areas, possess an unusual capacity for leadership or excel in specific academic fields."
But the Ed department doesn’t keep figures for how many officially gifted and talented children there are in Vermont, nor does it follow which schools offer programs specifically geared to these children. Many people assume that especially smart or talented children will naturally be able to excel in a traditional school environment.
Jean Olson is a retired educator who served as Executive Director of the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont. She says that’s not necessarily true. She’s researched the educational needs of gifted and talented students. She spoke with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about her research.