Screening and Rescreening for the Gifted and Talented Program: 1980-81 and 1981-82 School Years.

The purpose of the present study was to reexamine the screening process being used to select students for gifted and talented programs in the Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland, and to determine whether problems in screening have been overcome. Specifically, the study was designed to: (1) determine whether the revised screening procedures were being implemented in an appropriate and uniform fashion; (2) assess the extent to which more Black and Hispanic students were included in the screening and being selected for programs in an equitable fashion; and (3) reexamine findings from a 1979-80 study regarding the use of various instruments and procedures. The findings indicate that while some changes consistent with the revised guidelines have taken place in the screening and selection process, serious problems continue to exist; and procedures intended to increase minority participation are having only a slight impact. Further, implementation of the screening process continues to be inconsistent across schools. Comments by the staff of the Gifted and Talented Program, which took issue with some of the findings in this report, are also included. (Author/BW)