Jan and Bob Davidson (with Laura Vanderkam) are the authors of "Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds" which was published by Simon and Schuster Paperbacks in 2004. Jan and Bob Davidson are the founders of the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, which provides financial and other assistance to gifted children. In this interview, Jan Davidson responds to questions about the books and concerns about American education for gifted children.

1) In your book Genius Denied you indicate that "America spends 143 times more on special education than gifted education". What is wrong with this scenario?

Both special education students and gifted students are exceptional learners who require a differentiated educational program matched to their abilities. While we want to educate all children in our public schools, this disparity in financial support of these two exceptional groups whose educational needs are not met by the mainstream curriculum illustrates the lack of fairness in our willingness to nurture all students.

2) What is wrong with "neglecting bright children so that slower children can catch up"?

All students should have an opportunity to learn in school. Any teacher will tell you that some students learn at different rates than others. Slowing down the faster students so the slower students can catch up disrupts the learning process for the whole class. It is frustrating and unfair for bright students who want to learn in school.

3) Why do you think it is that American society has never paid or valued teachers much?

I think the reason is two-fold: partly because of anti-intellectualism--our struggle with praising education but being suspicious of those who learn too much; and partly because of a lack of understanding of the complexity of the job of a teacher; a job that has become increasingly more difficult with excessive requirements and regulations as our public school system has evolved.

4) "Gifted kids can't fend for themselves because they are kids and have no legal rights of their own". What does this say about American justice?

Adults have to be responsible to protect the rights of children. If we see a child not learning in school, as adults we need to intervene on the child's behalf and to provide a replacement educational program for one that allows the child to learn.

5) What is wrong with parents trusting schools to educate their children?

It's not an issue of trust; it's an issue of parents and teachers working together for the benefit of the student. In our work with profoundly intelligent students at the Davidson Institute, we have found that such collaborations between the school and the parents are highly effective in identifying gifted students' educational needs and providing appropriate educational opportunities.

6) "Advocacy will bear fruit long after the first child moves on". What are you trying to suggest here?

This quote is in reference to a profoundly intelligent child whose school district had no experience with radical acceleration (skipping 2 or more grades). The parent's advocacy efforts not only served her own daughter, but will "bear fruit" for other bright children because now the school district knows how to evaluate and monitor the acceleration of a bright student.

7) Parents often "share their combat scars from battling bureaucracies". What is the worst story you have heard?

Most difficulties come from poor communication and lack of understanding about the situation. At the Davidson Institute we guide parents in their advocacy efforts and help educate teachers and school districts about these very bright students. We encourage parents and teachers of gifted children to form local advocacy groups to further education, to foster understanding about the needs of gifted learners and to learn to how to appropriately advocate for the needs of their exceptional students. We have many examples of bright students being appropriately served in schools due to collaboration between parents and teachers through effective communication.

8) "If we can't get excited about bettering the lives of these kids, then what are we about?

This is the rhetorical question that Dr. Tracy Cross, director of the Indiana Academy for the Sciences, Mathematics and Humanities, asks after he discusses the pain for a bright student not to be able to use his mind; "as a psychologist," he says "I know this school will save some kids lives." I agree with Dr. Cross that this IS something to get "excited about." It is extremely satisfying and rewarding to make a positive difference in another human being's life.

9) Do you have web sites for our readers to access to get more information?

§ www.GeniusDenied.com - for more information on the book, Genius Denied: How to Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds, as well as reading recommendations for educators, parents and policy sections.

§ www.GT-CyberSource.org - your gateway to gifted resources with research articles about gifted education, a database of resources for and about gifted students, federal and state policy information about gifted education, a calendar of upcoming conferences and events, links to news articles on gifted education and much more.

§ www.NationDeceived.org - a national report based on 50 years of research about how acceleration can be used to successfully meet the needs of gifted students.

§ www.EducatorsGuild.org - learn about the Davidson Institute's FREE services for educators who teach gifted learners.

10) What question have I neglected to ask? With cost always a consideration in education these days, can you suggest a couple of cost-effective ways to serve gifted students?

Self-contained classes for high ability students is the most effective step a school can take to meet the needs of students. Research studies show that gifted students can gain as much as a year of learning in a self-contained class over a mixed-ability classroom provided that the curriculum in the self-contained class is differentiated and the teacher is trained to teach gifted students.

Another cost-effective option is accelerating the curriculum for the gifted students in order for them to be appropriately challenged, such as subject acceleration or grade skipping. The report, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students ( www.NationDeceived.org ), developed by the leading experts in the field, and outlines the benefits of acceleration and how to implement this intervention.