About

The Gifted Education Communicator
is an online journal for educators, parents, and student which is published by the California Association for the Gifted (CAG). From this site you can access the full current journal plus our library of award-winning issues. We provide information and strategies so you can more easily apply the best practices in the field and at home.

GEC issues include articles by leaders in the field exploring specific topics in gifted education, hands-on curriculum for professional development and the latest in research, parent information, tips, and resources for gifted learners, articles written by gifted students for gifted students and reviews of relevant books and resources.

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Editorial Board
Dr. Sandra N. Kaplan, Editor-in-Chief, Professor of Clinical Education, University of Southern California has been Principal Investigators of four projects funded by the Jacob K. Javitis Gifted and Talented Student Education Act, Department of Education. Each of these projects focused on Gifted/Talented economic, linguistic, and cultural diverse students in Title 1 K-8 California schools. Project T.W.O (1998-2003) focused on development of differentiated curriculum in the social studies disciplines. Project Think Like a Disciplinarian (1997-2003) focused on introducing the disciplines into the regular curriculum.  The Affects of Models of Teaching on Academic Achievement (2005-2010) focused on the development of differentiated instruction using a repertoire of research-based pedagogical practices and the comparative effects on the achievement of gifted and non-gifted students of diversity. Project Linking Learning (2009-2012) developed a link between an after school and in-school program to specifically research the effects of the link to identify under-represented students as gifted and to provide a transition curriculum to enable them to be academically successful in the gifted program.  Dr. Kaplan has been an international and national consultant for districts, State Departments, and other educational agencies to provide professional development in the areas of differentiated curriculum and instruction.  She has written over 40 articles and 10 books related to identifying and providing appropriate educational services to gifted students.  Currently, Dr. Kaplan is an active member and past president of the California Association for the Gifted and chair of both the Blue Ribbon Committee and Education Committee for the organization to research a non-traditional identification instrument to recognize the underrepresented students as gifted.  Dr. Kaplan has recognition for her work, receiving awards for Excellence from the Council of Exceptional Children, National Association for the Gifted for Service and Achievement and Research awards from the California Association for the Gifted. You can find her at http://rossier.usc.edu/faculty/sandra_kaplan.html.

Deborah Hazelton, past President of the California Association for the Gifted, is co-founder of the online learning established in the E-Gifted organization. She has worked and studied extensively with Dr. Sandra Kaplan, USC in Summer Institutes for professional development and on the Education Committee developing differentiation programs for advanced learners. Currently, Deborah is a USC Online Professor in Guided Practice teaching new teachers how to develop quality, challenging lessons

Jessica Manzone, University of Southern California, has been a Research Assistant on two Department of Education grants to assist in the collection and analysis of data. Dr. Manzone currently teaches at USC in the MAT program. She also has been instrumental in managing the grant resources and disseminating curriculum materials through direct interactions with grant affiliated administrators and teachers. Dr. Manzone has been recognized for her abilities to develop and present in school districts and conferences the principles of differentiated curriculum to educators. Her primary professional responsibilities throughout her career have been in Title I schools working with students of diversity. Dr. Manzone has co-authored three publications related to differentiated curriculum for gifted students. Currently, she is the co-author of a publication targeting the implementation of the Common Core State Standards of mathematical practice.

Ann Smith is Executive Director at Gifted Support Center where she offers support to families of gifted children by providing consultation, assessments, parent groups and workshops, social-emotional learning programs for youth, speakers, and resources.  She has extensive experience mentoring parents of gifted children, is the parent of gifted children, and homeschooled one of her children. Ann serves on the Board of Directors for California Association for the Gifted as Parent Representative for the Bay Area Region, and she is certified through SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) as a parent group facilitator incorporating the model in the classes she offers throughout the Bay Area. In her local community, Ann serves as Vice President on the Board of Trustees for Odyssey Middle School for the Academically Gifted and Talented in San Mateo. Ann’s background includes extensive corporate management, business development and entrepreneurial experience. Ann.smith@giftedsupportcenter.com

Elaine S. Wiener is Associate Editor for Book Reviews for the Gifted Education Communicator. In the past she has also written a column for the Communicator and articles for other journals while proofreading, her favorite activity, for all the journals that come into her scrutiny. She is retired from the Garden Grove Unified School District GATE program and can be reached at 17elaine@att.net.