“A delightful qualitative study, conducted by a master… a must-read for all researchers and practitioners in the field of gifted education.”
—From the Foreword by Joyce VanTassel-Baska, The College of William and Mary

“Educators, counselors, and parents will welcome the insights Laurence Coleman offers on gifted adolescents' acquisition of self-discipline.”
—Rena F. Subotnik, Director, Center for Gifted Education Policy, American Psychological Association

“This book has heart and respects the dimensions of gifted students—academically and socially. It includes profound insights and observations about gifted students. A highly readable book.”
—Nicholas Colangelo, Myron and Jacqueline Blank Professor of Gifted Education, University of Iowa

This is a fascinating chronicle of the lives of academically talented and gifted adolescents living in a special residential public high school. The author, who lived as a resident in the school’s dormitory, provides rare insights on how environment and potential talent interact inside a school to impact identity, talent, and advanced development. By exploring the special context of the school, this volume:

• Shows how the combination of rigorous academics and living with other talented children can create a high energy environment that accelerates the pace of development—although many students may be unprepared to keep pace, they do.
• Examines in-depth issues of equity and excellence, status, and identity.
• Depicts a high school where equity and excellence co-exist and offers an explanation for this unusual phenomenon in American high schools.
• Offers valuable information that can be applied to a variety of gifted and talented programs and other specialized learning environments.
• Exemplifies a distinctive dedication to qualitative research methods, setting a new standard for conducting such research.

Laurence J. Coleman is the Daso Herb Professor of Gifted Studies at the University of Toledo.