The Center for Talented Youth Spain: an initiative to serve highly able students

Abstract

This paper deals with the main aspects of the work carried out by the Center for Talented Youth Spain since its founding. The educational model applied here is based on the ‘Study of mathematically precocious youth’, developed by Julian Stanley in the early seventies and currently the inspiration behind all the centers belonging to Center for Talented Youth International. We provide data from the SCAT (‘School and college ability test’) test, validated in Spain by the first author, which isused to identify students with exceptional verbal or mathematical ability. The results obtained are analysed in the light of theoretical models, highlighting the similarities between the results obtained and those in the USA. Moreover, we explore data on course development and student assessmet of courses. Finally, we explore the future prospects for the Center and of highly able students in Spain.