Concerning the "high standards for all" movement and the question of whether it is actually beneficial to hold up these standards for all, but especially for underprivileged kids, some of you may be interested in this article by Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's education director responsible for the PISA study, whom I would like to assert I disagree with on many counts, but on the high standards for all thing he's got me sold.
Also a very interesting book on that by an American journalist Amanda Ripley, which I believe has been mentioned before on these boards, with the (admittedly stupid) title "the smartest kids in the world.
Of course the salient thing for the high ability/HG+ gifted kids remains to make sure that these children are allowed to go above and beyond those standards! and not made to conform "down"' as it were. According to the PISA results for countries like Canada, Finland, and many Asian countries, it does seem to be possible, but it remains a struggle, with a constant need to check and evaluate on what's happening with those kids.
As a Canadian, I can assure you that public schools, particularly at the elementary level, do not support the pursuit of high standards. Instead, gifted students are routinely given IEPs that are not implemented and required to not receive instruction above grade level (even in congregated gifted programs).
