This study investigates the relationships among stress, coping, and mental health in 139 students participating in an International Baccalaureate (IB) high school diploma program. Mental health was assessed using both positive indicators (life satisfaction, academic achievement, academic self-efficacy) and negative indicators (psychopathology) of adolescent social-emotional and school functioning. Findings include that students in an IB program perceive significantly more stress than a sample of 168 of their general education peers, and that specific coping styles are differentially related to mental health outcomes in this subgroup of high-achieving high school students. Furthermore, coping styles (specifically, anger and positive appraisal) moderate the influence of stress on global life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms of psychopathology. C 2008

The current study compared the school and psychological functioning of 122 gifted and high-achieving students to that of 176 general education students educated in the same school. Relative to their peers in general education, gifted and high-achieving students served in the school's International Baccalaureate (IB) program reported more positive perceptions of school climate, had higher grade point averages and academic self-efficacy, and reported less externalizing psychopathology and affiliation with negative peers. IB and general education students reported comparable levels of global life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms of psychopathology. The psychosocial adjustment of intellectually gifted students within the IB program was similar to that of their high-achieving IB peers on all indicators except satisfaction with friends. Recommendations for future research and implications for educational policy are presented.

This paper examines in-service school leaders' perceptions regarding the degree to which their administrator preparation program addressed necessary skills and knowledge to effectively work with educators of children in special education and gifted programs. Principals from a large metropolitan district were surveyed. Findings indicate some dissonance between what educational leadership preparation programs and school districts are providing future school leaders and the on-the-job demands for school administrators. Results are provided along with suggestions for future research.

Code switching includes the use ofcomplete sentences, phrases, and borrowed words .from another language (Brice & Brice, 2000). It is a common linguistic phenomenon noted among bilingualpopulations. In order to code switch effectively, students must possessa high level ofunderstanding ofthe 2 cultures, as well as a deep understanding ofthe underlying structures and purposes of2language systems. Code switching, rather than reflecting the traditional view ofa disadvantaged and semiliterate background, actually reflects an intellectual advantage. However, code switching has not commonly been perceived as a positive trait by schools, teachers, or the majority culture. Assessmentsfor nomination and identification ofgiftedness have traditionally been either single-language oriented or use concepts and behaviors that are reflective ofthe majority culture. This article explores some ofthe aspects ofcode switching and possible resultant behaviors ofbilingual children who are gifted.

Students who are enrolled in academically challenging curricula face a multitude of stressors related to increased academic demands in addition to the developmental and biological challenges that are normative to adolescence. This article presents results of a qualitative study conducted to uncover the coping styles of students in a rigorous curriculum and determine which strategies are associated with varying levels of psychopathology (specifically, low and above‐average anxiety). Forty‐eight students from an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program participated in eight focus groups, in which participants were grouped by level of anxiety. Following transcription analysis using grounded theory methodology, researchers identified coping strategies and the frequency of these approaches; active problem‐solving and avoidance of demands were reported most often among all IB students in this investigation. Students with above‐average levels of anxiety discussed seeking social support more often, whereas students with low anxiety more frequently discussed avoiding demands, reducing one's workload, and seeking positive emotions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.