Gifted & Talented

A Resource File

Definitions

The term “gifted and talented” when used in

respect to students, children, or youth means students, children, or youth who give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities.

Federal Definition

Gifted and talented students are identified as

possessing demonstrated or potential ability to perform at exceptionally high levels in one or more of five areas: intellectual aptitude; specific academic aptitude; creative or divergent thinking; psychosocial skills; or in the visual or performing arts. (KRS 157.200 and 704 KAR 3:285)

Kentucky’s Definition

Precocity – remarkable early development. Insight – the ability to separate/combine various pieces

of information in new, creative, useful ways. Genius – a word sometimes used to indicate a

particular aptitude or capacity in any area; rare intellectual powers.

Creativity – the ability to express novel and useful ideas, to sense and elucidate new and important relationships, and to ask previously unthought-of, but crucial, questions

Talent – ordinarily used to indicate a special ability, aptitude, or accomplishment.

Terminology

An Introduction

There are 3 main types of giftedness:

Analytic Synthetic Practical

Sternberg’s Theory of Intelligence

5 criteria for judging if someone is gifted and

talented: Excellence Rarity Demonstrability Productivity Value

Classification

Depends on the definition Generally, 3-5% of U.S. students are identified

as Gifted and Talented

Prevalence

Kentucky Statistics

Total Student Population (K-12)

750,048

Number of Identified Gifted Students

110,453

Genetic and other biological factors, such as

neurological functioning and nutrition Social factors and physical environments

Stimulation Opportunities Expectations Demands Rewards for performance

Etiology

Nomination phase Screening or identification phase Selection or placement phase

Identification Process

Far ahead of peers in specific areas

Possibly advanced in one area, but not another Learn to read easily Become upset when they are discriminated against or

prevented from reaching their full potential Happy, well-liked, emotionally stable, self-sufficient, and

have a positive self-image Wide variety of interests Appear to make internal and external comparisons of

their work Self-aware, self-assured, socially skilled, and morally

responsible

Characteristics of Gifted & Talented

Students

All cultures have the concept of “giftedness.” The American culture is ambivalent:

Americans like the good things that giftedness brings;

However, Americans do not like intellectual superiority.

Effects of Cultural Values

Many are disadvantaged by life circumstances:

Economic needs Racial discrimination Minorities Disabilities Gender

Females are underrepresented

Underachieves are often overlooked They may underachieve due to emotional problems,

or because the school work is not challenging for them.

Neglected Groups of Gifted & Talented

Children

Education of gifted and talented students

should have 3 characteristics: 1) A curriculum designed to accommodate the

student’s advanced skills 2) Instructional strategies that are consistent

with the learning of the students with extraordinary abilities in the particular content areas of the curriculum

3) Administrative arrangements facilitating appropriate grouping of students for instruction

Educational Considerations

The two most common ways of

accommodating gifted and talented students: Acceleration Enrichment

Educational Considerations

Continued

It is important to identify children early so that

their talents can be further developed. It also helps make sure that a student’s abilities are

not overlooked. Currently, there is more emphasis on older

students with gifts and talents as opposed to younger ones. There is a lack of research to show effective ways to

identify young children (i.e. before 3rd/4th grade). Some school policies refuse to advance students

past their chronological age peers.

Early Intervention

Typically these students have a smooth

transition. Most know their strengths and weaknesses by

this age. Many need personal counseling about further

education and career paths. These are problems that mirror those of

students with disabilities of the same age. Again, acceleration and enrichment are the

two primary accommodations.

Transition to Adulthood

Educational Aspects

Designing, implementing, and assessing to meet the student’s needs.

Gifted and talented students may easily

become bored in class – it is very important to challenge them.

Use Bloom’s Taxonomy:

Differentiation

1) Provide open-ended assignments 2) Create opportunities for collaboration 3) Use tiered assignments 4) Let them pursue independent projects 5) Find the right books 6) Consider an accelerated program 7) Aim for school-wide enrichment

Renzulli’s Seven Strategies

First Step = Pre-assessment If there is no pre-assessment, there is no

differentiation.

Assessment

RtI position paper from the National

Association of Gifted Children www.nagc.org/uploadedFiles/RtI.pdf

Some schools have a gifted and talented program for which students are pulled from class and taken to enrichment.

Intervention

Impact of Gifted and Talented Students

Parents may have to devote extra time to helping

their child develop their gifts and talents. Peers may feel inferior to a gifted student.

They may become discouraged because they aren’t advancing as quickly as their gifted peers.

Educators will consistently be challenged to differentiate their material to best fit the needs of the gifted student. They will have to spend extra time when designing

each lesson to make sure the gifted student will be challenged.

Social Impact

Parents should nurture any gifts they see in

their children. They are usually the ones who see the gift first.

Peers should encourage gifted students to be successful.

Educators should differentiate their lessons to make sure the gifted student is consistently challenged to a higher level of thinking. They should make sure that students are

making year-to-year progress as well.

Overall Impact

Resources

Daviess County Public Schools: http://

www.daviesskyschools.org/content_page2.aspx?cid=570

Owensboro Public Schools: http://www.owensboro.kyschools.us/specialed/Teacher%20Resources/TeacherResources.htm

Local

Kentucky Department of Education: http://

education.ky.gov/specialed/GT/Pages/Gifted-and-Talented-Resources.aspx

National Association for Gifted Children, Kentucky information page: http://nagc.org/index.aspx?id=636

State

National Association for Gifted Children:

http://nagc.org/ Prufrock Press (website with resources and

materials for gifted students): http://www.prufrock.com/

National Society for the Gifted and Talented: http://www.nsgt.org/

National

Information on gifted students can be found

on multiple sites on the internet. I found my best resources through the State

and National resources on the previous slides. Some of those sites will give you even more

information and resources/materials if you become a member.

Tips for Accessing Information

Brescia School of Education

Connections

Ethics Advocacy Service Lifelong Learning

Conceptual Framework

References