In the ever-evolving Center for Talent Development (CTD)story, fall 2011 marks several milestones.

• CTD celebrates three decades of excellent service.

• Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, CTD director, begins herpresidency of the National Association of Gifted Children(NAGC).

• CTD introduces courses in creative studies.

CTD talked with Olszewski-Kubilius about these importantevents and about the history and future of talentdevelopment and gifted education overall.

Resources & ideas for parents & educators of gifted children

Fall 2011

Celebrating 30 Years 1982-2012Embracing Talent Development:Then and Now

Science course in a program offered by Midwest Talent Search, 1984Then

First, let’s take a look back. Howhas gifted education changed inthe last 30 years?It has changed a lot, actually. The maindifference is a paradigm shift toward ‘talentdevelopment.’ Instead of thinking of gifted-ness as an attribute based solely onintelligence, we now think of giftednessand talent as something that evolves overtime and is more characteristic of people’sbehaviors and achievements than of theperson. The CTD team was very forward-thinking in this regard, using talentdevelopment in its name right from thestart, when we were established in 1982.

Another change is that we now think ofgiftedness not as a unitary thing, but asmore domain-specific. So we talk aboutmathematically gifted kids, gifted writers orkids who are gifted in music or the arts. It’smuch more differentiated.

Why are these changesimportant?Research has shown us that talent developsdifferently in different areas. So knowing

what children’s strengthsare helps us do a betterjob of directing them toappropriate schools, pro-grams and services. Earlyreaders, for example, arereally good code break-ers, and they tend to dowell in music, computerprogramming andlanguages later on.Likewise, research hasshown that kids who aremathematically talentedand also have spatial abilityare much more likely tobecome physicists and engineersand enjoy the physical sciences.

To be a high achiever in anyfield, however, requires morethan just subject-matter talent.Gifted scientists have to be ableto communicate their work andcollaborate with others. Creativeachievers, too, need a variety ofskills to succeed. Schools like

“We nowthink of

giftedness not as a unitary thing,

but as moredomain-specific.”

continued on page 2

Students in the Spark Program, Summer 2011 Now

Fall

2011

2

The Center for Talent Development • 847/491-3782

Juilliard recognize this and focus on teach-ing kids with musical talent, for example, tobe performers – developing their musicalability and helping them deal with the anxi-ety that comes with auditioning, competingand performing. That is called psychosocialskill training, and we don’t do that withacademic talent. There are, however, peoplethinking and writing about that right nowand how it applies to talent areas such asmathematics or creative writing.

We all know people who are really brightbut not successful, and we ask ourselves,‘Why?’ The answer, most often, is not a lackof intellectual ability. It’s other things – likean inability to focus, to work with others orto maintain confidence after setbacks. Ithink the field is recognizing this and talk-ing about what we can do – beyondproviding challenging educationalprograms – to help individuals succeed. It’smore of a whole-person focus.

What role has CTD played inmoving the field forward?CTD’s primary function has been to provideexcellent supplemental programs. I’malways surprised at how kids remember theirCTD experience as a pivotal life event orepiphany because, for a lot of kids, ourprograms are like group therapy. It’s the firsttime they can say, ‘Oh, there are other kidslike me. I’m not weird.’ It makes them feelmore normal, and it shores up theirconfidence to be themselves.

While it would be easy to stay in our

Joyce VanTassel-Baska starts the Midwest Talent Search Projectat Northwestern University. LetterLinks, adistance education program now knownas Gifted LearningLinks, also begins.

30 YEAR BENCHMARK:Northwestern University’s MidwestAcademic Talent Search (NUMATS)provides assessment and planningresources for over 25,000 gifted studentsannually.

1982

current programming niche, I believe CTDhas also pushed the conversation amonggifted educators to be about the broaderissue of talent development. In our research,we have tried to understand the role ofoutside-of-school programming in thetalent development process. We’ve tried tounderstand what supplemental programshave to offer children, what the benefits areand how to make them more available to awider range of kids, particularly low-incomechildren.

There are other centers like ours acrossthe country, but I think the thing that

Center for Talent Development: 30 and ThrivingCenter for Talent Development is proud to continuerecognizing young scholars and encouraging theirpursuit of knowledge. CTD has developed too,responding to innovative ideas, new technology, and thedemand for more opportunities with more courses inmore locations. Take a look back at the unfolding of ourprograms and the stewards of gifted education who havemade it possible. A strong foundation promises aflourishing future. Happy Birthday, CTD!

Students studying nanotechnology in the Accelerated Weekend Experience, 2010Now

Embracing Talent Development: Then and Nowcontinued from page 1

“When I speak,I always tell kids,

‘People who make it,who are famous, are not people

who were alwayssuccessful.”

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, CTD's founder and formerdirector, congratulating recipients at the Midwest

Academic Talent Search Award Ceremony, 1985

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Looking Back, Moving ForwardTrue productivitydemands contemplationand planning. At CTD,we are gearing up for anew academic year andfor our 30th anniversaryin 2012. I am alsobeginning mypresidency of the National Associationfor Gifted Children (NAGC). Both eventsprompt reflection, excitement andambitious aspirations.

Recognizing the importance of ouranniversary, in this issue of Talent, wepause to take a look back. I reflect onthe last three decades and the directionin which we are heading. Four of mycolleagues in the field describe CTDtoday and also comment on wherewe’ve been and how we’ve arrived atwhere we are.

For my part, I want CTD to play arole not just in our little corner of theworld, but in moving the field of giftededucation forward overall and ininfluencing schools and educationgenerally. I’m hoping that one outcomeof my NAGC presidency is a clearervision of how CTD can be an evenbigger, more effective advocate.

CTD’s 30th anniversary is anopportune time to celebrate the growthand future of CTD. While this issue ofTalent commemorates in particular thevision of CTD’s earliest leaders, I wouldlike to thank the many dedicatedindividuals who contributed excellentwork over the past three decades. I amproud to continue the legacy bysteering CTD onward and forward.

Paula Olszewski-Kubilius Director, Center for Talent Development

Fall

2011

3

Northwestern Universityofficially establishesCenter for TalentDevelopment.

The Summer Program andSaturday EnrichmentProgram are launched.

30 YEAR BENCHMARK:More than 4,225 students enrollin CTD’s 2011 Summer Program,3,500 in the SaturdayEnrichment Program.

1983 1984

American studies class greets Dean Clarence Ver Steeg, the author of their textbook and Deanof the Northwestern University Graduate School, Midwest Academic Talent Search SummerProgram, 1984

Then

distinguishes us is our combination ofapplication and research. Whenever we doa program, whether it is grant-funded ortargeted to a special population, we’ve triedto evaluate, examine and understand it inthe larger context of the process ofdeveloping talent.

Talent development is clearly apriority, but what does it reallymean? And how is it done?CTD’s commitment to talent developmentgets particularly embodied in the Summer

Program, which teaches kids not just aboutthe subject they’re studying, but also aboutfacing challenges head-on and having self-confidence in different types of socialenvironments. Going from being the top kidat your school to being with all top kids isnot an easy thing to do. The SummerProgram helps students deal with thateffectively so that they have what it takes todo it again and again.

Too often, people get thwarted becausethey don’t know how to deal with setbacks.

continued on page 4

Fall

2011

4

The Center for Talent Development • 847/491-3782

CTD receives accreditationfrom the North CentralAssociationCommission onAccreditation andSchool Improvement.

When I speak, I always tell kids, ‘People whomake it, who are famous, are not peoplewho were always successful. They have justas many failures as successes; they justdon’t let the failures hold them back.’

Has anything remained the samethroughout your years in giftededucation?I think one constant has been the beliefthat gifted kids need special services. Thethinking behind this belief has changed,though. We used to assume that gifted kidswere different as a result of their giftedness,but that hasn’t really been supported byresearch.

Instead, it may be that gifted kids havespecial needs due to the value they place onexcellence and high achievement or theirattempts to take the road less traveled.So the gifted girl interested in math andscience may have special needs not becauseshe is gifted but because it’s hard to begifted in math and science if you’re afemale in our society. This is a subtle, butimportant distinction. But whether youbelieve these kids have unique needs asa result of being gifted or as a result ofstriving for high achievement in a culturethat doesn’t support it, they still havespecial needs. Schools need to respond tothose needs with different kinds ofprograms and services.

Looking ahead, what are yourhopes for CTD?By the time I retire, I’d love to see CTD

1994 1996

CTD holds its first annual FamilyConference with sessions andresources for gifted students andtheir parents.

30 YEAR BENCHMARK:In 2011, 110 families attended theFamily Conference held on theNorthwestern University campus.

Embracing Talent Development: Then and Nowcontinued from page 3

Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search award recipients, 2010

Now

1987

Paula Olszewski-Kubilius becomesdirector of CTD andreceives the Early ScholarAward from the NationalAssociation for GiftedChildren.

endowed so that there is plenty of scholar-ship money for kids who need it. I also wantCTD to expand into other areas of talent,which we are doing this fall by introducingcreative arts programming. My primarygoal, though, is that we continue to havethis wonderful push and pull betweenresearch and practice, where we translateresearch into practice, and what we observein practice informs our research.

What are your goals as NAGCpresident?One of my goals is to ensure that we have amore national voice. The field of gifted

education has a lot to offer generaleducation regarding ways to challengechildren and methods of providing optionsand differentiated services. Unfortunately,we’re not looked to for that advice orleadership.

We’re not at the table for majoreducational discussions on the achievementgap, school reform or the U.S.’s standinginternationally. Nobody interested in theseissues is looking to us, and yet I think wehave something to offer. Our practice andresearch tells us a lot about how to engagelow-income learners or minority, under-represented learners, for example.

Additionally, there’s recent researchsuggesting that some of the curricula andinstructional practices promoted by giftededucators benefit all learners.

Why isn’t NAGC currently at thetable for today’s majoreducational discussions?I think one reason is because the percep-tions of our field are based on the oldparadigm of giftedness as a trait of anindividual. People recoil against theargument that what are perceived asalready-advantaged kids are more in needof services than other kids. It’s an argumentthat falls flat. It angers people, so they don’twant to hear from us. I think that, as a field,if we embraced the talent developmentperspective as our main construct, thatwould resonate more with generaleducation and get us at the table.

What are some other challengesyou face in achieving your goals?I believe people within the field worry –and rightly so – that the field’s coreconcepts will get fractured if we impartthem to general education. Differentiationis a good example. We’ve been talkingabout differentiation for many years, and allof a sudden it’s a big buzzword withingeneral education. But what people say it isdoesn’t look anything like what we, as afield have developed or promoted, in manycases. My feeling is that is going to happenanyway with other core ideas in gifted

education unless we decide to get in thereand lead the discussion.

I think the reason people are reluctant toembrace talent development is that theterm itself often gets interpreted as,‘Everybody is talented or gifted in someway.’ But that is not what we are talkingabout. We’re talking about high levelachievement and kids who are capable of it.

We’re not talking about every child. Every field I know, from chemistry to

geography, wants movers and shakers, thebest and brightest, coming into their field.They want to know how to find those peo-ple and how to cultivate them. That’s whatmatters to them. And that’s what our fieldshould be about – being able to help themwith that. ●

Fall

2011

5

www.ctd.northwestern.edu twitter.com/CTDatNU www.facebook.com/ctdatnu Talent Talk Blog: ctdblog.northwestern.edu

CTD launches Project EXCITE toboost minority students’ performance inscience and math.

30 YEAR BENCHMARK: More than150 young students, grades 3 – 8,currently participate in Project EXCITE.

National Association for Gifted Children

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) leads in the support of giftedstudents, their parents and educators. Significant research drives NAGC's broad planof action. Their systemic approach includes working with members of congress andproviding a toolkit to help state and local advocates promote gifted education. NAGCalso helps to advance the field by offering educators with classroom resources,webinars and opportunities for professional development. Parents and childrenseeking advice, opportunities, literature, and community networks enjoy the manyfree resources on their website, www.nagc.org.

Founded in 1954, NAGC has grown to over 8,000 members.

1999 2001

The Civic Education Project moves to CTD,encouraging gifted students to work toward solvingsocial issues and explore careers in public service.

30 YEARBENCHMARK:Over 500 studentsfrom across the nationparticipate in CivicEducation Projectprograms each year.

Advancing Potential and All That Jazz!NAGC Annual Conference in New OrleansNov. 3-6, 2011

Join CTD and experts from across the country to “jazz” about gifted education.• Select from 350 content-rich sessions for educators, parents and advocates.• Gain the latest information on current innovations and challenges.• Meet Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, new NGCA president, at the Saturday night reception

at Mardi Gras World.

Fall

2011

6

The Center for Talent Development • 847/491-3782

Being able to craft memorable, short and sweet phrases is valuable in this electronic age. Reflecting on Center forTalent Development and its upcoming 30th anniversary, we posed this challenge to four people involved withthe evolution of CTD: “How would you characterize CTD today using just a word or phrase?”

The Essence of CTD

2011 2012

Center for TalentDevelopment director, PaulaOlszewski-Kubilius, beginsterm as president of theNational Associationfor Gifted Children(NAGC).

CTD celebrates its30 yearanniversary.

though, that in those early days we neverimagined it would grow to the size that ithas, nor did we have any appreciation forthe magnitude of impact it would come tohave on the field.”

—Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Smith professor emerita and foundingdirector of The Center for GiftedEducation, College of William and Mary

VanTassel-Baska, CTD’s founder, chosesynergistic because, she says, “I think thatthe various facets of the Center all feed onone another in a positive and productiveway, making the whole greater than the sumof its parts.”

In describing CTD’simpact on the giftedcommunity, VanTassel-Baska says, “I think theCenter has made majorcontributions to research

and development in the field of giftededucation, especially with respect to whatconstitutes quality programs for highlygifted students.

“The research on gifted students inpoverty has been steady and ground-breaking in examining psychological andeducational variables that need attention inorder to support these students’ success ineducation and their future careers. Also, theCenter has been successful beyond comparein receiving grants and contracts to furtherthe mission of research and service for giftedstudents nationally and in the Midwest.”

VanTassel-Baska is pleased with theCenter’s success. “I am most proud,” shesays, “of the development of a center thathas longevity, continued growth in areas ofimportance to the field of gifted educationand dynamism in identification, program-ming and preparation of teachers and otherprofessionals for careers in the field.”

—Roxie Smith, vice provost at ColumbiaUniversity in the City of New York

In this paraphrase of a famous Chicagoan(the late Harry Caray, long-time ChicagoCubs announcer), Smith expresses heradmiration for the work that CTD is doing.

Smith, who was associate dean foracademic affairs at NorthwesternUniversity’s School of Education and SocialPolicy when CTD was established, says theCenter fit nicely into the school’s definitionof education and conceptualization ofhow children and youth are socialized.

“Then, as now, we all recognized thatschools simply don’t have the resources todo everything,” Smith says. “As with any newendeavor, we had high hopes for CTD fromthe outset. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, CTD’sfounder, was a well-known educator in thefield of gifted education, and she broughtthat knowledge and experience to theproject. It was her vision that gave it shape.Paula Olszewski-Kubilius was a brand-newPhD at the time, with energy and ideas, andtogether they made a dynamite team.”

Smith adds, “I think it’s fair to say,

“Kids win!Kids win!Kids win!”

“Synergistic.”

2002

CTD’S GiftedLearningLinks completesthe transition from LetterLinksmail correspondence to onlinecourses.

30 YEAR BENCHMARK:1,700 students benefit fromCTD online courses annually.

Fall

2011

7

www.ctd.northwestern.edu twitter.com/CTDatNU www.facebook.com/ctdatnu Talent Talk Blog: ctdblog.northwestern.edu

Looking Forward

CTD 2012 Family Conference Saturday, June 23

CTD is so excited about the theme of next summer's Opportunities for the Futureconference we're giving it a plug, even before winter sets in!

The 2012 family conference at Northwestern University will explore psychosocialaspects of talent development. We'll welcome the dynamic team of Kristie SpeirsNeumeister, Ph.D. and Ginny Burney, Ph.D., lead partners at Consultants for High AbilityLLC. The duo will conduct multiple sessions to help parents understand the non-cognitive skills that gifted students need to handle the joys and challenges of highachievement - dealing with perfectionism, retaining confidence after setbacks,cultivating resilience and benefiting from competition.

The Opportunities for the Future conference is open to families of gifted childrenwith sessions for adults and students in grades 4 through 12. Content is designed tohelp families make wise choices about educational paths and benefit from the numerousresources available. Much more information about the conference will be forthcoming,but mark you calendars now.

—Coleen Coleman, associate dean,Northwestern University School ofEducation and Social Policy

“In the past 20 years, the growth of CTDprograms has been really exciting to witnessand support,” says Coleman. “Not only isCTD serving multitudes more kids andfamilies, but doing so through such a varietyof options – addressing different learningneeds and preferences – that it’s reallysomething we are all very proud of in theSchool of Education and Social Policy.”

Coleman believes that CTD “walks thewalk” with regard to the School ofEducation and Social Policy’s mission.

On the leadership of Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Coleman notes, “I don’t knowanyone more devoted to the development ofgifted kids. We’ve had countless conversa-tions about her goals, hopes and dreams forthe Center and for the kids and families itserves,” Coleman says. “Paula is energeticand she pushes through all obstacles.”

“On a personal note,” adds Coleman,“I’ve applied invaluable lessons learned fromworking closely with the great people withinCTD to my experiences as a parent and anadvocate for my kids.”

—Linda Levine, instructor in the SummerProgram at Center for TalentDevelopment

“Students learn important lessonsbeyond just the subject matter. Theymeet gifted peers and discover that they arenot alone.” ●

What word or phrase would you use todescribe Center for Talent Development,and why? Be dramatic, funny, poetic orpractical, and concise! Send us a Tweet orsubmit responses, such as a memorablemoment or specific examples ofCTD’s impact on you or others, to ctd@northwestern.edu for a chance to befeatured in an upcoming newsletter or onthe Talent Talk blog. We look forward tohearing from you—our exceptional students,parents, educators and friends!

“Energizing.”

“It’s cool tobe smart!”

Venture into the Visualby Anne Hayden Stevens, creator and instructor of the Center for TalentDevelopment’s Creative Studies Series.

Why are stop signs red?

How did writing develop?

What are “abstract” images?

Center for Talent Development programs are designed to expand thinking andencourage children to engage creatively with complex concepts. Gifted kids inparticular are brimming with questions (and theories!) about how the worldaround them works.

CTD’s new Creative Studies classesaddress the questions children haveabout the visual world. We unpack thevisual artifacts of a media-rich world,from picture books to the electro-magnetic spectrum and explore howthey impact everyday life.

The arts are an excellent context forinvestigating the endless range ofpossible solutions to a problem. CreativeStudies in-class experiments are open-ended. Students frame problems forthemselves and develop their own goalsthrough discussion and trial and error.This approach nurtures self-sufficiencyand a sense of creative authorship. Many problems in the adult world involvethese sorts of challenges.

Our gifted children are the world’s future innovators. Creative Studies courseslay the groundwork for using visual language as part of their innovation toolkit.

Creative Studies are now offered as part of CTD’s Saturday EnrichmentProgram and online through the Gifted LearningLinks program. Check outcurrent offerings on our website www.ctd.northwestern.edu. ●

Center for Talent Development has beenaccredited as a nonpublic supplementary schoolby the North Central Association Commissionon Accreditation and School Improvement (NCACASI) since April 1, 1994. NCA CASI isrecognized by the U.S. Department ofEducation and has more than 100 years ofexperience in improving educational quality.

Northwestern University617 Dartmouth Place

Evanston, Illinois 60208

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT 205

EVANSTON IL

CENTER FOR TALENT DEVELOPMENTNorthwestern University

phone: 847/491-3782fax: 847/467-4283

e-mail: ctd@northwestern.eduweb site: www.ctd.northwestern.edu

Accelerated Weekend Experience (AWE)programs for students in grades 5 through 8are taking place in several locations acrossthe country this fall. Explore fascinatingtopics in science, technology or engineeringwith an expert in the field. Visit www.ctd.northwestern.edu/sep/program/awe/ fordates, sites and topics of these excitingtwo-day courses. Saturday Enrichment Program (SEP) willfill your child’s Saturdays with fun andexcitement! Saturday Enrichment Programeight-week winter session begins onJanuary 14, 2012 for students age 4through grade 9. Locations: Evanston,Chicago, Naperville, and Palatine, Illinois.Upcoming Gifted Conferences:National Association for Gifted Children,November 3-6, 2011 in New Orleans.www.nagc.orgMinnesota Council for the Gifted andTalented, November 12, 2011 inMinneapolis. http://mcgt.net/ Educational Forum for Gifted StudentFamilies, December 4, 2011 in Evanston onthe Northwestern University campus.www.scholarsearchassoc.com ●

Northwestern University’s MidwestAcademic Talent Search (NUMATS) givesstudents in grades 3 through 9 accessto tests ordinarily used for high schoolplacement (EXPLORE®) and collegeentrance (ACT® & SAT®) to help themdemonstrate their academic abilities. Aftertesting, the NUMATS Toolbox providesextensive information and resources forfamilies and educators. Online registration isavailable now. Visit www.ctd.northwestern.edu/numats to view the video “What isNUMATS,” listen to recorded webinars andget your questions answered.

Gifted LearningLinks (GLL) nine-weekwinter session of online enrichment coursesfor students in kindergarten through grade8 start again on January 15, 2012. Creditbearing honors, honors elective and AP®courses begin on the 15th of every month.

CivicWeek engages outstanding highschool students in career-focused service-learning immersion experiences in commu-nities across the country each spring. Dates,locations are online now and applicationmaterial will be available in December.

NEWS, DATES & OTHER IMPORTANT CTD INFORMATION