Gifted and Talented Resources

Gifted and Talented

Gifted and talented students are those students between the ages of four and twenty-one whose abilities, talents, and potential for accomplishment are so exceptional or developmentally advanced that they require special provisions to meet their educational programming needs. Gifted students include students with disabilities (i.e. twice exceptional) and students with exceptional abilities or potential from all socio-economic and ethnic, cultural populations. Gifted students are capable of high performance, exceptional production, or exceptional learning behavior by virtue of any or a combination of these areas:

• General or Specific Intellectual Ability

• Specific Academic Aptitude

• Creative or Productive Thinking

• Leadership Abilities

• Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Musical or Psychomotor Abilities

Definitions of Giftedness

Giftedness is the manifestation of performance or production that is clearly at the upper end of the distribution in a talent domain, even relative to that of other high-functioning individuals in that domain.  Further, giftedness can be viewed as developmental, in that in the beginning stages, potential is the key variable; in later stages, achievement is the measure of giftedness; and in fully developed talents, eminence is the basis on which this label is granted.  Psychosocial variables play an essential role in the manifestation of giftedness at every developmental stage.  Both cognitive and psychosocial variables are malleable and need to be deliberately cultivated.  (Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2011)

Also...

Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm.  This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity.  The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally.  (The Columbus Group, 1991)

Identification Purpose

The purpose of identification is to ensure that appropriate programming meets the needs of identified gifted students. Identification may be initiated at any time by teachers, support staff and/or parents.  In DCSD we use a body of evidence to determine a need for gifted programming. While the CogAT may be a piece of that body of evidence, it need not be the determining factor in the identification process.

Identification Procedures

In order to be identified for gifted programming, a team must review a body of evidence (BOE) that includes:

• three or more pieces of qualifying evidence

• data from more than one source

• all data points aligned to one or more areas of strength

• both quantitative and qualitative data

• all assessments and instruments reliable and valid

• all assessments and instruments culturally fair

GT Referral

If you are interested in gifted identification for your child, please complete the Gifted Education Referral form .   This form includes a parent/student questionnaire.