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This article offers a set of recommended best practices in the identification of students who are gifted and talented. The article recommends that school psychologists gain familiarity with gifted children and their families, recognize the multiple manifestations of giftedness and the developmental nature of talent development, link identification to intervention, employ multiple assessment measures, include the assessment of motivation, consider social and emotional needs, and monitor the recommended interventions. The article also reviews recurring issues that adversely impact upon the provision of gifted services in the public schools. These issues include society not viewing the gifted as a high-priority special needs group, definitions of giftedness that vary across states, differing expert opinions on what giftedness represents, uncertainty about prevalence rates, under-representation of certain groups of gifted students, the role of creativity, and whether gifted education should be a part of special education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This chapter describes rating scales and other tests and procedures used in gifted identification aside from traditional intelligence tests (see Newman, this volume, for discussion of IQ tests). The chapter highlights how a psychologist's conception of giftedness should guide the particular tests and procedures that one selects in conducting a gifted evaluation. The chapter very briefly describes a variety of alternative tests and procedures used in gifted identification, including nominations, nonverbal measures, portfolio assessment, dynamic assessment, and auditions. A more detailed discussion on gifted rating scales is provided. The Gifted Rating Scales is described in detail to illustrate how rating scales offer flexibility that complements and extends information from the intelligence test. The chapter proposes a gifted assessment model that intentionally links gifted identification and talent development by endorsing ongoing evaluation of a gifted student's performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This article reports on an analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of a new teacher rating scale designed to assist in the identification of gifted preschool and kindergarten students. The Gifted Rating Scales–Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness. An examination of the standardization sample using diagnostic efficiency statistics provides support for the diagnostic accuracy of the GRS-P Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability scales identifying intellectual giftedness, irrespective of the IQ cut score used to demarcate giftedness. The present findings extend the analysis of the standardization sample reported in the test manual and provide additional support for the GRS-P as a gifted screening tool. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This study analyzes the standardization sample of a new teacher rating scale designed to assist in the identification of gifted students. The Gifted Rating Scales–School Form (GRS-S) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness. Results indicate no age or race/ethnicity differences on any of the scales and small but significant differences in favor of females on three of the six scales: Artistic Ability, Motivation, and Leadership Ability. Diagnostic efficiency statistics and receiver operating curve analysis support the validity of the Intellectual Ability scale in identifying intellectually gifted students. The Intellectual Ability scale was successful in both correctly identifying students with high IQ scores (test sensitivity) and correctly identifying students without high IQ scores (test specificity). The present findings extend the analysis of the standardization sample reported in the test manual and provide additional support for the psychometric qualities of the GRS-S as a valid gifted screening tool. Putting the Research to Use: A number of issues compromise the ability to identify gifted students. Definitions of gifted and talented are inconsistent across states. Experts disagree on how to conceptualize and define giftedness. In addition, there are few technically adequate screening instruments to assist in the identification of gifted students. The present study reports on an analysis of the standardization sample of a new teacher rating scale designed to assist in the identification of gifted students. The Gifted Rating Scale–School Form (GRS-S) is a 72-item teacher rating scale based on a multidimensional model of giftedness. In this study, we have shown that the GRS-S is a technically sound screening instrument that works equally well with African American, Asian American, Hispanic, and White children across the entire age range: 6.0 to 13.11 years. Small but significant differences in favor of females were found on three of the six GRS-S scales: Artistic Ability, Motivation, and Leadership Ability. However, gender differences were not found on the Intellectual Ability, Academic Ability, and Creativity scales of the GRS-S. The GRS-S holds promise for practitioners in helping to identify gifted students. The GRS-S also holds promise for researchers in providing a technically sound instrument to measure multiple manifestations of giftedness. Policy makers will welcome the GRS-S as an easy-to-use, score, and interpret test with strong face validity that provides a level playing field and strong face validity for students from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This chapter looks at characteristics in childhood of persons who have produced creative products in domains not usually considered when talking of giftedness--visual artists, musicians, actors, and dancers. What are their backgrounds, their personalities, their experiences, and their ways of looking at the world? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The report entitled A Nation at Risk: The Imperative of Educational Reform was prepared by the National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983). It brought great attention to the phenomenon of underachievement among gifted children, pronouncing that fully half of gifted children do not work to their abilities in school. Unfortunately, that report did not reference any basis for the calculation of that dramatic conclusion, so the percentage of underachievers is not clear and can be calculated in many ways. Although the exact percentage is not known, most educators agree that underachievement is a major problem. A broad definition of underachievement is a "discrepancy between children's school performance and their abilities" (Baum, Renzulli, & Hebert, 1995; Butler-Por, 1987; Colangelo, Kerr, Christensen, & Maxey, 1993; Dowdall & Colangelo, 1982; Emerick, 1992; Kedding, 1990; Lupart & Pyryt, 1996; Richert, 1991; Rimm, 1986a, 1995; Supplee, 1990; Whitmore, 1980; Wolfe, 1991), but that broad definition only alerts one to the fact that problems exist. Not all underachievement is attributable to psychological defensive patterns, the focus of this chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The goal of this chapter is to assist the psychologist in these tasks by highlighting the major findings from the empirical literature on twice exceptional children and by exploring their implications for psychological practice. In particular, the chapter aims to answer six questions: Who are twice exceptional children? What distinguishes them from other populations? How might they be effectively identified? What issues, if any, are unique to this population? What interventions have been demonstrated to be most effective in enhancing their achievement and social-emotional adjustment? How should educational placement decisions be made? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter will take a historical look at federal legislation impacting gifted child education and discuss the current status of gifted education across the states. The legal processes that parents can utilize in seeking appropriate identification and services for their gifted children will follow along with the role of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in resolving disputes pertaining to gifted students. Future policy issues in gifted education will also be explored. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The young people about whom this book is written share mainly the fact that, in one or more cognitive/academic domains, their development is advanced. Aside from this characteristic, however, they are as diverse as any group one can find-diverse in ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds and experiences, diverse in family composition and family dynamics, and diverse in aptitudes and creativity. They are just as diverse in motivation, energy, confidence, temperament, and social skills. Finally, they are diverse in the asynchronies they exhibit-some advanced in all cognitive domains (though seldom equally advanced in all) and others in only a few; some exhibiting maturity in social skills and emotional self-regulation at a level commensurate with their mental age and many somewhere between mental age (MA) and chronological age (CA) in this respect; some only age-appropriate in fine and/or gross motor skills; and so on. Complicate this with their degree of advancement or giftedness, gender-related issues, age-related issues, and educational experience as well as peer groups, and it is easy to see that any generalizations about social issues need to be tempered by significant caution! The focus of this chapter is deliberately limited to the social world of gifted children, that is, their interpersonal relationships. Because other chapters deal with intrapersonal or emotional issues, with family issues, and with specific populations such as females/males, ethnic groups, underserved populations, and the highly gifted, these topics are touched on here only tangentially. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Psychologists show great curiosity about the world and human behavior. They are forever asking Why? Or What? Or How? about various aspects of human behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that they respond enthusiastically to some of the questions surrounding the behavior of those labeled as gifted and talented in our society. As we shall see in this volume there are more psychologists intrigued by these questions than are actively working on them but that is due to the vagaries of funding, access, and other technical matters. Some of the key questions posed in this handbook are: • Who are the gifted? • How do we identify gifted? • What are the key characteristics of gifted students? • Where does giftedness emerge from? • Can we suppress giftedness? • Can we enhance giftedness? • Can we design public policy to favor students? All of these issues will be discussed in greater length in the following chapters but we propose to provide an overview of what is necessary to answer these questions and provide some understanding of why we stand at this point in history. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The family has very powerful effects on the developing child, impacting attitudes, beliefs, opportunities, habits, and personality traits. The family plays a critical role in determining who a child becomes and what he or she accomplishes. For a child with talent, the influence of the family can be the determining factor as to whether the ability is developed to a high level or not. We all know individuals who are very accomplished and successful despite less than advantageous family circumstances or even truly awful ones and similarly, individuals with seemingly loving and supportive families who do not live up to their potential. In this chapter, we will explore some of the reasons why these different outcomes occur with a focus on the psychological aspects of family functioning as they affect talent development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This chapter will present a brief history of tests of intelligence or cognitive abilities, particularly as to how they have been used in identification of students with gifts. Next, the chapter will explore theories of intelligence and how they have influenced the most commonly used measures of cognitive abilities. In addition, there is a discussion of some of the strengths and weaknesses of common measures of intelligence or cognitive abilities for gifted identification and how these tests can be used as part of a comprehensive assessment to develop a learning profile of a student. Finally, there is a discussion of some of the challenging and controversial issues facing those who use intelligence or cognitive abilities measures to identify students who have gifts, cultural factors in tests, and methods of testing and identifying students with both gifts and disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

This study reports on an analysis of the standardization sample of a rating scale designed to assist in identification of gifted students. The Gifted Rating Scales--Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness designed for preschool and kindergarten students. Results provide support for: the internal structure of the scale; no age differences across the 3-year age span 4:0-6:11; gender differences on only one of the five scales; artistic talent; and small but statistically significant race/ethnicity differences with Asian Americans rated, on average, 1.5 scale-score points higher than whites and Native Americans and 7 points higher than African American and Hispanic students. The present findings provide support for the GRS-P as a valid screening test for giftedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Considering this orientation to gifted learners and their needs, this chapter will (1) examine the philosophical underpinnings of curriculum for gifted learners, (2) discuss the research base of various curriculum models, (3) examine embedded affective curriculum options for gifted learners, (4) share ideas for evaluating the implementation and the effectiveness of curricular and affective components of an overall schoolwide system of service for gifted learners, and (5) describe implications for support personnel like counselors and psychologists for working with gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Part of this chapter is a revision of an article published in the Annual Review of Psychology (Robinson & Clinkenbeard, 1998). We thank Annual Reviews Inc. for permission to adapt that material. Across centuries and cultures, exceptional performances and performers have intrigued scholars, practitioners, and the general public. Whatever the domain, high-level achievements interest people, sometimes as a model to emulate, sometimes as an area of inquiry, sometimes as a curiosity. Theoretically, the modern study of giftedness is related to the psychology of individual differences. In the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries, the psychological constructs of intelligence, creativity, and motivation provided the foundation for understanding giftedness. There are, however, earlier conceptions of extraordinary people and performances that have influenced our perspectives on giftedness as well. This chapter reviews briefly the historical interest in giftedness to the nineteenth century, shares four biographical summaries that illustrate key issues in the twentieth-century history of gifted education, offers a review of cognitive and affective variables which have historically been used to study giftedness, and concludes with attention to issues of particular interest to psychologists and mental health professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Preparation of this chapter was supported, in part, by the Jacqueline Anne Morris Memorial Foundation's "Children's Policy and Research Project" at the University of Arizona. In this chapter, we discuss the ethical and professional practice issues associated with the provision of educational assessment and intervention services to gifted children. We first begin with a discussion and commentary on the issues surrounding the definition of the term "giftedness," followed by discussions and commentaries on the ethical and professional practice issues pertaining to the assessment and identification of gifted children, as well as the associated placement and curriculum issues that may arise. The chapter closes with a brief discussion of issues associated with providing counseling services to gifted children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

First, "giftedness" is a label-nothing more. We are frequently asked whether such-and-such or so-and-so child is gifted. The answer depends on the criteria one sets. But there is no one absolute or "correct" set of criteria. Criteria for such labeling are a matter of opinion, nothing more, and there are many disagreements as to how the label should be applied. Second, the label can be applied in either a more general or a more specific way. The more general way implies that giftedness is relatively general across many domains--that is, someone is either gifted or not. On this view, someone who is gifted is gifted very broadly. The more specific way implies that giftedness is something that is potentially limited to one or several narrow domains-for example, verbal skills; or within the verbal domain, writing skills; or within the writing domain, fiction--writing skills. Indeed, relatively few successful fiction writers are also successful nonfiction writers, and vice versa. Third, conceptions of giftedness can and do change over time and place. At times in the past, a child's ability rapidly to learn classical Greek and Latin might be viewed as an important sign of giftedness. Today, such an ability generally would be relatively less valued. Similarly, the skills that lead a child to be labeled as gifted might be different in a hunting and gathering village in rural Tanzania than in urban Los Angeles. Fourth, conceptions of giftedness can be based on either explicit theories or implicit theories of giftedness. An explicit theory is one proposed by a scientist or educator who has studied giftedness and has arrived at a conception of giftedness that has been subject to some kind of empirical test. An implicit theory is simply a layperson's conception of a phenomenon. It has no explicit scientific basis. It might be looked at as a "pragmatic" conception rather than as one based on rigorous research. As we review conceptions of giftedness, keep in mind the four constraints above. The chapter does not provide final "answers," because there are no such answers. Rather, each reader will have to decide for him- or herself which conception or conceptions he or she finds to be compelling. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

We have gained profound respect for the 5000 families served by the Gifted Development Center over the last 28 years. These unsung heroes have an uphill battle convincing educators that their children have legitimate needs. They often face a wall of resistance, if not outright hostility. Would those who claim, "All our children are gifted" be as likely to say, "All our children are retarded"? While gifted children have parents and some teachers who advocate for them, their parents may have no advocates at all. Parents of the gifted need as much support as their children. As the primary influence in their children's lives, they should be perceived as partners in the emotional and academic development of their children. Parents have fought for provisions for the gifted and are invaluable allies in keeping special programs alive. They need practitioners who care not only about their offspring, but also about them. Everyone who serves gifted children needs to become an advocate for the parents of these children. Although empirical research on the issues of gifted families is sparse (Moon, 2003), there is ample clinical research on the types of support needed by families of the gifted. Parents often seek psychological services to (a) confirm their child's giftedness, (b) guide them in parenting, (c) determine an educational path, (d) help them advocate more effectively, (e) locate available resources, (f) deal with family dynamics, (g) provide home stimulation, and (h) obtain guidance with specific issues, such as underachievement (see Chapter 8), finding friends (see Chapter 3), twice exceptionality (see Chapter 7), and, occasionally, undeveloped potential in the parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the current state of the art regarding counseling gifted students. The chapter begins by giving clinicians an overview of the developmental issues facing gifted students and the typical presenting problems of this population when they seek assistance from counselors. Then counseling models that have been described in some depth in the literature are reviewed in three categories: individual, family, and group. Finally, implications for practice, training, and research are discussed. It is hoped that the chapter will serve as a rough guide for practicing clinicians and encourage university-based counselors and psychologists to initiate programmatic research to test interventions with this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

After a brief overview of recent research paradigms in the field of giftedness and talent, this chapter centers on the following main topics: 1. Multidimensional conceptions of giftedness as theoretical basis and preconditions of suitable identification procedures and educational measurements. 2. Functions and benefits versus dangers of identification measures as well as of gifted education and programming versus omission of them. 3. Methodological problems of identification, e.g., for educational programs (talent search), early identification and nurturing, dynamic assessment and nurturing at-risk groups (gifted underachievers, gifted females, etc.) or prediction of excellence in school, higher education, and work. 4. Programs and strategies for nurturing intelligence, creativity, social competence, etc., including cross-cultural studies in gifted education. 5. Counseling aspects of gifted education as tasks of school psychologists, e.g., career counseling with gifted, counseling with families (parents), school counseling programs for gifted students. 6. Practical recommendations for (school) psychologists who are responsible for identifying and nurturing gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)