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Both qualitative and quantitative longitudinal studies of school-wide enrichment model (SEM) gifted programs demonstrate positive outcomes in cognitive, affective, and social development of participating students. The participants increased their college and work aspirations, and maintained interests and creative productive work that begin in gifted programs after they finished college and graduate school. It is our hope that more schools and districts will continue to implement talent development programs based on the SEM in the years to come, whether as part of gifted or enrichment programs, magnet or theme schools, or as a part of a general education program. During the last decade, several Renzulli Academies, schools based on the SEM using the SEM-based strategies and methods described in this chapter, have been developed, focusing on the pedagogy described in this chapter for high-potential students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In the Achievement Orientation Model, giftedness involves performance, rather than some measure of potential. Although we agree that individuals vary greatly on their potential to achieve, ultimately their accomplishments determine their giftedness rather than their latent potential. Therefore, our model supports a developmental perspective of giftedness that fits well with the work of those who support a talent development approach to giftedness. Although we do not attempt to address who is or is not gifted with our model, we do address what attitudes and beliefs gifted individuals possess when they pursue achievement. The Achievement Orientation Model addresses the beliefs individuals have about themselves and their environment when those conditions exist. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Athletic talent development typically follows a similar path (often conceptualized as a pyramid) regardless of the sport of interest. At the base, we find children engaged in play or recreation, with local clubs and high school sports typically forming the next level. Some young athletes are identified for entry into elite programs, such as traveling teams or Olympic development programs. From there, athletes join regional or college teams. Next may come a pre-elite level. Finally, the tip of the pyramid is the elite level comprised of professional and Olympic athletes. To understand effective talent development, it is important to first take a critical look at this traditional pathway. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight three acceleration interventions, (a) above-level testing, (b) content acceleration in math, and, (c) Advanced Placement. Each intervention is practical in its approach and grounded in university-based partnerships. The identification process for each of the three interventions varies. However, the goal of each intervention is to address the needs of academically talented students through one or more forms of acceleration. Although we do not adhere to a single definition of gifted and talented, we regard a gifted student as an individual who is ready to learn advanced material, in more depth, at a faster rate, and earlier age than their grade cohort or their age-peers. These are students who are typically considered very high achievers, a concept that is operationalized through their performance on grade-level standardized tests. Typically, these high achievers earn scores that are near or have hit the ceiling of the grade-level test. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

It is a grave understatement and injustice to ignore a long-term reality that certain students of color (i.e.. Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans) have historically been relegated to a footnote and/or second-class status in gifted education definitions, theories, measures, and policies. Early scholarship on intelligence, and, thus, giftedness, all but ignored cultural variables. Hence, many students of color were (and are) significantly underrepresented in gifted education; this is particularly the case for Blacks and Hispanics. In this chapter, we present three frameworks to help gifted educators become culturally responsive and equitable: (1) Ford's Venn diagram of culturally responsive gifted education applied to characteristics, referrals, definitions, philosophy, evaluation, and curriculum; (2) an equity formula adopted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and (3) Ford's revised Bloom-Banks Matrix. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Gifted people have a special responsibility to use their talent to participate in finding out novel solutions to the challenges of our century. This chapter focuses on the practices of talent support actions that may foster contemplation, creative; deep thinking; and deliberative discussions of gifted people. Importantly, the chapter links these practices to the development of wisdom, as an emergent property of mind that can be obtained by the successful integration of life experiences, where success means a balanced, impartial, and independent life and is guided by universal love—as explained in the next section. Summarizing three case studies of talent support programs, this chapter shows that developing deep thinking and wisdom is an important, but heretofore not well-developed, aspect of gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The Autonomous Learner Model incorporates the needs of the whole gifted child, looking at giftedness and potential. This model moves beyond the label of "gifted and talented" to understanding giftedness as an integral part of who the learner truly is. A brief description of the model's five dimensions and four domains follows. These dimensions will be discussed in detail in the application section of this chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

The premise is that gifted education should have the same goal as any other educational intervention or curriculum in schools—that is, to assure that all students are challenged in their learning to the degree necessary to develop to their full potential. To meet this goal, we argue that gifted education programs and services are needed only when and if students are not otherwise having their instructional needs met. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Unfortunately, an approach to talent identification that suggests that individuals either are or are not gifted fails to recognize the complex nature of cognitive abilities and the many factors that influence the development of those abilities in children and adolescents. Although talent search programs do require certain scores for eligibility for their programs, the purpose of the talent search assessment is not to determine who is gifted, but to provide insight into students’ abilities so that academic needs can be met in school and elsewhere through appropriate programmatic options. There is much in this approach to talent identification and development that schools might replicate as they seek to address the needs of students who exhibit advanced academic abilities and/or achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In this chapter, the integrative model of talent development (IMTD), and especially its differentiating model of giftedness and talent (DMGT) component, will serve as the conceptual framework to answer the five following questions: (1) How does the DMGT distinguish gifts from talents? (2) How does the DMGT describe the talent development process? (3) Where do gifts come from; are they innate? (4) How can we best foster academic talent development? (5) What makes the DMGT/IMTD unique? (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Grouping used by teachers to address the diverse needs of their students and with aim to close the achievement gaps has become more popular recently and is one set of education strategies. Grouping can be used in schools to meet the needs of students with gifts and talents without incurring additional cost. However, grouping, and specifically, ability grouping, has been the subject of much and heated debate during the past three decades. Researchers from both sides of the ability grouping debate continue to discuss the pros and cons of its application in schools. As such, not all educators support the use of grouping, and further, not all forms of grouping strategies bring about the same results. For grouping strategies to appropriately meet the needs of students with gifts and talents, there are more factors to consider than simply putting students of similar levels of academic achievement together. Namely, curriculum and instruction has to be adjusted to accommodate the needs of these students, and care must be taken to ensure that other students receive appropriately enriched instruction and interesting curriculum so that they have a high-quality education that promotes academic growth and achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Our goal in this chapter is to share a sociocultural perspective on gifted education and talent development that addresses the importance of context in children's development. Indeed, we believe context should be the primary concern of educators working with advanced students. We begin by defining our terms, followed by a summary of sociocultural perspectives on talent development. The chapter closes with an examination of the implications of this perspective for educators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Imagine a scenario where you wake up as principal of an elementary school. You are standing in front of parents explaining the implementation of a new gifted program. In this dream, you are describing to the audience how you will be serving high IQ children with a daily program designed to enhance and support the participating children’s gifts. The next night you are once again in the limelight at a parent meeting rationalizing a new program for mathematically talented students, selected by virtue of demonstrated interest, achievement, and creativity in mathematics. What arguments would you use in each case? Which program would be easier for you to explain to the parents and to other audiences in your professional world? We hope in this chapter to acknowledge drawbacks while leaving readers as supporters of the domain-specific talent development approach to gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

When educational opportunities at any level are not offered as part of the public educational system, then some families will seek them at their own cost and some will not or cannot. This is one of the reasons that educational achievement and family income are so highly correlated—money is often directly linked to access educational opportunity. Families who are aware of supplementary options, can afford them, have the time to seek them out and enroll their children in them, and are willing to do so even when such content is not part of the local school’s curriculum, will take advantage of such opportunities in order to further their child’s learning. Some of this is due to financial capital and some due to cultural capital—the culture of knowing and being willing to challenge the system. All parents would want to provide advanced opportunities to their children, but only some have that option due to financial, cultural, logistical, or political barriers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Giftedness is described as the possession and use of outstanding natural abilities, called aptitudes, in at least one ability domain [i.e., intellectual, creative, social, perceptive, muscular, or motor control] to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers. The definitions of giftedness that are adopted by schools and education systems provide a rationale and framework for the specific procedures to be used in the identification of gifted students. The identification of gifted students has always been a difficult exercise, due to factors such as the diverse range of gifted domains, the various levels of giftedness, and the existence of gifted students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic status backgrounds. Consequently, multiple identification tools, including objective instruments (e.g., IQ tests and achievement tests) and subjective instruments (e.g., teacher nominations, parent nominations, peer nominations, and portfolios of work), are recommended by scholars to accurately identify gifted students. Although substantial progress has been made in Australia in terms of practice and research in giftedness and gifted education, a number of areas are in need of further attention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

Epigenetics is a discipline that aims to demonstrate how environmental factors influence organisms on a molecular level by explaining how these factors can affect the expression of genes. Epigenetic changes are assumed to be heritable and reversible, thus challenging the central dogma of genetics. This dogma states that genes are transcribed and translated unidirectionally to proteins and the genetic code cannot be changed through environmental influences. In addition, in neurology it is believed that epigenetics partly explains the development of neurological conditions and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity. As many epigenetic changes happen in utero, maternal behaviour may affect brain development. This raises questions regarding the responsibility of the pregnant woman. In this chapter, I investigate first whether and how epigenetics complicates the question of maternal responsibility, if even behaviour of years before conception may have consequences for the wellbeing of the future child. To what extent is it an individual responsibility or a collective one? Second, by using the examples of autism and high intelligence (“giftedness”), I investigate the distinction between prevention and enhancement, and demonstrate the relevance for this discussion of classifying neurological difference as an identity rather than an affliction. By analysing different concepts and arguments, I highlight the need for a new framework for maternal, parental and collective responsibility that is applicable to the context of neurology, epigenetics and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

It is evident in the last two decades that there has been a sustained growth of knowledge and understanding of the diverse educational needs of gifted and talented students. An increasing number of teachers have become more conscious of supporting the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of their academically able students in our more competitive world. This has emerged largely from a small group of academics in universities in Australia and New Zealand who have conducted their research in the field of gifted education and talent development and shared their knowledge with their students at universities. By academics responding to teachers’, psychologists’, and educational administrators’ requests for professional learning in schools, there has been an expansion of the field of gifted educators at the state and national level. In addition, academics have worked with ministries of education in Australia and New Zealand to raise the awareness of gifted and talented students’ needs, and to create relevant policies with local departments of education. The development of these policies have varied in impact, yet these have had a significant influence on teachers’ acknowledging the importance of gifted and talented students’ educational needs in their care—at the early childhood level and within primary and secondary schools. Within Australia and New Zealand the egalitarian mantra is that gifted education tends to be favored within an inclusive education framework, yet, the research indicates that much of our successful education with these students takes place in selective environments, especially at the secondary level (Kaman & Kronborg, 2012; Kronborg & Plunkett, 2012, 2013). It will be interesting to see what research questions guide our investigations of the educational needs of gifted and talented students in the coming decade, as educators revise their pedagogy, curriculum, knowledge, and understanding of what gifted and talented students need to realize their talent potential. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

How we view young children matters. It influences ways we interact with, respond to, and predict outcomes of young children’s learning. We may think about the image of young children through a metaphor of lenses—with what lenses are children viewed? Are they seen as empty vessels to be filled with knowledge, or as competent and curious human beings, ready to explore the world around them? If children are viewed as gifted, or as having potential for advanced or accelerated work, does that change the teaching of and interactions with these children? In this chapter, we focus on young children (ages 3–8, preschool–third grade), excluding, for the most part, the development of infants and toddlers. Preschool-age children enter the world of academia expected to build kindergarten readiness skills. Many preschoolers already demonstrate mastery of academics, and show the need for a different type of preschool curriculum and instruction. However, others come to preschool from homes where English is not spoken, or from homes where parents did not have enough money or time to provide enriched learning experiences (e.g., travel, visits to the library, campouts in the woods). Do teachers view students who can already read and write as more intelligent or more gifted than those who have not yet been exposed to the types of experiences that would nourish and develop literacy and mathematical thinking? How do teachers view young children who are ahead of their peers—gifted, precocious, or advanced? How do those labels impact the teachers’ interactions and expectations of those students? Views and beliefs about people matter. Having high expectations for children impacts their academic achievement, and stereotype threat can influence achievement (Steele, 2011). Stereotype threat occurs when people are or feel themselves to be at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about their identities. In the case of gifted students, who have identities that relate to their intelligence, the way they view their own talents and intelligence impacts not only their achievement, but their willingness to attack challenging problems and grow (Dweck, 2006). Knowing how we think about children impacts our interactions and ultimately their outcomes; therefore, we must be cautious not to project stereotypes, biases, or labels on children. Instead, we must address all children with the intent to learn about them, to connect what they know with new knowledge, and to provide learning contexts that maximize their growth opportunities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

There is considerable diversity among South American countries in relation to regulations and procedures for identifying and developing giftedness in children and adolescents. The experiences of three South American countries (Brazil, Peru, and Uruguay) are described to illustrate the variety of approaches. Although these countries do not share the same cultural or linguistic backgrounds, there are commonalities among them regarding the development of gifted children and adolescents. Despite federal and state regulations regarding education for high-ability and gifted children, educators still face many challenges when implementing these laws, including myths regarding giftedness in the general population. Resources provided to public education in these countries are scarce, however several programs are being offered to improve motivation and excellence among gifted children and adolescents. The role of professional associations and research on giftedness is considered of vital importance to increase public awareness of the social and educational needs of this special population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)

In this chapter, we outline contemporary efforts to create and implement “alternative” models of gifted education identification or program selection. We address where these models have been successful and where they have stumbled, and on the basis of these findings, we offer recommendations for practice for psychologists and teachers who are charged with developing and implementing identification practices in K–12 schools. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)