Identification in Gifted and Talented Education

1. Identification in Gifted and Talented Education EDPS 540 Rebecca L. Mann

2. The most important question… Identification for what? • Make sure that your identification process matches your program goals. • If you identify mathematical giftedness, the child should be participating in a math based program. Often, we identify students with very diverse talents and then expect them to excel in one kind of program. • If you have an academic gifted program, your identification process should look for students with academic strengths. • If you have a program that stresses creativity, your identification process should look for highly creative students. Most of these students will be overlooked if you use test scores as your main means of selection.

3. Identification Principles • The identification process should never be finished; it should be flexible and continuous. • Use information from a variety of sources. • Make sure that your identification process has provisions for locating gifted students from underserved populations.

4. Identification Process Screening tools used for identification: Testing - make sure the tests are: Valid – Is the test valid? Does it measure what you want it to measure? Reliable – Is the test reliable? Are scores consistent? Will you likely get a similar score for an individual on repeated administrations of the test? Nominations – Teacher, Parent, Self, Peer Product Evaluations – portfolios Rating Scales – i.e. SRBCSS Matrix i.e. Baldwin Identification Matrix Talent Pool – multiple criteria – safety valves

5. NAGC - Five Guiding Principles of Student Identification • A comprehensive and cohesive process for student nomination must be coordinated in order to determine eligibility for gifted education services. • Instruments used for student assessment to determine eligibility for gifted education services must measure diverse abilities, talents, strengths, and needs in order to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate any strengths. • A student assessment profile of individual strengths and needs must be developed to plan appropriate intervention. • All student identification procedures and instruments must be based on current theory and research. • Written procedures for student identification must include at the very least provisions for informed consent, student retention, student reassessment, student exiting, and appeals procedures.

6. Renzulli Identification System