Gifted and Talented Education

“Gifted and Talented Children” means children and, wherever applicable, youths, who are identified at the preschool, elementary, or secondary level as possessing; demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, specific academic or leadership ability, or in the visual and performing arts, and who by reason thereof require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school. (Marilyn Friend pg. 483)  

talented –adjective having talent or special ability; gifted. gifted  –adjective 1.having great special talent or ability: the debut of a gifted artist. 2.having exceptionally high intelligence: gifted children. talented  –adjective having talent or special ability; gifted. General Intellectual Ability Specific academic aptitude  Creative or Productive thinking Leadership ability Visual and Performing arts

Myth or Reality Creativity tests are an effective means of identifying artistically gifted and talented students. Myth (Clark & Zimmerman, 1992).

Myth: Caution should be exercised in using creativity tests as a means of identifying artistically gifted and talented students. Creativity tests are used to measure problem solving skills and divergent thinking abilities applicable to a variety of situations. Many contemporary researchers and writers, however, have asserted that the concept of creativity often is poorly understood and poorly defined and that there are no reports of the validity of creativity tests in predicting success in gifted and talented programs for students with high abilities in visual arts (Clark & Zimmerman, 1992).

Reality Myth or Reality In identifying artistically gifted and talented students, attention should be paid to potential and works in progress as well as to final performance and products. Reality (Clark & Zimmerman, 1992).

Reality: Many programs for artistically gifted and talented students are based upon defining art talent as the ability to create a superior product or perform in a distinguished manner. Many art educators are now eliminating such requirements; they are expressing concern for students' interest and desire to participate and their potential for performance. Researchers will be challenged to develop methods of identifying students with potential to perform at high levels of ability in the visual arts and at the same time access emerging skills, cognitive abilities, and affective abilities through work in progress, as well as final products (Clark & Zimmerman, 1992).

Reality Myth or Reality In exemplary programs for gifted and talented students, the provision of challenges and choices are major influences on increasing student achievement and motivation. Reality

Reality: Themes in exemplary gifted and talented programs identified included: Leadership (strong administrative voice to represent and implement the program); Atmosphere and Environment (supportive, accepting, and positive throughout the school); Communication (clear and frequent between and among parents, teachers, students, and administrators); Curriculum and Instruction (teachers' flexibility in matching to student needs); and Attention to Student Needs (commitment to serving students from traditionally underrepresented populations). In addition, the exemplary programs were found to influence student achievement and motivation through exposure to challenge and choices.

How is the search and results of gifted and talented students affected/compromised by the methods of testing and resources available?

Testing How can we fully assess the range of someone's intelligence?

Some students do better on performing tasks (problem solving, music, ect.) as apposed to standardized testing. (Marilyn Friend pg 492) Suggestions lean toward two forms of testing – portfolio and performance based. Students may be gifted across many subject areas or in a specific area Tests were made for the first group Many students were missed during testing Students who needed specialized opportunities wouldn’t be realized

Qualifying gifted students Two stage assessment process General aptitude test Advance off-level test to get better description of their abilities PLUS test School and College Ability Test SCAT SAT

Measures to match Programs Whatever the emphasis of the program is, should be tested for in the assessment

High ability does not constitute giftedness Factors to be taken into consideration during the assessment process Motivation Concentration Persistence Personality

Equity Rely on cut off scores or sets of info Helps understand that giftedness has many dimensions Addresses concerns about those with potential that has yet been developed

Authentic Assessment Clearly resembles the actual curriculum and instruction students experience in schools Writing Essays Debating Creating Portfolios

Dynamic Assessment Ongoing identification of students learning needs and abilities How much students improve based on skill instruction Test, teach skills to them, test them again

Spatial Ability Capability to mentally visualize and manipulate objects The ravens matrices are multiple choice tests of abstract reasoning, originally developed by Dr John C. Raven in 1938. In each test item, a candidate is asked to identify the missing segment required to complete a larger pattern. Many items are presented in the form of a 3x3 or 2x2 matrix, giving the test its name.

What is considered in the gifted range? Highly Gifted – 145 - 160

Four tests used to measure intelligence Wechsler tests Standford Binet 4 Standford Binet LM Standford Binet 5

Not effective to measure giftedness Wechsler tests Made for the “norm population” Scores from 70-130 Standford Binet 4 Low ceiling making it impossible to measure gifted ability

Standford Binet LM revision of the Standford Binet 4 Negative aspects Normed in 1972 “sexist, morbid, outdated” “the specific strengths and normative sample was entirely Caucasian; weaknesses cannot be compared easily” “It is not user-friendly--in fact, it's a nightmare to learn to administer; scoring and interpretation require subjective judgment…” “produces one global IQ-score” Positive aspects Test questions are presented in mixed order unlike the Wechsler tests Easier for younger children by not being such a uninteresting test Designed to identify gifted children

Most updated successful test to measure giftedness Standford Binet 5 Capable of accessing if a child is gifted and if so how gifted