Every school has students who possess exceptional abilities; who can be considered gifted and talented. Students with special gifts and talents come from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Cohen, 1990). Yet as the number of Hispanic English language learners increases across the country, the number identified as gifted remains the same…

A persistent problem in education is underrepresentation of certain cultural and linguistic groups such as American Indian, African American, and Hispanic, in special programs for exceptionally talented students, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The spatial analytical task, a performance-based assessment with…

A search of the literature from the past 30 years reveals that there is a dearth of research surrounding effective interventions for intellectually gifted children in the early childhood years. The findings of 11 empirical studies of educational provisions for young gifted children were located and the methodological rigor of the studies examined.…

Typical standardized achievement tests cannot provide accurate information about gifted students' abilities because they are not challenging enough for such students. Talent searches solve this problem through above-level testing--using tests designed for older students to raise the ceiling for younger, gifted students. Currently, talent search…

This publication provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in dance. All personnel who are developing district identification procedures and trained individuals who will be involved in the screening and identification of gifted children in the area of dance should read this handbook.…

This handbook provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in drama. To be effective, the screening and identification process requires participation by personnel with expertise in the characteristics of gifted students, assessment, and drama. The handbook begins with an overview of the…

This handbook provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in music. All personnel who are developing district identification procedures and trained individuals who will be involved in the screening and identification of gifted children in the area of music should read this handbook. To…

The paper describes methods of identifying giftedness, instruments for assessing creativity, and the need for a single measure of many different kinds of talent. Development of the Khatena-Morse Multitalent Perception Inventory, which identifies talent in the areas of art, music, leadership, and creativity, is discussed. (JDD)

Strategies are discussed that provide a theoretically sound, valid, and practical framework for evaluating the processes used in identifying gifted/talented students. The strategies stress assessing the relevance of instruments used, their reliability and validity, their limitations, and using a variety of evaluation techniques. (JDD)

This article summarizes Renzulli's Revolving Door Identification Model, an approach to the identification of gifted and talented students. It then investigates reasons for its popularity, addresses criticisms leveled against the model, and assesses its validity and utility for identifying and serving gifted students. (Author/JDD)

This digest briefly discusses the identification of students who are gifted, difficulties in the identification process, appropriate identification practices, and procedures that can help with identification. First, it stresses that identification must be the means to securing appropriate services for the student, not an end in itself. The paper…

This brief article reviews the literature on the relative importance of genetic or environmental influences on intelligence. It concludes that: (1) giftedness has various expressions; (2) intelligence encompasses a wide range of human abilities; (3) both subjective and objective assessment techniques should be used; and (4) all ethnicities have…

Issues in current methods of identifying gifted students include the referral process (e.g., problems with establishing a referral rate) and selection standards (problems of criteria, educational setting, level, bias, instruments, and decisions). An ongoing continuing screening process and education of decision makers about sound measurement…

The state of South Carolina enacted the Educational Improvement Act of 1984 which mandated the identification of young students gifted in the visual and performing arts. This practicum sought to effectively identify South Carolina children in grades 1-3 who were gifted and talented in art, music, drama, and dance. The program used an…

This Handbook, "Identification of Children Who Are Gifted in the Visual Arts: Implementation Handbook for Educators" provides arts specialists and gifted coordinators with procedures for identifying students who are gifted in art. To be effective, the screening and identification process requires participation by personnel with expertise…