Ziegler and Phillipson (Z&P) have provided a valuable discussion of the identification and development of giftedness under a systemic umbrella, including issues of differing theoretical approaches and efficacy. This commentary considers their discussion within a novel systemic framework that links also individuals and environment, but in terms of interacting information processing systems. Gifted education, in this framework, involves developing interacting systems that give rise to culturally-valuable performances (actions). The broad framework, however, suggests an emphasis on the identification and improvement of culturally-valuable performance, rather than trying to identify giftedness "per se". For a teacher, this includes aligning societies goals with those of the gifted student so that these individuals feel that their school life is of benefit to them, and it may be valuable for Z&P to consider their view of goals in more general cognitive terms, before applying them to gifted education. Further testing of this systemic approach, such as seen in Zeigler and Stoeger (2008), in teaching practice may need to consider such generalist approaches.