Chapter 2 Following a Plan : Pursuing a Model of Giftedness

Similar to the job each airline crew member needs to perform in preparation for a flight take-off, a school district also needs to pursue an action plan for identifying and educating its gifted students. This plan is commonly referred to as a ‘model’ or ‘framework.’ Because numerous international models of gifted identification exist, a school district must choose one that best addresses their particular student population and is inclusive to encourage participation from underserved populations. To make an informed decision about what model to select, members of the gifted identification screening committee need to prioritize criteria for identifying and educating their population of students who demonstrate characteristics of giftedness. They also need to consider how to develop these characteristics in all children to produce high learning performance.