Talent Development

● Goals of talent development are:

○ To expose brightest students to gifted pedagogy and rigorous instruction.

■ Even if not identified as gifted, the rigor is upped.

■ Strengthen academic knowledge, experience, and inquiry.

○ Develop thinking skills and divergent reasoning.

○ Promoting student success.

○ Allowing students to feel seen and valued through the recognition of their talents.

● Talent definition is the practice of supporting and guiding students and transforming and

growing in their strengths.

● To advance and support students' gifts and talents to promote productivity in society.

● Work with students through their strengths.

● Gifted and general education teachers working together to promote strengths and

acknowledge deficits, as well as make proper accommodations.

● Allows for the increase in understanding of general education teachers for gifted

characteristics.

● Students who are particularly talented may not have been nominated for gifted testing.

● Students from underrepresented groups are less likely to be identified as gifted.

● The Talented development program hopes to enhance the skills of students for when they

are tested for giftedness again (who were not identified).

● Talent development brings out benefits for students who are not regarded as traditionally

gifted.

● TD provides a pathway for students to feel seen and valued.

● Talent development in schools is focused on the younger levels of elementary school,

many of which being focused on K-1.

○ Some schools use universal screeners.

○ Belief that the primary years allow for the most growth.

● High school talent development program yielded positive results for students.

● All schools meet on a weekly basis to build familiarity and understanding.

● A large limiting factor in the implementation of the talent development program is the

qualified personnel in the school itself.

● How do you start a talent development program?

○ Begin with the group or grade of students you wish to serve.

○ Ask which skills you wish to foster.

○ Create your own curriculum, or draw them from other resources.

○ Consider strengths, trends, and needs.

○ Consider the validity of the curriculum and if it will benefit the students.

○ Discuss with principal and administrative personnel as well as general education

teachers.

● When creating a talent development program, consider the staff and the availability of

teachers to aid in the implementation of the talent development program.

● It is extremely beneficial to implement workshops, information sessions, training etc. for

general education teachers to better understand the characteristics of gifted children.