1. Identification of High Potential Students
Scaling-Up Project CRITICAL
Harlem Renaissance Technology Center
August 22, 2007
Sheelah Sweeny
University of Connecticut

2. Two Types of Giftedness
Schoolhouse or lesson-learning giftedness
Creative/Productive giftedness

3. Conservative vs. Liberal Identification Methods
IQ/Cognitive test scores only
Top 1%-5% of student population
Under representation of culturally, linguistically, economically diverse & twice exceptional students
Liberal
Multiple identification criteria
Top 10%-15% of student population
More inclusive

4. Factors Influencing Gifted Behavior
Personality Factors
Perception of Self, Self-Efficacy
Courage
Character
Intuition
Charm/Charisma
Need for Achievement
Ego Strength
Energy
Sense of Destiny
Personal Attractiveness
Environmental Factors
SES
Parental Personalities
Education of Parents
Stimulation of Childhood Interests
Family Position
Formal Education
Role Model Availability
Physical Illness and/or Well Being
Chance Factors
Zeitgeist

5. Above Average Ability: Characteristics
General Ability
High levels of abstract thinking, verbal & numerical reasoning, spatial relations, memory and word fluency
Adapts to novel situations
Automization of information processing; rapid, accurate & selective retrieval of information
Above Average Ability

6. Above Average Ability: Characteristics
Specific Ability
Application of various combinations of general abilities to one or more specialized areas of knowledge or performance
Capacity for acquiring and using advanced knowledge, techniques, logistics and strategies
Capacity to determine relevance of information
Above Average Ability

7. Task Commitment: Characteristics
High levels of interest, enthusiasm, fascination, & involvement
Shows perseverance, endurance, determination, hard work & dedicated practice
Self-confident, belief in own ability, driven to achieve
Ability to identify problems; tune in to new developments in field
Sets high standards, open to criticism, developing sense of taste, quality & excellence about work products
Task Commitment

8. Creativity: Characteristics
Fluency, flexibility & originality of thought
Openness to experience; receptive to new and different thoughts, actions & products
Curious, speculative, adventurous, and “mentally playful”; willing to take risks in thought and action; uninhibited
Sensitive to detail, aesthetic characteristics of ideas and things; willing to act on and react to external stimulation and own ideas and feelings
Creativity

9. Three Ring Conception of Giftedness
Giftedness Is Evident

10. Under Certain Circumstances
Giftedness Appears… C A U I T P
At Certain Times
In Certain People
Under Certain Circumstances

11. Identifying Talent Pool Students
What are we looking for?
Learning Profile?
Personality Traits?
IQ?

12. Decision #1 - Before Choosing an Identification Model
What organizational model(s) will we use?
How do we group kids and move them around?
How many students can we provide services so that we have a “Visibility of Effect?”
What pedagogical model(s) will guide our work?
What we do with kids within any grouping or organizational patterns. (e.g. Johns Hopkins, Mentor Connection)

14. My Golden Rule of Gifted Education
There should be a direct relationship between the identification system and the types of services provided by the program!
-Joe Renzulli

15. The Renzulli Identification System
Based on the 3-Ring Conception of Giftedness & the Enrichment Triad Model
Strives for equity, excellence & economy
Designed to be flexible (e.g. to follow state guidelines on cut-off scores)
Based on research of behavioral characteristics of highly creative & productive people

16. The Renzulli Identification System Goals:
Develop creativity and/or task commitment in Talent Pool students & other students who come to an educator’s attention through alternate means of identification
Provide learning experiences & support systems that promote interaction of creativity, task commitment, & above average ability
Provide opportunities, resources, & encouragement for the development & application of gifted behaviors

17. Identification Considerations
There is no perfect identification system!
There should be a direct relationship between the identification system and the services to be provided to develop the students’ gifts and talents.
The system does not determine if a student is “gifted” or “not gifted.” Rather, it identifies students who would benefit most from supplementary services.

18. Identification Considerations
The difference between high performance and high potential is critical:
high potential students may require different kinds of programming options than high performing students
Establish local norms
use grade level, similarity of learning opportunities & background characteristics rather than national norms

19. Identification Considerations
Target specific behaviors and potentials rather than using generic labels (e.g. moderately gifted, highly gifted)
Label the services, not the students
The program must have “Visibility of Effect”

20. 5 Things to Avoid Criticisms of “watering down”
Getting into legal difficulties (bumper sticker parents)
Pitting parents of advantaged children against parents of disadvantaged children
Leading people to believe that any one instrument is the answer to identification
Proliferating the amount of paperwork

21. Decision #2 - Make Before Proceeding to Identification
Determine size of Talent Pool
Number of students you can serve and be able to achieve “Visibility of Effect”
Effect of direct & indirect services you can develop through schoolwide involvement of other teachers & outside resources
Planned growth over time

22. Talent Pool Membership
Students who demonstrate above average ability on cognitive tests
Students who would most benefit from supplementary services
May be based on state guidelines

23. Renzulli Identification System 99th %ile
[Approximately 50% of
Test Score Criteria
The Talent Pool]
Non-Test Criteria
Total Talent Pool Consists of Approximately 15% of the General Population
Renzulli Identification System
Step 1
99th
%ile
92nd
Test Score
Nominations
[Automatic, and Based on
Local Norms]
Step 2
Teacher Nominations
[Automatic Except in Cases of Teachers
Who Are Over or Under Nominators]
Step 3
Alternative Pathways
Case Study
Special Nominations
Step 4
Case Study
Notification of Parents
Step 5
Action Information Nominations
Step 6

24. Alternate Pathways May include:
parent, peer and self nominations
Creativity assessments
Product evaluations
Other measures
Allow for non-traditional students to receive services

25. Two Types of Identification
Status Information -- Anything you can put down on paper beforehand that tells you something about the student.
2. Action Information -- Things that you can only document when they are happening or after they happen.

26. Status Information Grades Test scores Student work samples
Interest, learning styles & expression style surveys
Teacher input (any/all teachers)
Parent input
Students’ self-nomination
Peer nominations

27. Action Information Teacher observations Conversations Interviews
Work habits
Thinking
Questioning
Leadership qualities
Peer interactions
Skill development
Conversations
Interviews
Video/audio recordings

28. Identifying Talent Pool Students
Local decision for criteria
Use multiple criteria
Look beyond the obvious - look for potential as well as talent that is already developed

29. Identifying Talent Pool Students
Local decision for criteria
Use multiple criteria
Look beyond the obvious - look for potential as well as talent that is already developed

30. Decision #2 - Make Before Proceeding to Identification
Determine size of Talent Pool
Number of students you can serve and be able to achieve “Visibility of Effect”
Effect of direct & indirect services you can develop through schoolwide involvement of other teachers & outside resources
Planned growth over time

31. Talent Pool Membership
Students who demonstrate above average ability on cognitive tests
Students who would most benefit from supplementary services
May be based on state guidelines

32. Renzulli Identification System 99th %ile
[Approximately 50% of
Test Score Criteria
The Talent Pool]
Non-Test Criteria
Total Talent Pool Consists of Approximately 15% of the General Population
Renzulli Identification System
Step 1
99th
%ile
92nd
Test Score
Nominations
[Automatic, and Based on
Local Norms]
Step 2
Teacher Nominations
[Automatic Except in Cases of Teachers
Who Are Over or Under Nominators]
Step 3
Alternative Pathways
Case Study
Special Nominations
Step 4
Case Study
Notification of Parents
Step 5
Action Information Nominations
Step 6

33. Alternate Pathways May include:
parent, peer and self nominations
Creativity assessments
Product evaluations
Other measures
Allow for non-traditional students to receive services

34. Top 1% IQ
Reading, Writing, Math
Top 5-10% IQ
Reading, Writing, Math
Top 10-15%
Alternate
Pathways

35. Two Types of Identification
Status Information -- Anything you can put down on paper beforehand that tells you something about the student.
2. Action Information -- Things that you can only document when they are happening or after they happen.

36. Status Information Grades Test scores Student work samples
Interest, learning styles & expression style surveys
Teacher input (any/all teachers)
Parent input
Students’ self-nomination
Peer nominations

37. Action Information Teacher observations Conversations Interviews
Work habits
Thinking
Questioning
Leadership qualities
Peer interactions
Skill development
Conversations
Interviews
Video/audio recordings

38. Don’t go. I’m sure page 3 of Billy’s Gifted Matrix Checklist No. 5
Don’t go! I’m sure page 3 of Billy’s Gifted Matrix Checklist No. 5.3 (a) is in here somewhere.

44. Other Tools
Additional information that can help to identify individual strengths that guide differentiation for high performance and high potential students within the gifted program and in general education…