GIFTED 101
WELCOME TO SMILEYTOWN!! 
You are on the Smileytown Gifted Selection Committee!!
1.
Review profiles of potential candidates for Smileytown School
District’s Gifted Program alongside fellow committee members.
2. Using what you know about giftedness, you and your group will
select 3 candidates to be admitted to the Smileytown Gifted
Program. Be able to justify your choices.
YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES!!!

WHO MADE THE CUT?
TIME TO SHARE!!!
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE
ANYWAY?
Hmmm…
Let’s put some names to these profiles!!
SO HOW DO WE DEFINE
“GIFTED”?
TN DEFINITION OF GIFTED
Intellectually Gifted’ means a child whose intellectual abilities and potential for
achievement are so outstanding that special provisions are required to meet the
child’s educational needs.”
(Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0520-1-9-.01)
GIFTED UNDER TN LAW
(TN Rule 0520-1-9-.02) (3) “Child with a disability” means a child with mental retardation, a
hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment
(including blindness), emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain
injury, other health impairment, specific learning disability, multiple disabilities, deaf blindness,
developmental delay, functional delay and intellectually gifted and who, by reason thereof, needs
special education and related services.
U.S. DEPT. OF ED. DEFINITION OF GIFTEDNESS
(1993)
“Children and youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential for performing at
remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or
environment. These children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual,
creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic
fields. They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools. Outstanding
talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in
all areas of human endeavor.”
BRIGHT VS. GIFTED
Is there a difference?
YOU DECIDE!!!
GIFTED CHARACTERISTICS
• Asynchronous
• Broad Knowledge Base
• Intense
• Sensitive
• Thrive on Complexity
• Multipotentiality
• Perfectionistic
• Conceptual Thinkers
• Large Vocabulary
• Academic Excellence
• Exceptional Creative Ability
• Leadership
• Curious
• Advanced Sense of Humor
CHARACTERISTICS
One aspect which sets apart gifted students from their fellow classmates is
their ability to make connections which others often fail to see.
MORE CHARACTERISTICS
• Widely read
• Intensity for learning within subject area(s)
• Prefers independent work
• Asks many probing questions
• Absorbs info quickly with limited exposure
• Requires little or no drilling
EVEN MORE CHARACTERISTICS
• Displays leadership qualities
• Shares knowledge “answers too often”
• Has large vocabulary
• Generates large number of ideas or solutions to problems
• Applies knowledge to unfamiliar situations
• Provides many written or oral details
EVEN MORE CHARACTERISTICS
• Benefits from rapid rate of presentation
• Has knowledge about things peers are unaware of
• Offers unusual or unique responses
TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL & STUDENTS OF
POVERTY
• Wide range of interests not necessarily related to school
• Specific talent with exceptional memory or knowledge
• Asynchronous
• Creative
• Unusual imagination
• Humorous in bizarre ways
• High energy levels
• Insightful
• Great story tellers
TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL & STUDENTS OF POVERTY
(CONT.)
• Discrepant scores
• Easily frustrated
• Difficulty expressing ideas
• Blame others for their problems
• Lower self-esteem
• Difficulty with Impulse/control
• Highly sensitive to criticism
• Poor social skills
• Lack of organizational skills
• Mismatch between talking and writing
SOME MYTHS ABOUT GIFTED
STUDENTS
Gifted kids don’t need help; they’ll do fine on their own:
Would you send a star athlete to train for the Olympics without a
coach? GT students need teachers who will challenge and support
them in order to fully develop their abilities. Many GT students
may be so far ahead of their same-age peers that they know more
than half of the grade-level curriculum before the school year
begins. Their resulting boredom and frustration can lead to low
achievement, despondency, or unhealthy work habits. The role of
the teacher is crucial for spotting and nurturing talents in school.
MORE MYTHS…
Gifted Students Make Everyone Else in the Class Smarter by
Providing a Role Model or a Challenge:
In reality, average or below-average students do not look to the
GT students in the class as role models. They are more likely to
model their behavior on those who have similar capabilities and
are coping well in school. Seeing a student at a similar
performance level succeed motivates students because it adds
to their own sense of ability. Watching or relying on someone
who is expected to succeed does little to increase a struggling
student’s sense of self-confidence. Similarly, GT students
benefit from classroom interactions with peers at similar
performance levels.
EVEN MORE MYTHS…
That student can’t be gifted; he’s receiving poor grades!!
Underachievement describes a discrepancy between a student’s
performance and his actual ability. The roots of this problem differ,
based on each child’s experiences. GT students may become bored or
frustrated in an unchallenging classroom situation causing them to lose
interest, learn bad study habits, or distrust the school environment.
Other students may mask their abilities to try to fit in socially with their
same-age peers. No matter the cause, it is imperative that a caring and
perceptive adult help GT learners break the cycle of underachievement
in order to achieve their full potential.
SO MANY MYTHS…
Gifted students are happy, popular, and well-adjusted in
school.
Many GT students flourish in their community and school environment.
However, some gifted children differ in terms of their emotional and
moral intensity, sensitivity to expectations and feelings, perfectionism,
and deep concerns about societal problems. Others do not share
interests with their classmates, resulting in isolation or being labeled
unfavorably as a “nerd.” Because of these difficulties, the school
experience is on to be endured rather than celebrated. It is estimated
that 20 – 25% of GT children have social and emotional difficulties,
about twice as many as in the general population of students .
CHALLENGES IN THE CLASSROOM
You may find that gifted students will finish their work
early, and after becoming bored, disrupt other class
members who are still working.
MORE CHALLENGES…
Teachers of gifted students are often required to show a great deal of patience as there may be
times when a student will correct a teacher’s mistakes in front of the class before considering the
consequences.
CHARACTERISTIC STRENGTHS &
POSSIBLE CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
STRENGTH
CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
Acquires & retains information quickly
Impatient with others & pace of
academics; dislikes basic routine
Emphasizes truth, equity, and fair play
Worries about humanitarian concerns
Seeks to organize people and things
Constructs complicated rules; often
seen as bossy
Intense concentration; long attention
Neglects duties or people during
span and persistence in areas of interest periods of focus; resists interruption;
stubborn
Sensitivity, empathy; desire to be
accepted by others
Sensitivity to criticism or peer rejection
Diverse interests and abilities; versatility May appear disorganized or scattered
High energy, alertness, eagerness
Frustration with inactivity; may be seen
as overactive
MORE STRENGTHS AND
CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
STRENGTHS
CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
Strong sense of humor
Peers may misunderstand humor; may
become a class clown for attention
Independent; prefers individualized
work; reliant on self
May reject parent or peer input;
nonconformity
High expectations of self and others
Intolerant, perfectionistic; may become
depressed
Large vocabulary; advanced, broad
information
May use words to manipulate; bored
with school and age peers; over-shares
Intrinsic motivation
Strong-willed; resists direction
Creative/Inventive; likes new ways of
doing things
May be seen as disruptive and out of
step
Enjoys abstractions and problemsolving; able to conceptualize,
synthesize
Resists routine practice; questions
teaching procedures
GIFTED ANALOGIES
Time to unwrap & share a few gifts!!!
FACTORS INFLUENCING
IDENTIFICATION
FACTORS INFLUENCING GIFTED
& TALENTED IDENTIFICATION
•
Socio-economic factors often lead to underreporting of some gifted.
•
Gender issues- Female students less likely to be identified
•
•
•
Behavior Issues
Twice-Exceptional
•
Wishful thinking (parents and even some teachers)
•
Minorities can present different GT characteristics
Cultural differences such as language, values, & ideas of what gifted means
within a specific culture
LABELING ISSUES
• Creates unreasonable
expectations
• Tries to lock in life choices too
early
• Behavior issues on the part of
the “gifted” child
• Other students might focus on
the different one (verbal and
physical abuse)
LABELS
Gifted students often
become quite skillful in
the ability to hide their
talents in order to fit in
or lower other’s
expectations
LABELS
Many gifted
students have no
desire to be the
target of so
much extra
attention that
often
accompanies
label and special
education.
AND STILL MORE LABELS
Many children at some
point in their life feel a great
deal of aversion to being
thought of as different.
THEY’RE STILL KIDS
All too often gifted
children are assumed to
be more emotionally and
behaviorally mature as a
result of their intellectual
maturity or advanced
learning ability. But let’s
not forget that they’re
still just KIDS!!!!! 
GIFTED REFERRALS
Referrals for MNPS Gifted Services can be made by any of the following:
• Parents/Guardians
• Teachers
• School Personnel
Contact your child’s classroom teacher or counselor.
GIFTED SCREENING
There are Two Ways a Child May be Identified for
MNPS Gifted Services:
Encore staff screens twice yearly for academically
talented students.
School psychologists screen throughout the year for
intellectually gifted students.
ENCORE SCREENINGS
Encore screens twice yearly:
Fall (Nov.)
Grades 4-6 *Using CogAT
Students screened have scored “Advanced” on TCAP/TN Ready in
either Reading, Math, or Science (or all)
Spring (April/May)
Grades K-2 *Using NNAT2
Students screened are reading 2 grade levels above current grade or
performing well above grade level in Math.
*Parents are notified via U.S. mail regarding testing results. Encore teachers will share
lists of new Encore students once parents have been notified.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY
SCREENINGS
MNPS School Psychologists screen students for gifted services
all throughout the school year.
• Parent, Teacher, Student, Other Referral
• S-Team is held, needs addressed, & strategies put in place.
• Teacher observes child for 6 weeks.
• Follow-up S-Team w/School Psychologist.
• Testing by Psychologist if deemed necessary.
• If qualified, placement into Encore or further general education
recommendations.
ENCORE CURRICULUM
As with all MNPS schools and programs within our
district, Encore strives to provide every participating
student with the knowledge, character and skills
necessary to excel in school, work and life.
Encore also provides quality gifted instruction that
emphasizes cognitive, affective, aesthetic, social and
linguistic domains. Our units of study are aligned with
state standards as well as those set by the National
Alliance for Gifted Children (NAGC).
DOMAINS OF GIFTED
EDUCATION
Cognitive:
Advanced materials, in-depth study of subject matter, critical thinking, and creative
problem solving
Affective:
Self-concept, moral development, contributions to society
Aesthetic:
Exploring, appreciating, creating, & participating in visual & performing arts
Social:
Interactions with peers & other members of a diverse world, leadership, citizenship, social
action
Linguistic:
Self-expression, effectively communicating ideas, creative writing, public speaking, foreign
languages
A WORD ON AFFECTIVE
(SEL) CURRICULUM…
Affective (SEL) curriculum is a CRITICAL component of any well-designed gifted program.
Some specific issues related to GT students are:
•
• SEL
• Perfectionism
• Asynchronous development
• Fear of academic failure
• Underachieving
• Social acceptance
Heightened concern related to world issues
• Sensitivity
• Self-critical
• Feeling different
• Nonconformity
QUESTIONS?
MNPS Gifted Services
Nurturing, challenging, and developing potential
*Please let me know if I can assist you with any of the following:
Questions about Identification
Questions about Referrals
Differentiation
RtI2 Support/Enrichment
Curriculum Planning
Special Projects
Student Concerns
benjamin.slinkard@mnps.org