Identifying Gifted Students: Educator Beliefs regarding Various Policies, Processes, and Procedures

Abstract

Issues regarding the identification of gifted students have perplexed the field almost since its inception. How one identifies gifted students has tremendous ramifications for a gifted education program's size, curriculum, instructional methods, and administration. Little is known, however, regarding educator beliefs regarding gifted identification methods. The current national study surveyed 900 public school educators regarding which identification methods they supported. The educators believed that standardized tests, portfolios of student work, and teacher nominations were valid means of identification but did not support parent or peer nominations. Statistically significant differences existed between administrators and gifted education specialists, on the one hand, and regular classroom teachers, on the other hand, regarding the usefulness of standardized test scores and teacher nominations as methods of identifying students for gifted programs. Such results are potentially valuable to school administrators, gifted education specialists, and regular classroom teachers who work with gifted students.