Gifted & Talented 2.0: Why It's Time For Inclusive, Gifted-for-All Programs

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Gifted & Talented 2.0: Why It's Time For Inclusive, Gifted-for-All Programs

In February, the U.S. Department of Education invited public school districts to apply for the Javits Gifted and Talented Program, which awards grants for five-year projects that support “all students, including gifted and talented students, with accelerated learning opportunities.” Specifically, the call for proposals says: “A major emphasis of the Javits program is to identify and serve students underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, to include the training of personnel in the identification and education of gifted and talented students and in the use, where appropriate, of gifted and talented services, materials, and methods, for all students.”

The magnitude of this announcement is that it represents a shift away from models of gifted and talented programming that rely on labeling, sorting and segregating students, and toward designs that encourage inclusion and integration of all children in mixed-ability classrooms. It also represents a philosophical shift in the understanding of gifted education because of its recognition of all children’s innate potential for demonstrating strengths and high intellectual performance.

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