1st Edition

Identification The Theory and Practice of Identifying Students for Gifted and Talented Education Services

Edited By Scott Hunsaker Copyright 2012
    424 Pages
    by Prufrock Press

    Editor Scott L. Hunsaker's new volume sheds much-needed light on the process of identifying students for gifted education services, a topic surrounded by controversy and confusion. With contributions from leading experts in the field, Identification takes an in-depth look at the research and practice of identification of gifted and talented students. Each of the four sections tackles an important aspect of the issue: Theoretical Foundations, Professional Foundations, Identification Practice, and Instrumentation. The text presents multiple points of view and does not shy away from thorny issues such as the theory-practice gap, underrepresentation of diverse populations, identification as status bestowal rather than assessment process, rigidity in use of processes and instruments, the search for the magic-bullet test, and the validity of nonverbal intelligence tests. Whether you are an administrator, teacher, gifted education specialist, professor, or parent, Identification will offer you insight presented nowhere else.

    Preface Section I. Theoretical Foundations Chapter 1 Information Theory as a Guide to Decision Making1Chapter 2 Defensible and Doable: A Practical Multiple-criteria Gifted Program Identification System Chapter 3 Multicultural Theory and Gifted Education: Implications for the Identification of Two Underrepresented Groups Chapter 4 Characteristics of Gifted Children as a Guide to Identification Section II. Professional Foundations Chapter 5 Identification of the Gifted: An Overview of Legal Issues Chapter 6 Policy Perspectives on Gifted education Chapter 7 Professional Measurement Standards and Identification Chapter 8 The Impact of Professional Standards in Gifted Education on the Identification of Giftedness and Talent Section III. Identification Practice Chapter 9 Stages of Gifted Identification Chapter 10 Decision Strategies Chapter 11 Experience with Idealized Identification Procedures Section IV. Instrumentation Chapter 12 Ability Testing& Talent Identification Chapter 13 The Audacity of Creativity Assessment Chapter 14 Using Teacher Rating Scales in the Identification of Students for Gifted Services Chapter 15 Performance Assessments: The Role in the Identification of Gifted Students Author Bios Index

    Biography

    Dr. Scott L. Hunsaker is a Distinguished Associate Professor of Honors Education in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Utah State University.