Applying gifted education pedagogy to total talent development for all students

Young people display, or have the potential to display, their individuality and uniqueness in many ways. Some students learn at faster rates and higher levels of comprehension than others. Sometimes, this learning may be in one or two content areas and, in other cases, it may be across the entire curriculum. Similarly, some students are more creative or artistic than others, and still others may demonstrate potential for excellence in leadership, organizational skills, or interpersonal relations. A total talent development model should give special consideration to schools that serve young people who may be at risk because of limited English proficiency, economically limited circumstances, or attendance in poor quality schools. I believe it is in these schools and among these student populations that extraordinary, indeed heroic, efforts should be made to identify and cultivate the high-level talents of young people, talents that historically have gone unrecognized and underdeveloped.

What Is Schoolwide Enrichment?

In this article, I describe a plan that has demonstrated its effectiveness in bringing about significant changes in schooling. That plan, the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, is a systematic set of specific strategies for increasing student effort, enjoyment, and performance, and for integrating a broad range of advanced-level learning experiences and higher order thinking skills into any curricular area, course of study, or pattern of school organization. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model is based on the broadened conception of giftedness discussed earlier. This definition focuses on the many kinds of aptitudes, talents, and potentials for advanced learning and creative productivity that exist in all school populations. The goal is not to certify some students as gifted and others as nongifted but rather to provide every student with the opportunities, resources, and encouragement necessary to achieve his or her maximum potential, to support continuous escalations of student involvement in both required and self-selected activities. In the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, the language of the model is that of labeling the services, not the student. The general approach of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model is one of infusing more effective practices into existing school structures. When programs focus on developing the behavioral potentials of individuals or small groups who share common interests, we can avoid the controversies surrounding the g-word by labeling the services rather than the students. Through the use of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, we can serve both traditionally high-achieving students like Elaine, and students who show their talents in a variety of other ways. A detailed description of the model is beyond the scope of this article. However, the essence of the plan is based on a thorough assessment of students' strengths through a vehicle called the Total Talent Portfolio, and a broad continuum of services purposefully designed to capitalize on various strengths. Interested readers can obtain descriptive information about the Schoolwide Enrichment Model in Renzulli and Reis (1994, 1997).