State Definitions,Policies,and Practices of Gifted and Talented Identification: What Difference Does a Decade Make?

Abstract

Research in the field of gifted and talented has significantly shifted in recent years to focus on broader conceptualizations of the construct, including performing arts, creativity, and leadership. Yet, it is not clear how states conceptualize and identify students as gifted and talented given the last review of state gifted and talented regulations (i.e., laws) was conducted more than a decade ago, and organizational policy documents were limited in scope. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to review state gifted and talented definitions and identification procedures and to compare findings with prior research. Furthermore, we reviewed policies for identifying underrepresented populations in gifted and talented education. Results showed that there is considerable variability in how states define gifted and talented (i.e., categories included in gifted definitions) and how they identify gifted and talented. In this review, states included broader categories in gifted and talented definitions (e.g., creativity, performing arts) and allowed for a wider variety of assessment procedures compared with prior reviews. However, compared to 2012, this study’s findings showed that fewer states included general policies for the identification of traditionally underrepresented students as gifted and talented. Implications for research and practice are discussed.