Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

‘Giftedness': Definitions Have Gone Far

April 20, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

James R. Delisle makes a very interesting argument about the field of gifted education in his Commentary “What Gifted Educators Can Learn From Sarah Palin” (March 31, 2010). Definitions of giftedness have gone very far afield, causing a great deal of controversy. Mr. Delisle is correct that there is no single, concise description of who the gifted child is, as shown by the examples he provides from the federal government, Joseph S. Renzulli, and Howard Gardner, among others.

Mr. Delisle proposes that gifted-child advocates narrow the definition to those students who have extraordinary abilities and who stand out from their classmates. At this time, however, no rubric for making such determinations exists. IQ tests may narrow the field and measure how well a child will do on school-related tasks, but that is not necessarily a true indicator of giftedness, especially when more than one test is given, or the tests are group tests, as is seen in the majority of schools. Lewis Terman, who chose IQ as the predictor of giftedness, conducted longitudinal studies expecting to find future Nobel laureates. This was not to be the case.

We are approaching this challenge from the wrong end. We should not be labeling the children, but the curriculum. Curriculum (a decision on what is taught, to whom, and in what setting) for the gifted child should provide a degree of challenge, without producing anxiety, in each and every content area. Students should be able to reach a level that allows them to move ahead with the assistance of a mentor. Mentors can come from the educational community, the Internet, the larger community, or the professional realm.

If we are to move education into the 21st century, we must break down the barriers that classroom walls create, which prevent students from reaching their potential. The world, with all of its available resources, must become the encyclopedia of the future.

Starr Cline

Adjunct Associate Professor

Hofstra University

Hempstead, N.Y.

A version of this article appeared in the April 21, 2010 edition of Education Week as ‘Giftedness': Definitions Have Gone Far

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
The Future of the Science of Reading
Join us for a discussion on the future of the Science of Reading and how to support every student’s path to literacy.
Content provided by HMH
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
From Classrooms to Careers: How Schools and Districts Can Prepare Students for a Changing Workforce
Real careers start in school. Learn how Alton High built student-centered, job-aligned pathways.
Content provided by TNTP
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: July 16, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Follow Education Week’s K-12 Coverage on Bluesky
Education Week has joined the social media platform Bluesky.
1 min read
Illustration of Education Week and Bluesky logos.
F. Sheehan/Education Week
Education Quiz Who Qualifies to Receive the First-ever Federal School Voucher? Take the Quiz to Find Out
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Trump’s Surprise Freeze on School Funding—How Much Do You Know?
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read