Associate Director Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University, Illinois
Short description: Tests are often used to determine readiness for accelerated placement, but can a portfolio approach serve the same purpose and increase access? A talent development, equity-focused approach requires multiple pathways into services. Presenters share implications from an ongoing study examining how the performance of students admitted to accelerated programs using portfolios compares to students admitted using test scores.
Learning Outcomes: Participants will:
Define evidence-based practices for identifying learning needs and making placements in accelerated services as described in Standard 2 of the Pre-K - Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards
Describe current literature on identification for accelerated programming and initial findings from an ongoing study on portfolio identification
Evaluate current identification practices and identify opportunities for improvement