Innovative Curriculum and Teaching Practice for Advanced Learners

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction

This special issue addresses the needs of academically talented students, at a time of limited resources, and support for their academic development.  Many schools have limited their gifted programs, some have eliminated them, and others have merely neglected them in the face of political interventions in school curricula and limited money to run effective operations. Talented learners also experienced a decrease in test scores during the pandemic, yet no one has mentioned the importance of this fact in respect to their learning.  We hope that this special issue will renew concerns about the academic progress of these learners, even in the face of public apathy.

The field of gifted education and talent development has experienced periods of intense activity (1974–1985) and periods of less intense engagement or support  (2010–current).  However, research efforts have grown and longitudinal studies have been conducted that verify the characteristics, predilections, and life trajectories of these learners. Research on the effectiveness of all forms of acceleration has continued to grow. Smaller studies have suggested other intervention pathways that have been successful.  Research on programmatic approaches including special schools has been ongoing. 

Purpose 

This special issue has several purposes: 

-To address the issue of talent development in schools;

-To demonstrate innovative pathways for schools to address the needs of talented K-12 learners;

-To explore differentiated learner needs, based on their profiles of strengths. 

Audience 

The audience for this special issue will be educators at all levels from K-12 through college, parents, and politicians, including school board members, who want to gain insight into this special needs population. 

Outline of the Special Issue 

In keeping with the theme of innovative practices, the chapter’s authors have been selected to address areas of their current research that speak to such practices in their work with talented students and their teachers. 

The outline of the special issue has been organized to reflect an overview of the concept of talent development, a brief review of research supporting it, and a few models that have addressed it. This chapter is followed by one that focuses on finding talent in all of its forms and domains and the individuals most likely to access the tools necessary to uncover it at different stages of development. Three chapters on domain-specific talent areas follow that attempt to lay out the interventions that have proven to be effective with students who possess talent in the verbal, mathematical, and spatial domains.  These are also the domains that schools typically address in school curricula. The next two chapters focus on underrepresented populations in schools’ gifted programs, students who are twice-exceptional, and the gifted and disabled; students from poverty; and students who are not yet proficient in English. One chapter focuses solely on Black students. Taken together, these two chapters highlight the evidence of success in finding and serving these students in gifted programs. Next, two chapters emphasize the research-based approaches to both the curriculum and instructions across content areas, one addressing curriculum models and the other focusing on innovative instructional approaches that assist teachers and parents in developing talent.  The Specia Issue concludes with a glance to the future, where the arc of talent development needs to advance in order to best serve these deserving students in the future.  

The suggested authors have extensive experience in teaching and administering gifted programs for talented learners at K-12 levels as well as working in state agencies and universities to prepare teachers and others to be effective with them in classrooms.  They also have research expertise in studying the processes of talent development in selective domains.  

References (recent) 

Books

 VanTassel-Baska, J. & Little, C. eds. (2023) Content-based curriculum for gifted learners 4th ed.Routledge. 

 Johnsen, S. & VanTassel-Baska, J. eds. (2022) Handbook on assessment: Identification, learning progress, and evaluation. Routledge. 

VanTassel-Baska, J. Ed. (2021) Talent development: Theory, Research, and Practice. Routledge. 

VanTassel-Baska, J. & Baska, A. (2020) Curriculum planning and instructional design. 3rd edition.  Prufrock Press. 

Refereed Articles and guest editorships* of proposed editor 

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2023). The Case for Content-Based Curriculum for Advanced Learners. Gifted Child Today, 46(2), 142–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/10762175221149443 

VanTassel-Baska, J., & Brown, E. (2022). An analysis of stakeholder perceptions of gifted programs: A report card on gifted program performance. Gifted Child Today, 45(3), 160-175. 

*VanTassel-Baska, J. & Videgor, H. (2020) From the guest editors, a special issue on curriculum, Roeper Review, 42, (3). 

VanTassel-Baska, J., Hubbard, G., & Robbins, J. (2020) The role of teacher behaviors in differentiating instruction. Roeper Review, 42,(3). 

*VanTassel-Baska, J. (2019) Introduction to special issue on evaluation, From the editor’s perspective. Gifted Child Today, 42,(4).

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2019) A coordinator’s perspective on the utilization of gifted program evaluation. Gifted Child Today, 42, (4).

VanTassel-Baska, J. & Hubbard, G. (2019) An evaluation of eight gifted programs, using the NAGC program standards. Gifted Child Today, 42, (4).

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2019) Are We Differentiating Effectively for the Gifted or Not? A Commentary on Differentiated Curriculum Use in Schools. Gifted Child Today, Column, 42, 3, 165-167. 

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2018) Achievement unlocked: Effective curriculum interventions with low income students. Gifted Child Quarterly.  Special issue on gifted students from low income households, 62, (1) 68-82. 

*VanTassel-Baska, J & Stambaugh, T. (2018) Introduction to the special issue on gifted students from low income households. Gifted Child Quarterly, 62, (1) 3-5. 

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2018) American gifted education policy. Gifted Child Today, 41,4. 

*VanTassel-Baska, J & Coleman M. R. (2018) Introduction to special international issue on policies in other countries in gifted education. Gifted Child Today, 41,4. 

VanTassel-Baska, J. & Hubbard, G. F.  (2016) Rural gifted curriculum.  Journal of Advanced Academics. 

Prof. Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska
Guest Editor

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• talent development
• spatial ability/aptitude
• verbal ability/aptitude
• mathematical ability/aptitude
• content-based curriculum
• advanced learning
• instructional strategies
• critical thinking
• creative thinking/innovative thinking
• problem-solving
• independent thinking
• innovation
• creativity
• open-ended questioning