Talented And Gifted Standards (k-12):
Advanced Communication Skills
Goal: Gifted students will develop advanced communication skills that incorporate new techniques, materials, and formats in the development of products that will be shared with real audiences.
1. The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning or challenge existing ideas.
2. The student produces written and/or oral work that is complex, purposeful, and organized, includes relevant supporting examples and manipulation of language.
3. The student creates products and/or presentations that synthesize information from diverse sources and communicate expertise to a variety of authentic audiences.
4. The student uses a variety of multi-media and innovative technology to create illustrations, models, charts, tables, and graphs as tools for communication.
5. The student applies interviewing techniques for a variety of purposes.
6. The student anticipates and addresses potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations in communication with others.
7. The student responds to contributions of others, considering all available information.
8. The student participates in small group discussions to argue persuasively or reinforce others’ good points.
9. The student maintains a journal or log for self-reflection and/or self-evaluation.
10. The student supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of others.
Advanced Research Skills (ARS)
Goal: Gifted students will develop advanced research methods and independent study skills, which allow for the in-depth learning of self-selected topics within the area of study.
1. The student uses a variety of print and non-print resources to investigate a topic of interest.
2. The student formulates original and appropriate questions to test the limits of an existing body of knowledge.
3. The student uses concepts within and across disciplines to develop valid hypotheses, thesis statements, or alternative interpretations of data.
4. The student selects appropriate research tools and methodologies (e.g., historical, descriptive, developmental, case, field, correlational, action, survey, interview) to conduct scientific investigations.
5. The student gathers, organizes, analyzes, and synthesizes data from multiple sources to support or disprove a hypothesis.
6. The student develops and uses systematic procedures for recording and organizing information.
7. The student evaluates research methodologies and data to detect validity, bias, reliability, and applicability to real-world problems and/or solutions.
8. The student allows for and accepts alternative interpretations of data.
9. The student uses APA or MLA style to document/cite references, resources, quotations, notes, and bibliographies.
10. The student defends research findings in a presentation or exhibit.
11. The student applies ethical standards to research and analyses.
Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills
Goal: Gifted students will develop and practice creative thinking and creative problem-solving skills with a variety of complex topics within an area of study in order to generate original ideas and products.
1. The student questions accepted practices, rules, and existing principles to discover new knowledge.
2. The student designs, applies, evaluates, and adapts a variety of innovative strategies to when problem solving (e.g., recognizes problems, defines problems, identifies possible solutions, selects optimal solution, implements solution, and evaluates solution).
3. The student incorporates brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques (synectics, SCAMPER, etc.) to solve problems or create new products.
4. The student demonstrates skills in fluency and flexibility to solve problems or create new products.
5. The student develops original ideas, presentations, or products through synthesis and evaluation.
6. The student, independently or through collaboration with classmates, clarifies, illustrates, or elaborates on an idea for product improvement.
7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex concepts.
8. The student tolerates ambiguity when solving problems.
9. The student recognizes and assumes risks as a necessary part of problem solving.
10. The student monitors and reflects on the creative process of problem solving for future applications.
Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills (HO/CTS)
Goal: Gifted students will develop and practice higher order and critical thinking skills in an area of study.
1. The student asks probing, insightful, and relevant questions.
2. The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
3. The student conducts comparisons using criteria.
4. The student makes and evaluates decisions using criteria.
5. The student predicts probable consequences of decisions.
6. The student extrapolates verbal-linguistic (e.g., analogies) and visual-spatial patterns (e.g., tessellations) to determine relationships.
7. The student examines an issue from more than one point of view.
8. The student separates one’s own point of view from that of others.
9. The student identifies stereotypes, biases, and prejudices in one’s own reasoning and that of others.
10. The student distinguishes between assumptions, inferences, and conclusions.
11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant information.
12. The student evaluates conclusions based upon relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness.
13. The student traces the source of any large disparity between estimates and calculated solutions to problems and resolves the disparity.
14. The student identifies and illustrates basic principles and the foundational concepts that are central to understanding the essence of a field of study.
15. The student recognizes that the responsibility to examine and challenge existing ideas and theories is an ongoing process.
Goal: Gifted students will develop advanced communication skills that incorporate new techniques, materials, and formats in the development of products that will be shared with real audiences.
1. The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning or challenge existing ideas.
2. The student produces written and/or oral work that is complex, purposeful, and organized, includes relevant supporting examples and manipulation of language.
3. The student creates products and/or presentations that synthesize information from diverse sources and communicate expertise to a variety of authentic audiences.
4. The student uses a variety of multi-media and innovative technology to create illustrations, models, charts, tables, and graphs as tools for communication.
5. The student applies interviewing techniques for a variety of purposes.
6. The student anticipates and addresses potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations in communication with others.
7. The student responds to contributions of others, considering all available information.
8. The student participates in small group discussions to argue persuasively or reinforce others’ good points.
9. The student maintains a journal or log for self-reflection and/or self-evaluation.
10. The student supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of others.
Advanced Research Skills (ARS)
Goal: Gifted students will develop advanced research methods and independent study skills, which allow for the in-depth learning of self-selected topics within the area of study.
1. The student uses a variety of print and non-print resources to investigate a topic of interest.
2. The student formulates original and appropriate questions to test the limits of an existing body of knowledge.
3. The student uses concepts within and across disciplines to develop valid hypotheses, thesis statements, or alternative interpretations of data.
4. The student selects appropriate research tools and methodologies (e.g., historical, descriptive, developmental, case, field, correlational, action, survey, interview) to conduct scientific investigations.
5. The student gathers, organizes, analyzes, and synthesizes data from multiple sources to support or disprove a hypothesis.
6. The student develops and uses systematic procedures for recording and organizing information.
7. The student evaluates research methodologies and data to detect validity, bias, reliability, and applicability to real-world problems and/or solutions.
8. The student allows for and accepts alternative interpretations of data.
9. The student uses APA or MLA style to document/cite references, resources, quotations, notes, and bibliographies.
10. The student defends research findings in a presentation or exhibit.
11. The student applies ethical standards to research and analyses.
Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills
Goal: Gifted students will develop and practice creative thinking and creative problem-solving skills with a variety of complex topics within an area of study in order to generate original ideas and products.
1. The student questions accepted practices, rules, and existing principles to discover new knowledge.
2. The student designs, applies, evaluates, and adapts a variety of innovative strategies to when problem solving (e.g., recognizes problems, defines problems, identifies possible solutions, selects optimal solution, implements solution, and evaluates solution).
3. The student incorporates brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques (synectics, SCAMPER, etc.) to solve problems or create new products.
4. The student demonstrates skills in fluency and flexibility to solve problems or create new products.
5. The student develops original ideas, presentations, or products through synthesis and evaluation.
6. The student, independently or through collaboration with classmates, clarifies, illustrates, or elaborates on an idea for product improvement.
7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex concepts.
8. The student tolerates ambiguity when solving problems.
9. The student recognizes and assumes risks as a necessary part of problem solving.
10. The student monitors and reflects on the creative process of problem solving for future applications.
Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills (HO/CTS)
Goal: Gifted students will develop and practice higher order and critical thinking skills in an area of study.
1. The student asks probing, insightful, and relevant questions.
2. The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
3. The student conducts comparisons using criteria.
4. The student makes and evaluates decisions using criteria.
5. The student predicts probable consequences of decisions.
6. The student extrapolates verbal-linguistic (e.g., analogies) and visual-spatial patterns (e.g., tessellations) to determine relationships.
7. The student examines an issue from more than one point of view.
8. The student separates one’s own point of view from that of others.
9. The student identifies stereotypes, biases, and prejudices in one’s own reasoning and that of others.
10. The student distinguishes between assumptions, inferences, and conclusions.
11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant information.
12. The student evaluates conclusions based upon relevance, depth, breadth, logic, and fairness.
13. The student traces the source of any large disparity between estimates and calculated solutions to problems and resolves the disparity.
14. The student identifies and illustrates basic principles and the foundational concepts that are central to understanding the essence of a field of study.
15. The student recognizes that the responsibility to examine and challenge existing ideas and theories is an ongoing process.