Finding Talent: An Overview of Research about Best Practices in Identification

Instead of the traditional identification approaches that focus on selecting students for specific programs, talent identification models are tailored to individual student talents across a variety of domains and identify emerging talents needing to be developed. This flexibility is incorporated within The Talent Identification Cycle that includes (a) pre-identification development opportunities; (b) a variety of assessments to develop individual student profiles; (c) services that are customized to each student’s interests, strengths, and needs; (d) ongoing assessments of student performance that consider program revisions and changes in placements; (e) an overall assessment of the identification process to ensure that all students receive appropriate services. Research evidence is summarized for each component of the cycle, along with considerations and concrete examples for practitioners. The conclusion incorporates possible challenges for schools that are engaged in moving away from more traditional to more flexible identification approaches.