Systems and Models for Developing Programs for the Gifted and Talented - Softcover

Joseph S. Renzulli is professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, where he also serves as director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. His research has focused on the identification and development of creativity and giftedness in young people and on organizational models and curricular strategies for total school improvement. A focus of his work has been on applying the strategies of gifted education to the improvement of learning for all students. He is a fellow in the American Psychological Association and was a consultant to theWhite House Task Force on Education of the Gifted and Talented. He was recently designated a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut. Although he has obtained more than $20 million in research grants, he lists as his proudest professional accomplishments the UConn Mentor Connection program for gifted young students and the summer Confratute program at UConn, which began in 1978 and has served thousands of teachers and administrators from around the world.

Anyone hoping to create a gifted program or modify an existing one should read Systems and Models for Developing Programs for the Gifted and Talented (2nd Edition), as should anyone hoping to understand the diversity of options for educating gifted and talented students. The editors include gifted models that are theoretically sound and may also be implemented in a wide variety of school settings. Sixteen of the "oldies but goodies" or classic models are included as revised chapters from the first edition, and nine new chapters have been added. These models vary widely, as always, in the ways they may be used to meet the needs of gifted students. Some chapters provide a definition of who is gifted and talented, as in Robert Sternberg's chapter on WICS, which stands for "wisdom, intelligence, creativity, synthesized." Most of the chapters focus on meeting gifted students' academic needs, although a few of the chapters (such as the chapter dealing with Sylvia Rimm's Trifocal Model) include a social-emotional component. Some chapters delve more into differentiation strategies and others into enrichment and/or acceleration strategies, depending on the model. Some models are more content based (think Joyce VanTassel-Baska's Integrated Curriculum Model), and others are more process-driven.

The book is interesting, organized, and easy to understand. Some authors include anecdotes that make for interesting reading, such as Susan Baum's story of Melanie, a gifted twice-exceptional student who couldn't read or write, or James Borland's anecdote of the outraged parent who stood up at a meeting and questioned if gifted students were being taught critical thinking, whether her son (who was not in the gifted program) was being taught "uncritical thinking." Some authors use visual diagrams to help the reader conceptualize the model, as in George Betts' and Jolene Kercher's chapter on the Autonomous Learner Model. Authors often discuss specific steps required to implement the models, as in Carolyn Callahan's chapter on The Practitioner's Guide to Program Evaluation (PGPE), and many include forms that are necessary or useful for implementation, as in Sally Reis' and Joseph's Renzulli's chapter on The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). Many of the chapters provide a list of additional resources for the reader who wants to learn more. The authors appear to understand that in the current age of accountability is it important to provide credible research supporting the models, and therefore many chapters include a summary of research to date on the effectiveness of models. Finally, a particularly helpful feature of the new edition is the inclusion of discussion questions that promote comprehension of the model.

If there is a concern with the text, it is that some of the chapters would have benefited from the inclusion of additional explanatory material. For example, some authors did not include visual diagrams where it might have been helpful to the reader's understanding of the complexities of the models. Also, the book would have benefited from the inclusion of an index. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives. Teachers, administrators, policy makers, university faculty and students will find that Systems and Models is an updated, helpful text that will assist them as they navigate the sometimes murky waters in the field of gifted education. It is especially a must-buy for any committee members involved with implementing (or changing) gifted programs and services within a school district. The "Golden Rule" in gifted education is that our definition of who is gifted should match our identification practices and which programs/services we provide. Systems and Models is the book that should enable us to do just that. --Nancy N. Heilbronner, Ph.D., Western Connecticut State University