Gifted Weekly

While a homogeneous classroom of all gifted learners is antithetical to the pursuit of recognizing gifted potential across ability levels, effective differentiation requires an increase in human and other targeted resources to serve the variety of needs in our general education classrooms. 

Research indicates that differentiation is necessary to meet the needs of all learners in our schools, but it must be done well to be effective. “On balance… we find that large-scale studies and meta-analyses of grouping show evidence of positive effects for high-performing students and little downside (and often upside) for lower-performing students” (Peters & Plucker, 2022). But how can that be achieved? 

Differentiation, while considered an effective approach for all learners, also faces conflicting attitudes and uneven application in classrooms (Hoogeven, 2015; Palacios Gonzalez & Jung, 2021). Teachers have expressed frustration over the high demands and lack of resources to support students at every level. In fact, student ability in one classroom is now more likely to span five or more grade levels in Language Arts, with an even greater range of ability in math classes (Rambo-Hernandez et al., 2022). 

Practically speaking, then, one fifth grade teacher will be teaching a student at a second grade reading level alongside another at a seventh grade reading level, which I can think of several examples of in this past school year alone. Additionally, the pressure from administration to focus on students on the “bubble,” approaching proficiency on the state exam, cannot be ignored (Chandra Handa, 2019). The priority given to reaching proficiency levels stemming from the No Child Left Behind era has led to a lack of emphasis on challenging high-ability students (Peters et al., 2017). 

How is a teacher to meet the needs of gifted learners with the pressures to improve learning for the most at risk? Targeted instruction designed around student strengths has been demonstrated to show greater achievements over time (Palacios Gonzalez & Jung, 2021; Plucker & Callahan, 2014). Classrooms that respond to a learner’s individual abilities, successfully employing acceleration (Palacios Gonzalez & Jung, 2021, Plucker & Callahan, 2014) and differentiation (Hockett & Doubet, 2020) in response to the varied abilities within a classroom, allow a gifted student to experience active instruction suited to her academic and other subject area potential (Tomlinson, 2000; Tomlinson, 2017). 

One suggested approach is a “plus one” model (Lawrence-Brown & Abkowitz,2023), where a teacher first considers the highest level in the classroom and scales back to challenge each group in its zone of proximal development. Providing specialists and subject matter experts to collaborate with the general education teacher will serve current needs as well as recognize nascent ability in students who are not yet identified as gifted. “… Equal or superior results are obtained when individualized supports and services follow [students] to general education classroom, also benefiting the class as a whole” (Lawrence-Brown & Abkowitz, 2022). 

Recently I partnered with fourth grade teachers to develop a Regional Theme Park project, which was received well by both students and teachers for its standards-alignment, creativity and levels of student engagement (Wise, 2023). However, an important suggestion to surface from that work was to have mixed ability groups rather than rely on independent work, to recognize the strengths of students and provide scaffolding for struggling learners. For instance, as with project based learning, each student would have a role within the shared learning outcomes, and students would reflect on both their own achievement and the work as a group. 

The benefits of differentiation should be considered realistically to offer the most tailored instruction to each student. Successful differentiation in the classroom requires both training and adequate resources to support all learners, including the gifted (Tomlinson, 2000). Carol Ann Tomlinson, recognized expert and thought-leader on differentiation, has expressed, “I absolutely understand that differentiating instruction well is not easy. But then, I’ve never felt that teaching should be easy” (Tomlinson, 2015). Nonetheless, to yield the benefits of a differentiated approach for high ability students as well as those currently in other learning tiers, teachers require in-depth training, adequate resources and a supportive community of practice.

(Note: Part Two on the benefits and strategies of differentiation for gifted learners coming soon.)

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Chandra Handa, M. (2019). Leading Differentiated Learning for the Gifted. Roeper Review, 41(2), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2019.1585213

Hockett, J.A. & Doubet, K.J. (2020). Differentiated Instruction. In J.A. Plucker & C.M. Callahan (Eds.), Critical issues and practices in gifted education: A Survey of current research on giftedness and talent development (3rd ed., pp. 157-168). Prufrock Press.

Hoogeveen, L. (2015). Academic acceleration in Europe: A comparison of accelerative opportunities and activities. In S. G. Assouline, N. Colangelo, J. VanTassel-Baska, & A. Lupkowski-Shoplik (Eds.), A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America’s brightest students (Vol. 2, pp. 209–223). Iowa City, IA: The Belin Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

Lawrence-Brown, D. & Abkowitz, P. (2023). Multilevel Differentiated Instruction for General School Education that Benefits the Whole Class. In V. Letzel-Alt. M. Pozas. (Eds.), Differentiated Instruction Around the World: A Global Inclusive Insight. (pp. 35-52). Waxmann. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marcela-Pozas/publication/372830591_Differentiated_Instruction_Around_the_World_A_Global_Inclusive_Insight/links/64ca0f9336c3d12ee76f8692/Differentiated-Instruction-Around-the-World-A-Global-Inclusive-Insight.pdf#page=35  

Palacios Gonzalez, P., & Jung, J. Y. (2021). The predictors of attitudes toward acceleration as an educational intervention: Primary school teachers in Mexico. High Ability Studies, 32(1), 27-49. 10.1080/13598139.2019.1692649

Peters, S. J., Rambo-Hernandez, K., Makel, M. C., Matthews, M. S., & Plucker, J. A. (2017). Should Millions of Students Take a Gap Year? Large Numbers of Students Start the School Year Above Grade Level. Gifted Child Quarterly, 61(3), 229–238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217701834 

Peters, S.J. & Plucker, J. (2022). “Should schools group students by ability?” Flypaper. Fordham Institute. 

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/should-schools-group-students-ability

Plucker, J. A., & Callahan, C. M. (2014). Research on giftedness and gifted education: Status of the field and considerations for the future. Exceptional Children, 80, 390–406. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1177/0014402914527244  

Rambo-Hernandez, K.E. et al. (2023). How Academically-Diverse is the “Grade-Level” Classroom? Open Science Framework. https://osf.io/89fvn/

Tomlinson, C.A. (2015). Differentiation Does, in Fact, Work. Education Week. 

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-differentiation-does-in-fact-work/2015/01

Tomlinson, C.A. (2017). How to differentiate instruction in academically diverse classrooms (3rd ed.). ASCD.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2000). What is differentiated instruction. Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives, 287-300. Google Scholar.
Wise, L. R. (2023). Genius Move: Recognizing Gifted Potential Through a Project Based Learning Unit of Study. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/87269f080d782ead14d2174ee01bcba9/1.pdf