Identifying Hidden Talent: Inclusive Strategies and Activities for Recognizing Potential
Do you have a feeling some of your gifted students are flying under your radar?
Are you missing any students, especially English learners, from your gifted programs?
Would you like to learn how to elicit their talent and/or talent potential in your regular classroom practices?
If your answer is YES to any of these questions, our NAGC25 preconvention session is for YOU! Join us to learn about a new alternative to traditional gifted identification measures that can be used in your regular daily teaching practices.
There is clear and mounting evidence that gifted education must address the serious challenges associated with the underidentification and underserving of many gifted students. In particular, English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing population of learners in the U.S., yet they are among the most overlooked groups in gifted education. Each year, tens of thousands of talented young people are overlooked for gifted services simply because they learned a language other than English as a child. These students may not necessarily score high on tests due to their limited English proficiency—but there is an alternative. Research has shown that there is value in an approach to spotting mathematical talent through observation in the classroom (Assouline & Lupkowski-Shoplik, 2011; Gavin, 2011).
Project EAGLE
Project EAGLE, a Javits-funded research project at the University of Connecticut, addresses this issue by creating learning situations in which students' talent and potential can be recognized. The Project EAGLE team has developed a dynamic identification approach that engages teachers using a research-based checklist of gifted behaviors that elementary students may exhibit while engaged in high-level, problem-solving math activities.
This approach has undergone a national field test in more than 28 classrooms to date. Research results show teachers are spotting more students who display gifted behaviors and more students from underrepresented populations are being identified for gifted programming in their schools. We are especially excited about our current implementation taking place now in the 2025-26 school year. This past summer, we conducted a Train-the-Trainers institute at the University of Connecticut. These educators are now providing professional learning for approximately 1,500 teachers in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas, who will in turn use this dynamic approach to help identify students.
Although this project focuses on English learners and math, its principles can be adapted to other subject areas and underserved groups. The approach offers a promising pathway to identifying a broader range of gifted students who may not fit traditional identification criteria.
The Points of Promise
In this session, we will be sharing the Points of Promise checklist of behaviors and how to use it to document behaviors indicative of giftedness as students engage with math tasks. For example, students who show creative problem solving, demonstrate advanced mathematical reasoning, or exhibit persistence when faced with challenging problems may be identified through these observations. This process also helps reveal innovative reasoning and unique approaches to problem-solving that might not be immediately evident in more traditional forms of assessment.
This is an active participation session! You will engage in activities using the Points of Promise checklist, including videos of students and teachers in action, which will enable you to recognize and identify these gifted behaviors in students. You will also take part in the engaging math activities designed specifically to elicit these behaviors especially in your English learners.
EAGLE Math Activities
We have created mathematics activities adapted from Project A3: Awesome Advanced Activities written by the NAGC award-winning authors of Projects M3 and M2. These open-ended, research-based math tasks encourage higher-order thinking, critical reasoning, and problem-solving. In doing so, they provide opportunities for teachers to observe gifted behaviors that may not be captured using standardized tests. Rather than relying on a typical math textbook and worksheets, students encounter mathematics that will make them think and act like practicing professionals in the field (Tomlinson et al., 2009, Renzulli, 2012). Mathematical discussions and writing are integral components of each activity, prompting students to share their thinking and thus providing teachers with valuable insights into students’ reasoning ability and creativity. The investigations—which include games and real-life simulations—are highly engaging. Both students and teachers love them!
Our special adaptations for English learners include a focus on developing mathematical language and building background to ensure students understand the terms and references used in the activities. Research has shown that ELs benefit from modification—not simplification—to reduce language load and to build on their prior knowledge and experiences (Dulong-Langley & Lusk, 2022; Voss, 2024). Therefore, asking probing questions and providing strategies in the context of EL math supports can allow sparks of math talent to develop into flames. We have seen this happen time and time again with students in our field-test classrooms.
Become a Talent Scout
Come try out the math investigations and explore the questioning techniques that help students think and reason at high levels. Using the Points of Promise, you will see how many gifted behaviors can pop up in your students during these activities!
About the Authors
Kathy Gavin, Ph.D., has more than 30 years of experience in mathematics education as a teacher, coordinator, and Associate Professor at the Renzulli Center at the University of Connecticut. The focus of her work is the development and evaluation of advanced math curriculum. She is the recipient of the NAGC Early Leader award and twice recipient of the NAGC Research Paper of the Year Award. She is senior author and director of Project A3, Project M3, and Project M2 curriculum units for talented elementary students. These projects have won the NAGC Curriculum Award for nine consecutive years.
Del Siegle, Ph.D., is the Lynn and Ray Neag Endowed Chair for Talent Development at the University of Connecticut, where he directs the National Center for Research on Gifted Education. He is a past-president of NAGC and recipient of their 2021 Founder’s Memorial, 2018 Distinguished Scholar, and 2011 Distinguished Service Award. He has been co-editor of the Journal of Advanced Academics and Gifted Child Quarterly. He serves as principal investigator for Project EAGLE.
Kelly L. Kearney, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist at the Renzulli Center at the University of Connecticut. Her work focuses on talent development and the equitable identification of high-potential students, particularly in early childhood and underserved populations. With experience spanning research, curriculum development, and professional learning for teachers, Dr. Kearney has authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and presented widely at national conferences. She has also held leadership roles in professional organizations, including NAGC.
References
Assouline, S. G., & Lupkowski-Shoplik, A. (2011). Developing math talent: A comprehensive guide to math education for gifted students in elementary and middle school (2nd ed.). Prufrock Press.
Dulong-Langley, S., & Lusk, S. D. (2023). Accommodations for English language learners. In J. VanTassel, & C. A. Little (Eds.), Content-based curriculum for high-ability learners (pp. 73-98). Routledge.
Gavin, M. K. (2011). Identifying and nurturing math talent. In F. Karnes & K. Stephens (Eds.), The practical strategies series in gifted education (pp. 1–64). Prufrock Press.
Renzulli, J. S. (2012). The Multiple Menu Model: A guide for developing differentiated curriculum. In C. M. Callahan & H. Hertberg-Davis (Eds.), Fundamentals of gifted education: Considering multiple perspectives (pp. 263–276). Routledge.
Tomlinson, C. A., Kaplan, S. N., Renzulli, J. S., Purcell, J. H., Leppien, J. H., & Burns, D. E., Strickland, C. A. & Imbeau, M. B. (2009). The parallel curriculum: A design to develop learner potential and challenge advanced learners (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.
Voss, M. (2024). Teaching gifted multilingual learners with depth & complexity. Seidlitz Education.
