ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) and recommend that interested readers find our text on the topic for detailed information about implementing the model. The SEM promotes engagement for all students through the use of three types of enrichment experiences that are enjoyable, challenging, and interest-based. Separate studies on the SEM have demonstrated its effectiveness in schools with widely differing socioeconomic levels and program organization patterns. In some programs, enrichment opportunities were offered to students not formally identified for the enrichment program, while in others, only identified “gifted” students had any access to enrichment experiences. Enrichment specialists must devote a majority of their time to working directly with Talent Pool students, and this time should mainly be devoted to facilitating individual and small-group investigations. Enrichment programs have been the true laboratories of our nation’s schools because they have presented ideal opportunities for testing new ideas and experimenting with potential solutions to long-standing educational problems.
