ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of considerations that must be taken into account when designing an identification system for a school, district, or even a state. It presents an identification system that addresses issues of excellence, equity, and economy in gifted education programs. The Three-Ring Conception additionally posits that there are two kinds of giftedness: academic giftedness and creative productive giftedness. Both of these types of giftedness are important and often interact, and both should be encouraged in special programs. A team of school personnel, including teacher(s) of the gifted, classroom teachers, administrators, and pupil personnel specialists, should be responsible for managing the Talent Pool selection process. The material covered in any special program should reflect the purposes or mission of gifted education and the characteristics that brought particular students to our attention through a systematic identification process. The chapter provides avenues for traditionally underrepresented student populations to participate in special programming, thus enhancing social equity.
