So instead of focusing initially on identification, you should decide what sort of program you can and want to offer. Then you design your identification plan so that it is able to select those students who will be able to benefit from the program.
I think that is what is happening already. We have very limited resources time-wise so our pool of children who receive services will be small. We will have to be imaginative with how we use what we have. I am excited that we can begin to focus on these kids. We serve many moderately bright kids; I want to bring hope to the kids who are beyond that (after seeing how excruciating it was/is for my kid I want to help others).
As an aside, I have taught both gifted and non-gifted (though very bright) students algebra in a one-on-one setting, and one of the differences I notice is that the gifted ones need far less practice. This seems to be because the gifted ones see the underlying simplicity of whatever it is they are studying, whereas the non-gifted ones see it as a bunch of disconnected elements to be memorized. So, a 4th grader who is doing middle school math easily (so, being taught but not requiring an inordinate amount of practice) is more likely to be gifted than one who requires lots of after school time with rote practice to achieve the same thing.
Sure. We understand that here on this forum. I don't advertise that my DD rarely studies, is grade skipped, and still gets all A's when I know too many children who are surviving on little sleep and stressed, because they spend all their time in school and up late doing hours of homework.
