The Talent Search Model of Gifted Identification

The Talent Search model, founded at Johns Hopkins University by Dr. Julian C. Stanley, is fundamentally an above-level testing program. This simplistic description belies the enduring impact that the Talent Search model has had on the lives of hundreds of thousands of gifted students as well as their parents and teachers. In this article, we compare the Talent Search model to school-based models of gifted education. The comparisons are both broad and narrow. Broad contrasts are made in the discussion of the historical impetus, whereas specific differences are presented in the discussion of numbers of students served and costs. Bridging the Talent Search model and K-12 gifted education models is addressed. Assessment information from Talent Search above-level testing offers valuable information for parents and teachers and recommendations for advocacy are presented. Finally, we highlight major findings from Talent Search research emphasizing that Talent Search research has made a significant contribution to our understanding of gifted and talented students. We conclude with a strong endorsement to recognize the founder of the Talent Search model, Julian C. Stanley, by referring to the impact of the Talent Search model as the Julian Stanley Effect.