Aligning Education with Student Needs: Lessons from Gifted and Talented Education

Abstract

American education has inherited beliefs and practices unaligned with 21st-century needs, which prevents us from providing an appropriate education to many students. To reimagine education, we must understand tensions between shifting societal values, developmental goals, and educational structures. After discussing some of the values that pull education toward different goals, the authors present several lessons learned from Gifted and Talented Education pertinent to changing broader educational structures. Pivoting away from the age-in-grade model to one that flexibly addresses diverse individual learning pathways can help to increase equity and excellence, as well as develop individual talent for self-fulfillment and societal betterment.