Concurrent 45 min

The Past, Present, and Future of Identification: Reframing for Purpose and Equity

Saturday, November 15, 2025

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Location: Convention Center, 407

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

Amy L. Shelton (she/her/hers)

Executive Director/Professor
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Kathryn N. Thompson

Director of Research
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Towson, Maryland, United States

Short Description: Identification has long played a critical role as an entry point to gifted education programs. However, many current policies and practices have well-documented limitations and a lack of a coherent framework for improvement. This interactive presentation proposes a framework for viewing identification as “academic matchmaking,” advocating for a toolbox approach that aligns student needs and abilities to appropriate educational opportunities.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to differentiate among the kinds of identification tools and their potential strengths and weaknesses.
Participants will be able to articulate the different features and considerations that help align identification tools to educational opportunities.
Participants will be able to articulate the advantages of a “toolbox” approach to identification for better matching of student needs to educational opportunities.