Push-in services bring gifted education support directly into the general education classroom. In this model, a gifted specialist collaborates with the classroom teacher to provide targeted instruction, enrichment, or extensions for advanced learners without removing them from the core learning environment. This approach promotes access, inclusion, and responsiveness to student needs throughout the school day.
Effective push-in models depend on strong co-planning. The gifted specialist and classroom teacher work together to analyze student readiness levels, compact curriculum where appropriate, and design differentiated tasks that challenge advanced learners. This can include flexible grouping, tiered assignments, advanced questioning, or targeted mini-lessons. Because the support occurs within the regular classroom, it reinforces the idea that gifted students deserve appropriate learning opportunities during core instruction, not only as an add-on or separate enrichment activity.
One advantage of push-in services is their potential to support talent development beyond identified students. When teachers receive modeling and coaching from the gifted specialist, the overall instructional environment becomes more responsive to a broad range of learners. This builds teacher capacity and strengthens equitable access to advanced learning opportunities.
Push-in services must be planned thoughtfully to ensure that gifted learners are truly challenged. If the gifted specialist is used as an extra pair of hands instead of a specialized instructor, students may not receive the advanced learning experiences they need. Therefore, clear role definitions, consistent scheduling, and a shared understanding of gifted pedagogy are essential.
More information about flexible delivery models, including push-in service structures, is available from the Best Practices Toolkit for Gifted Education in Arizona (2025, p. 53).
I love the push-in model as a way to have what I like to say: “Boots on the ground, eyes on kids.” Push-in allows the gifted resource teacher to serve gifted students, advanced students, and ALL students in the classroom.
What do you think about the push-in model for gifted students? Share your ideas in the comments below! ~Ann
Teaching for Talent 