Talent development is not a single program. It is a philosophy that aligns identification, curriculum, grouping, and supports with the aim of building real competence. When districts design intentional pathways, gifted services become less about exclusion and more about expanding possibility.
A talent development approach reframes giftedness as potential that schools intentionally nurture into domain-specific competence. This approach shifts the focus from identification toward curriculum, scaffolded opportunities, and systematic supports that help promising students become skilled, motivated learners (see the NAGC Task Force report on Talent Development).
Talent Development Models
One model of talent development is Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Gagné separates natural abilities from developed talents and highlights the role of intrapersonal and environmental catalysts that must be present for potential to become expertise. Framing services through this model encourages schools to design experiences that build skill over time, not just label students once (see a seminal article about the DMGT Model).
Another important model for talent development is the Talent Development Mega-Model, proposed by Subotnik, Olszewski-Kubilius, and Worrell (2011), which reframes giftedness as a developmental process rather than a fixed trait. In this model, early abilities and potential are only starting points. Over time, talent is shaped through deliberate practice, increasing domain specificity, high-level instruction, psychosocial skills, and sustained motivation. As learners progress, the criteria for success shift from general ability to demonstrated performance, expertise, and ultimately eminence within a domain (eminence as a goal for gifted programs is slightly controversial in the field). However, this framework is especially important for schools because it highlights the responsibility of educational systems to intentionally cultivate potential through aligned services, mentoring, and opportunities, rather than assuming early-identified giftedness will automatically translate into advanced achievement.
Another model of talent development is the Dynamic Talent Pathways Framework by Todd Kettler out of Baylor University that I described in my #NAGC2025 session review. This framework reimagines secondary gifted education as a developmental progression that moves learners from potential through competence, mastery, domain expertise, and exceptional performance, with excellence and innovation treated as complementary forces rather than competing goals. At its heart, the model blends multiple theoretical lenses, including talent development and ecological systems thinking, to emphasize that talent grows when schools act as coordinated learning ecosystems. It weaves together three interdependent strands- cognitive mastery, creative production, and identity and purpose formation– so students not only build knowledge and skills but also see themselves as emerging practitioners in their fields. Practical tools like Talent Development Plans and mentorships help personalize pathways while fostering sustained challenge, authentic work, and equitable access for all gifted adolescents.
Lastly, Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad Model is a good, solid model of talent development. His model is a practical framework designed to foster creative productivity and deep engagement in learners by offering three sequential types of enrichment experiences. Type I experiences are broad, general exploratory activities that spark interest and expose all students to new topics. Type II focuses on developing thinking, research, and process skills through group training (typically pull-out or push-in groups, often with identified gifted students or students who have strong interest areas). Type III involves student-driven, first-hand investigations of real problems where learners act like practicing professionals in their chosen area. The model emphasizes dynamic flow among the three types so that early exploration and skills development lead to meaningful, authentic inquiry (Renzulli Center for Creativity).
Applying a Talent Development Framework
How does a talent development approach look in practice? Schools can create multiple, complementary pathways so students receive support where they are and for what they need. Some examples include enrichment and skills training for all students, cluster grouping to concentrate gifted learners for daily differentiated instruction, push-in enrichment to maintain inclusion while increasing challenge, and MTSS-aligned tiers that provide enrichment at universal and targeted levels. Schools can also create talent pathways to provide the extended practice, mentorship, and resources that turn ability into talent (read more about the power of proper cluster grouping here).
One of the most powerful features of a talent development approach is that equity is intentionally placed at the center of services. Recent reviews underscore that early investment in high-potential, underserved students improves both individual outcomes and system-level innovation (read a medical study about this review here).
For teachers and leaders interested in a talent development-focused gifted program, the next steps are practical:
- Audit your current service mix.
- Ask whether each program/pathway increases the amount of domain practice, provides coaching, or offers authentic performance opportunities.
- Move toward blended models that include in-class differentiation, short-term pull-out for specialized workshops, and long-term mentorship or project pathways.
- Document outcomes so the school division can iteratively strengthen the pathways that most reliably produce developed talent.
I wholeheartedly support a talent development approach to serving gifted students as well as all students. What do you think? Does your school division have any talent development efforts going on? Please tell us about them in the comments below. ~Ann
Teaching for Talent 