Enhancing and Expanding Gifted Programs: The Levels of Service Approach »

Donald J. Treffinger, Ph.D., is the president of the Center for Creative Learning in Sarasota, FL. He earned a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in educational psychology from Cornell University. Treffinger previously has been a member of the faculty at Purdue University, the University of Kansas, and Buffalo State College. He now is a member of the Gifted Child Quarterly Advisory Board and has served as editor of that journal, and as editor-in-chief of Parenting for High Potential, NAGC’s quarterly magazine for parents.

Treffinger is the author of more than 350 articles, chapters, and books. He has written and conducted research on the nature, assessment, and nurture of creativity and Creative Problem Solving, as well as problem-solving styles, gifted education, and talent development. He has given presentations and workshops worldwide, and served as a consultant to numerous local, state, national, and international organizations. He has received the Distinguished Service Award and the E. Paul Torrance Creativity Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, the Creativity Research Award from the World Council on the Gifted and Talented, and the Risorgimenti Creativity Award from the Destination ImagiNation program.

Grover Young is an experienced teacher, school administrator, and coordinator of gifted programming and staff development. He has worked with schools and businesses in the areas of creative productive thinking, talent identification and development, and performance-based learning and assessment. Young also has been actively involved in programs and activities for teachers and students on inventors, inventions, andinventing; in research on creativity characteristics and assessment; and in research and writing on talent development among youth orchestra members. He also has worked closely with schools and school districts in self-assessment and planning for talent development programming. Grover is coauthor of Building Creative Excellence, Thinking with Standards, The CPS Kit, and Enhancing and Expanding Gifted Programs: The Levels of Service Approach. He has authored or coauthored more than 50 articles and chapters on creativity and talent development.

Carole A. Nassab is a program associate of the Center for Creative Learning. Nassab is an experienced educator who has served in numerous roles in public and private educational settings. She has been a middle school teacher, a school counselor, a principal, and a district-level administrator. Nassab has been actively involved in teacher education and professional development. She has provided training in building collaborative teams, managing change, creative and critical thinking, and Creative Problem Solving. Nassab has authored or coauthored several publications, including Thinking Tools Lessons, Thinking With Standards, Expanding Gifted Programs: The Levels of Service Approach, The Creative Problem Solving Kit, and The Talent Development Planning Handbook.

Carol Wittig is an experienced classroom teacher and gifted programming specialist in public elementary and middle schools. She has been a lead contributor to curriculum development in language arts, math, and social studies for her school district, and also has coauthored several publications on creativity and talent development. Wittig earned a master’s degree in Creative Studies from the State University College at Buffalo and has presented many workshops on creativity, Creative Problem Solving, CPS facilitation, learning styles, and talent development both in the U.S. and abroad.

This comprehensive guidebook offers an innovative, field-tested approach to programming for gifted and talent development. It is a valuable resource for creating new programs or for expanding and enhancing existing programs. The Levels of Service (LoS) approach to programming is a research-supported, practical model that can be applied in any school or school district. LoS is a comprehensive, contemporary, flexible approach to gifted education program development. The book offers educators thorough and practical support for the how and why issues of effective programming, with a focus on providing appropriate and challenging opportunities for students. This how-to manual for building an effective program deals with four practical levels of gifted education services. The authors explain each level, offer real-world examples and specific suggestions for programming, and describe many additional resources. The book also provides strategies for planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs.