Building a Bridge Between Gifted Education and Total School Improvement

Joseph S. Renzulli

In this time of school restructuring, practitioners and others in the larger school community are seeking ways to improve the creative productivity and academic achievement of all students. The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) provides educators with an adaptable framework for bringing the lasting improvements to education that school personnel have sought for so long. This monograph describes three service delivery components (the Total Talent Portfolio, curriculum modification techniques, enrichment learning and teaching) and several organizational components of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model that can be used to provide high-level learning opportunities for all students. When used together, the service delivery and organizational components can bring about lasting changes in school structures, including the regular curriculum, enrichment clusters, and the continuum of special services.

Reference:

Renzulli, J. S. (1995). Building a bridge between gifted education and total school improvement (RBDM9502). Storrs: University of Connecticut, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.

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Building a Bridge Between Gifted Education and Total School Improvement
Joseph S. Renzulli
 

Conclusions

  1. The goals of the schoolwide enrichment model are to: (a) develop the talent potentials of young people, (b) improve the academic performance of all students, (c) promote continuous, growth-oriented professionalism, (d) create a learning community, and (e) implement a democratic school governance procedure.
  2. Enrichment Clusters are non-graded groups of students who come together during specially designated time blocks to pursue common interests.
  3. Curriculum Modification Techniques consist of strategies to modify existing curriculum and models to guide the development of instructional units. The strategies and models are used to create opportunities for students to become first-hand inquirers, to blend content and process, and to highlight the interconnectedness of disciplines.
  4. Enrichment Learning and Teaching is based on four principles: (a) each student is unique, (b) learning is more effective when students enjoy what they are doing, (c) learning is more meaningful and enjoyable when content and process are learned within the context of a real problem, and (d) knowledge and thinking skills acquisition are enhanced when students can construct meaning.