Finding Gifted Students “Hiding in Plain Sight”

What if the students you’re looking for… are already right in front of you?

Two districts, Northwest ISD in Texas and Charleston County School District in South Carolina, are showing how universal screening can uncover gifted students “hiding in plain sight.” By moving beyond traditional identification methods, both districts have expanded not just the number of students identified but the diversity of learners receiving advanced support.

In Northwest ISD, universal screening in second grade revealed students whose potential may have been overlooked, including:

• Multilingual learners
• Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds 
  
• Students who lack parent advocates
• “Twice exceptional” students whose learning challenges may have masked their ability

Meanwhile, Charleston County took things a step further with a “Stretch or Support” approach using CogAT® data to guide both enrichment and intervention. The result?

Three times as many students were identified for advanced learning in just two years. And even more importantly, a shift in mindset:

“It was a great talent development shift to not gatekeep… all kids deserve to grow in that way.”
Elizabeth Uptegrove, Charleston County

The takeaway is simple: when districts rethink how they identify and support talent, they don’t just find more gifted students—they build more equitable opportunities for all learners.