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Differentiated Curriculum for the
Gifted: An Overview of Curriculum
Planning & Practices
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.
Jody and Layton Smith Professor in Education
Executive Director, Center for Gifted Education
The College of William and Mary
Hong Kong
10 October 2007
A Systemic View of Schoolbased Talent Development
INPUT
Conceptions
of
Giftedness
and Talent
Development
SCHOOL-BASED
INTERVENTIONS
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
OUTPUT
Productive/
Creative
Behaviors &
Products in
relevant
domains
Learner Characteristics and
Corresponding Emphases in the
Curriculum
THE LEARNER
THE CURRICULUM
Precocity
Advanced Content
Intensity
Process/product depth
considerations
Complexity
Issues/concepts/themes/
ideas across domains of
learning
The Integrated Curriculum
Model
Process-Product
Dimension
Advanced
Content
Dimension
Issues/Themes
Dimension
- VanTassel-Baska, 1986
A Model For Curriculum Reform
Learner Outcomes
of Significance
Authentic
Assessment
Higher Order
Reasoning
Constructing
Meaning
Conceptuallyoriented Curriculum
Metacognition
Technologyrelevant
Materials &
Resources
Inquiry-based
Learning
Multicultural/
Global Emphasis
Substantive
Content
Intradisciplinary
& Interdisciplinary
Connections
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Gifted Learner Needs
What is taught
Curriculum
What is learned
Assessment
Instructio
n
How it is
delivered
Why differentiation of programs
and services for gifted?
All children achieving
(NCLB, 2001)
 Learning differences
(NRC, 2002)
 Low-achieving levels
of high potential
learners on authentic
and high level
assessments (NAEP,
2000; TIMSS, 2001)

Leave No Child Bored
100
90
80
Proficient
70
Student A
Student B
Standard
60
50
40
30
3
4
5
6
7
8
We must expect progress for all students.
--Value Added Assessment: Battelle for Kids, 2005
CURRICULUM DESIGN ELEMENTS
1
Learner Characteristics
& Needs
7
8
Assessment of
Outcomes
Evaluation of
Curriculum/Revision
2
Curriculum Goals
3
Outcomes/Objectives
6
Materials &
Resources
4
5
Teaching-Learning
Strategies
Activities/Task
Demands/Questions
Sample Gifted Program Goals






To provide mastery of basic content at a pace
and depth appropriate to the capacity of able
learners.
To promote critical thinking and reasoning
abilities
To provide an environment that encourages
divergent thinking
To develop high-level oral and written skills
To develop research skills and methods
To develop an understanding for systems of
knowledge, themes, issues, and problems that
frame the external world.
Sample curriculum goal:
To develop critical thinking
Sample outcomes and objectives
Students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
Analyze different points of view on a given
issue
Draw appropriate inferences, given a set of
data
Forecast consequences and implications of a
given decision or action
Social Studies Application Activity
Outcome:
Students will be able to:
Analyze different points of view on a given
issue.
Ask students to form mini debate teams and argue “Should the
United States continue to support transition operations in
Iraq?”
Assessment
Ask students to respond to the following question in a 40minute essay:
What are the multiple perspectives represented in the Iraqi
situation? Select three of them and describe the
perspective and the values and beliefs behind each.
Application to Math and Science
Outcome: Demonstrate an understanding of models and
systems.
Activity:
Using the following criteria, create a model of an aquarium and
explain its make-up:
 Specifications of tank size
 Number of fish & type
 Number & type of plans
 Light & water filtration system
 Setting
– What variables are most important to consider in constructing your
aquarium? Why?

How would you describe your aquarium as a living system?
Assessment:
Use a predetermined rubric to judge the written product and oral
presentation.
Application to Literature
Outcome: Analyze classical literature
Activity:
Read Moliere’s The Misanthrope and discuss the
following questions:
 What characterizes a misanthrope?
 How does Moliere satirize the character?
 How is this play similar to others by Moliere?
Assessment:
Read a critique of the play and summarize the key
points made about Moliere’s style as a satirist.
Curriculum Goal
•
To develop critical
thinking
Teaching Strategy


•
To develop creative
thinking


•
•
To develop research
skills
To understand broad
overarching
interdisciplinary
concepts
Paul model of
reasoning
Questioning model
Concept mapping
Creative problem
solving model

W&M research model
Problem-based
learning

TABA model for
concept development

Pre-assessment as a
Prelude to Differentiation
To determine knowledge and skills in an
area (functional level)
 To determine range of differences among
learners (differentiation)
 To determine appropriate interventions for
whole and subgroups
 To revise/refine instructional plans
 To rethink classroom management
strategies

What is Differentiated Curriculum for
the Gifted in the Context of
Curriculum Standards for all?
Features:
 Acceleration
 Complexity
 Depth
 Challenge
 Creativity
Differentiation Feature:
Acceleration
 Fewer
tasks assigned to master
standard
 Assessed earlier or prior to teaching
 Clustered by higher order thinking
skills
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Feature:
Complexity
 Used
multiple higher level skills
 Added more variables to study
 Required multiple resources
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Feature:
Depth
 Studied
a concept in multiple
applications
 Conducted original research
 Developed a product
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Feature:
Challenge
 Advanced
resources employed
 Sophisticated content stimuli used
 Cross-disciplinary applications made
 Reasoning made explicit
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Feature:
Creativity
 Designed/constructed
a model based
on principles or criteria
 Provided alternatives for tasks,
products, and assessments
 Emphasized oral and written
communication to a real-world
audience
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Meaningful Project Work
• Advances content understanding
• Teaches higher level skills of cognition and metacognition.
• May be group or individual
• Requires written and oral outcomes
• May be short term or long term (1 week- 1 semester)
• Is assessed by rating of skills employed and quality of product
Differentiation Examples

Implement a math
curriculum
objective for the
gifted by…
– Multiplying by 1
digit
– Multiplying by 2
digits
– Multiplying by 3
digits
– Complete word
problems using
multiplication

Implement a math
curriculum objective
for the gifted by…
– Computational
procedures as a tool
for problem solving
– Using addition,
subtraction,
multiplication, and
division to solve
multi-step problems
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Examples

Discuss plot,
setting, and
characters in the
short story “A
Rose for Emily.”

Compare and
contrast the plot,
setting, characters,
motivation, theme,
and climax of “A
Rose for Emily”
and “The Bear.”
Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary
Differentiation Examples

Choose one of the 
following topics
and prepare an oral
presentation using
at least four library
sources:
– The use of
technology
– Science discoveries
of the past
– Mathematics in
everyday life

Debate one of the
following resolutions.
– Mankind is on a path
toward human
progress.
– Studying our past will
help us cope with the
future.
Use multiple sources
including surveys,
interviews, and library
sources in your
preparation.
Differentiation Examples

Joe invested
$1,000 in stock
in January.
When he sold it
in December, the
price was up
12% from his
purchase price.
What was his
profit on this
stock?

Which would you
rather choose?
– a) 80% profit in
year 1 and 50%
loss in year 2.
– b) 5% profit in year
1 and 5% profit in
year 2.

Explain your
reasoning.
Differentiation Examples

Conduct an
experiment on plant
growth by measuring
weekly progress of
two sets of seeds,
one in artificial light
indoors and one
outside in shade.

Design an
experiment on one
of the following
questions and share
your results in an
oral and written
presentation:
– Are bees attracted to
diet cola?
– Are earthworms
attracted to light?
– Are boys more
interested in
computers than girls?
– Your own question
Differentiation Examples

On a timeline,
chart the
evolution of
atomic theory.
Describe each
major model of
the atom
according to its
major features.

Using generalizations
derived around the
concept of models,
evaluate each major
model of the atom over
time. Evaluate the
strengths and
weaknesses of each,
and create a visual to
demonstrate how each
model influenced the
models succeeding it.
 Create
a differentiated activity using
the principles of differentiation in
your subject area and at your level
of teaching.
William & Mary National Science
Curriculum Emphases
The Problem
Content
Process
Learning
Science
Using Scientific
Research
Concept
Understanding
“Systems”
Major Research Findings from
Science Studies
Significant and important effects for
planning an experiment were
evident.
 Effects were evident across units,
grade levels, and grouping patterns.
 High levels of engagement for both
teachers and students.

VanTassel-Baska, Avery, Little, & Hughes,2000
VanTassel-Baska, Bass, Ries, Poland, & Avery,1998
William & Mary Social Studies
Curriculum Emphases
The History of a culture,
period, or event
Content
Process
Learning
History
Concept
Using reasoning
skills to analyze
history and its
artifacts
Understanding Systems, Change,
Perspective, Nationalism, and Cause
& Effect
Major Research Findings from
Social Studies Research
Significant treatment effects on conceptual
thinking, critical thinking, and content.
 Treatment effect was evident for nongifted as well as gifted students.
 Treatment effect was consistent for males
and females.
 Teachers who participated in the project
over multiple years demonstrated
increased use of differentiated strategies.

Little, Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Rogers, & Avery,2002
William & Mary Language Arts
Curriculum Emphases
The Literature
Content
Process
Learning vocabulary,
advanced literature,
persuasive writing, and oral
communication skills
Concept
Understanding
“Change”
Using reasoning
skills to generate
products
Major Research Findings from
Quasi-Experimental Studies





Significant and important treatment effects for
literary analysis and interpretation and for
persuasive writing
No significant gender effects
All forms of grouping worked.
Longitudinal gains over three years.
Students enhanced their learning each time
they were exposed to the units and maintained
their level of achievement between
interventions across the years.
Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Quek, Bai, & O’Neill,2004;
VanTassel-Baska, Zuo, Avery, & Little, 2002;
VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, Hughes, & Boyce, 1996
Findings from Project Athena
(Title I Schools)
Project Athena students showed
significant learning gains in critical
thinking and reading comprehension.
 Gender, ethnic, and ability differences
were evident.
 Two years of training and implementation
significantly enhances teacher behaviors
in differentiation.

VanTassel-Baska & Bracken,2005
VanTassel-Baska, Feng, & Brown, in press
Models
Concept
Development
Model
 Reasoning Model
 Research Model
 Problem-Based
Learning
 Literature Web

Hamburger Model
 Dagwood Model
 Vocabulary Web
 Analyzing Primary
Sources
 Reasoning about a
Situation or Event

Concept Development
Examples of
Concepts
(used in W&M curriculum
units)
Change
Systems
Cause
And Effect
Authority
Perspective
Concept
Development
Process
Cite examples.
Categorize.
Cite nonexamples.
Generalize.
Sample Concepts Useful in
Curriculum Development
Change
Life and Death
Scale
Constancy
Models
Signs and
Symbols
Evolution
Origins
Systems
Family
Patterns
Time
Good and Evil
Patterns of
Change
Truth
Knowledge
Power
Wisdom
Systems
A system is a collection of items or
processes that interact with each other
to constitute a meaningful whole.
All systems have
1. Elements
2. Boundaries
3. Interactions among elements to generate
system behavior
4. Many systems receive input and produce
output
Analyzing a System
Boundaries
Elements
Inputs
Outputs
Interactions
Change Matrix
Literature
“Shells”
The Green
Book
Poems
“The Ugly
Duckling”
Bringing the
Rain to Kapiti
Plain
Your own
story
Changes in
characters
Changes in
setting
Changes in
relationships
Change in you as
a result of reading
Elements of Reasoning
Purpose/
Goal
Evidence/
Data
Point of
View
Assumptions
Issue/
Problem
Concepts/
Ideas
Inferences
Implications/
Consequences
-- Paul, 1992
Reasoning about a Situation or
Event
What is the situation?
Who are the
stakeholders?
What is the point
of view for each
stakeholder?
What are the
assumptions of
each group?
What are the
implications of
these views?
Characteristics of an Issue
 Real
world
 Multiple points of view
 Researchable and substantial
information available
 Worthy topic and personal
involvement
Developing an Issue
State the issue:
Identify the stakeholder
groups:
State your initial position:
Describe each group’s
position:
Should library resources intended
for older students be withheld from
younger students?
Should books be censored?
Should technology as an
educational tool be controlled?
Research Example –
Science & Math
Ask students to design an experiment to test a question
of interest to them:

Examples:
– Do people prefer Product X over Product Y?
– Are ants attracted to sugar?
– Are girls more addicted to computers than boys?

A research report must be prepared and
presented, using technology applications. Be
sure to address hypothesis, data collection
techniques, appropriate data tables, conclusions,
and implications of the findings based on the
original question.
Research Example Language Arts



Over the years there have been many ways to preserve
memories, or to keep important things from being
forgotten. Brainstorm some of the ways people preserve
memories. How many can you think of? Which of these
ways require technology such as electricity? Divide your
list into two groups – traditional methods that do not
depend on technology and modern methods that use
technology. What are the advantages and disadvantages of
each type?
Choose a point of view about the best ways to preserve
memories. Do some research to support your point of
view. Your research might include library materials,
interviews, or a poll.
Later in this unit you will write a short paper (1-2 pages)
and give a two-minute presentation on your point of view,
supported by your findings.

Journeys and Destinations, Grades 2-3
Research Example Social Studies


You will sign up for a person or event from the 1920s to
explore in your project. From your research you will create
a learning booth or “mini-museum” that your classmates
will visit, so you should make it as entertaining and
interesting as possible.
You will need to include the following:
–
–
–
–
Pictures or other visual aides (audio if appropriate)
Timeline placing the person or event appropriately
Description of your person/issue
An explanation of the person/issue’s significance in the 1920s
and today
– A handout (or brochure) that includes basic information on the
contents of your museum and entices people to come and see
the exhibit.

Visitors should be able to determine who/what was the
main focus of your museum, how the person and related
issue/event fit on a timeline of the 1920s, and the
significance of the person and related issue/event(s) to life
in the 1920s and to life today.
The 1920s in America: A Decade of Tensions, Grades 6-7
Create a research task demand in
your area of learning for gifted
learners.
Use the examples as prototypical
models.
What is PBL?
Problem-based learning is an
instructional strategy (a curricular
framework) that, through student
and community interests and
motivation, provides an appropriate
way to “teach” sophisticated content
and high-level process… all while
building self-efficacy, confidence, and
autonomous learner behaviors.
Problem-Based Learning
Characteristics
of the Gifted
Characteristics
of PBL
Desire for selfStudents in
directed learning charge of their
learning
Curious inquirers Inquiry-based at
about the world
multiple levels
Ability to handle
higher level
thinking and
make
connections
Real world
problem that is
both complex
and interdisciplinary
Problem Statement
(Tailored for Local Area)
You are the supervisor of the day shift of the Virginia State Highway
Patrol in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is 6:00 a.m. on a steamy June
morning. You are awakened by the ringing phone. When you answer
you are told, “Come to the Queen’s Creek overpass on eastbound
Interstate 64. There has been a major accident and you are needed.”
Quickly you dress and hurry to the overpass. As you approach the
bridge, you see an overturned truck that is completely blocking both
eastbound lanes of the freeway. You see “CORROSIVE” on small signs
on the side and rear of the truck. The truck has lost at least one
wheel and is resting on the freeway guard rail. There is a large gash
in the side of the truck; from this gash, a clear liquid is running down
the side of the truck, onto the road, and down the hill into Queen’s
Creek. Steam is rising from the creek. All traffic has been halted and
everyone has been told to remain in their cars. Many of the motorists
in the traffic jam appear to be angry and frustrated. Police officers,
firemen, and rescue squad workers are at the scene. They are all
wearing coveralls and masks. The rescue squad is putting the
unconscious truck driver onto a stretcher. Everyone seems hurried
and anxious.
Problem Statement
What a Find!
You are an archaeologist working as a junior
partner at a local research museum. In recent
times, the museum has suffered from a lack of
use, and everyone is looking for ways to bring
more people into the museum.
Your supervisor has just received a call from a
local construction site. While doing construction
to build a new school, construction workers
found an old clay pot. They halted construction
and need to know what to do. Your supervisor
has assigned you the task of figuring out what is
going on.
Need to Know Board
What do we What do we
know?
need to
know?
How can
we find
out?
Features of
Problem-based Learning
Learner-centered
 Real world problem
 Teacher as tutor or coach
 Emphasis on collaborative
teams
 Employs metacognition
 Uses alternative assessment


Embodies scientific process
Ill-Structured Problems
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ambiguous
No single “right” answer
Data is often incomplete
Definition of problem changes
Information needs change or
grow
Stakeholders
Deadline for resolution
Literature Web
Key Words
Feelings
READING
Ideas
Images/Symbols
Structure
Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
-- M. Oliver
Questioning Model
Memory/cognition level questions –
factual, one right answer
 Convergent level questions – multiple
right answers
 Divergent level questions - hypothetical,
multiple answers that may be wideranging
 Evaluative level questions – judgmental,
answers derived from interpreting
criteria or selecting best perspective
based on options

Lower to Higher Order Questions
Memory/
Cognition Level
When did the Korean
War take place?
Convergence Level
What were the
causes of the Korean
War?
What would have
happened if the
Communists had won
the war?
How successful was
the result of the war
for North and South
Korea, based on the
criteria of economics
and politics?
Divergence Level
Evaluative Level
Create a question cluster
to discuss the
fluctuations in gasoline
prices.
Instructional Purpose:
To check for understanding of the World War II
How could you differentiate more effectively the following
activities for gifted learners?
From the chapter on the history of the World War II that you
read last night, choose one of the following tasks and work
alone or with a partner to complete it.
Draw
a comic strip to show the events in the chapter.
In your journal, chronicle the events in the chapter.
Describe the setting and how it related to the events in the
chapter.
If you were a newscaster, what would your progress report
be?
Rewrite a passage of the chapter in your own words. Use
synonyms to replace some of the author’s words.
Classroom Management Strategies for
Implementing High-End Learning
 Tiered
instruction
 Learning centers
 Flexible grouping
 Diagnostic-prescriptive approach
 Differentiated tasks within topical
study
 Allowing alternative choice
 Contracts
Assessments used in W&M Units
Performance-based (pre and post)
 Portfolios
 Content and concept assessments
 Self, peer, and teacher assessments
 Project and presentation assessments
 Overall unit assessments
 Informal assessments (discussion,
observation)

Implications for Instructional
Leadership
 Staff
development planning
 Monitoring of classroom
implementation of relevant teacher
behavior
 Teacher conferencing on lesson
planning every nine weeks
 Curriculum and instructional
alignment
 Parent development planning
 Collaborative relationship with
universities, research labs, museums,
and other community resources.
What is Positive Change?
 Enhancing
 Climate
learning for students
of excellence
 Learning-centered
students,
parents, and teachers
“For me, the fundamental mandate of
school reform is to examine every
decision, practice, and policy, and ask
the question:
What, if anything, is anyone learning
as a consequence of this?
Whether we are called teachers,
principals, or parents, our primary
responsibility is to promote learning in
others and in ourselves. That is what it
means to be an educator.
--Roland Barth
Center for Gifted Education
Contact Information
Center for Gifted Education
The College of William and Mary
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
757-221-2362
http://cfge.wm.edu