Using early childhood developmental portfolios in the identification and education of young, economically disadvantaged, potentially gifted students∗

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Abstract
In this article, we present a rationale for and describe the format and use of the Early Childhood Developmental Portfolios developed in Project Synergy at Teachers College, Columbia University. We discuss the utility of portfolios for purposes of identification, curriculum development, and placement, and we argue that they are particularly appropriate for use in the field of the education of the gifted. We then describe the components of the Early Childhood Developmental Portfolios, which are designed to document the growth of young potentially gifted children with reference to developmental theory in specific domains. The article closes with a brief discussion of the implementation and evaluation of this portfolio approach.