Gifted Behaviors Rating Scale (GBRS) 
The GBRS has been shown to be effective in finding young students with high potential from underrepresented groups. It has four sections with eight descriptors each. The descriptors are designed to be culturally responsive. Gifted Behavior Rating Scale* Stems for GBRS (Companion to the GBRS) Gifted Behaviors Continuum

• Exceptional Ability to Learn
• Exceptional Application of Knowledge
• Exceptional Creative/Productive Thinking
• Exceptional Motivation to Succeed

Exceptional Ability to Learn

• A 3rd grade EL student was able to read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess after only two weeks learning English.
• A child learns to play a new game very quickly, particularly one that requires strategy such as chess.
• A student makes connections without formal instruction. A first grader wrote a story with a distinct beginning and ending while classmates were only writing simple sentences.

Exceptional Application of Knowledge

• A young boy made a submarine out of junk materials and was very careful to make sure he used the same size and type of materials on each side. He explained that he was working on balance because he read that if an eagle loses a feather on one wing, it will also lose one on the other side.

Exceptional Creative or Productive Thinking

• A child invents a way to do something different such as a new way to pick up blocks
• A child makes a detailed map of a fictional island
• Children who are good at brainstorming with very fluent and flexible thinking

Exceptional Motivation to Succeed

• A child who shows leadership by seeing a need and developing a plan to meet the need
• A child who sees a project to completion after others have lost interest
• A child who makes up and organizes games, plays, projects

Scorers should look for the frequency and consistency of behaviors. Displaying all descriptors once would score a 1. Displaying a few descriptors frequently/consistently would score a 4. Keep asking: Are they exceptional for their background? If the score is 12 or higher, they are a good candidate for the Primary Talent Pool. If the score is 10 or 11, watch and monitor. Pay close attention to the Ability to Learn section.