ArtsConnection’s talent identification processes for dance, music, and theater are used in the Young Talent Program to select students for advanced instruction. Development and testing of these processes was completed during our federally-funded Talent Beyond Words and New Horizons research projects. The criteria used in these processes goes beyond those typically used to define talent through standard auditions or written assessments — such as mastery of a limited set of technical/verbal skills or a child’s inborn physical characteristics — to include qualities such as perseverance, expressiveness, and creativity. The talent identification process is administered annually to all participating students in grades three and four. A shortened version of the process is repeated in fifth and sixth grade. Over the course of five sessions, students are introduced to the art form by professional artists, receive instruction and feedback, and engage in improvisational and problem-solving activities. At each session, three observers — a team of two arts instructors and the classroom teacher — rate the students on attributes designed for that discipline, such as physical awareness, focus/commitment, imagination, and cooperation for theater. The observers also discuss each child every week and compare their observations. At the end of the five weeks, the marks in each category are tallied up. After further discussion among the observers, students are recommended for advanced instruction. For teachers, being participants in the process gives them the opportunity to learn how to recognize creative abilities in their students that might go unrecognized in the classroom. ArtsConnection’s talent identification process has been proven to be valid, reliable, and equitable across a broad range of artistic styles and techniques, school settings, and student populations, including children who have had no prior arts training and for those in special or bilingual classes. ArtsConnection's talent identification process was adopted for use by the State of Ohio in 2001 as the standard for assessing talent in the performing arts. In 2005, the talent identification process for dance and theater were adapted for use in our federally funded DELLTA (Developing English Language Learners through the Arts) Program.