What is a focus of the MDSD (multi-dimensional screening device)?

The correct choice highlights the essential feature of the Multi-Dimensional Screening Device (MDSD), which is its recognition of the multidimensional nature of intelligence. This approach goes beyond traditional methods that may focus on a singular aspect of intelligence, such as verbal or quantitative skills.

By acknowledging that intelligence encompasses various dimensions, the MDSD allows for a more comprehensive evaluation of a student's capabilities. This includes emotional, social, and practical intelligences, which are critical for understanding a student's full potential. In gifted education, it's important to identify diverse strengths and abilities. The MDSD thus facilitates a holistic assessment that can better inform educators and policymakers in providing appropriate educational opportunities and support for gifted learners.

In contrast to this correct choice, evaluating only verbal intelligence would limit the assessment to one specific area and ignore the broader spectrum of cognitive abilities. Similarly, assessing intelligence as a single dimension fails to capture the complexity of how different intelligences interplay. Measuring only academic performance would not account for non-academic strengths that are often vital to a student’s overall development and success.