Professional development in gifted education is an elusive concept. Characterized simply as the “systematic development of professional skill” by Gloria Dall'Alba and Jörgen Sandberg (p. 383), the concept of professional development defies simplicity because of the widely varying ways individuals, schools, and districts envision and participate in systematic development. Professional development ideally begins at the preservice level, when undergraduates in teacher education programs receive an overview, or at least an introduction, to the nature and needs of the gifted learners they will encounter in the classroom. According to the 2006–2007 State of the States in Gifted Education, however, only 5 of 43 responding states require preservice hours in gifted education. The transmission of knowledge and skills in the field necessarily continues in formal ways within ...