GIFTED EDUCATION: Underrepresentation of minority groups

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GIFTED EDUCATIONUnder-representation of
minority groups

• SAC Research Symposium 2007
• Presented by Elena Webb
• EDF 5705, Dr. Marta Cruz

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Abstract

• Giftedness exists in every cultural group
  and across all economic strata (USDE, 1993). In
  different cultures, it may include the concepts
  of spatial, musical, environmental, and other
  types of intelligences. However, the most common
  definition of giftedness, used in American
  schools, focuses exclusively on analytical and
  linguistic skills. This narrow interpretation of
  intelligence, as well as inadequate efforts
  toward fair representation of minority groups in
  gifted education, have lead to the most
  segregated programs in our public schools (Ford,
  D, 2005).
• The proposed presentation addresses the
  possible causes of under - representation of
  language and ethnic minority groups in Gifted
  Education programs, and presents an overview of
  specific identification tools (checklists, IQ
  tests, observation protocols, etc) used to
  recognize giftedness in those students.  

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The presentation addresses the following
questions

•  
• 1. What are some of the current definitions of
  giftedness, and what definition do educators
  commonly rely on, when testing and placing
  students in Gifted Education programs? 
• 2. What undermines educators ability or desire
  to recruit minority students?   
• 3. What state and district regulations have been
  created to insure a more equitable representation
  of minority groups in Gifted Education programs?
   
• 4. What tools do educators in Palm Beach county
  use to identify giftedness in minority students,
  and how do these tools compare to methods, used
  to recognize giftedness in mainstream students?

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Five Propositions for Educators(Ford, D., 2005)

• Inadequate efforts toward fair representation
  have lead to the most segregated programs in our
  public schools (p. 380).
• Gifted education is a need not a privilege.
• Giftedness exists in every cultural group and
  across all economic strata (USDE, 1993).
• The definition of giftedness is socially
  constructed and highly subjective. This
  subjectivity contributes to segregated gifted
  education in numerous and insidious ways (Ford,
  p. 380).
• All decisions of educators should be made with
  the learners best interests in mind.

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Some anecdotal records on the topic
The psychologist from the Multicultural
department administered the test despite the fact
that the student was feeling sick.
The ESE coordinator did not accept a second
(repeat) referral for gifted screening of an ELL
student.
It took four months for someone from the
Multicultural department to administer the
screening. Naturally, it happened in May, when
the student was ready to move to middle school.
But why wasnt the student referred for testing
earlier?
Parents decided to keep their gifted children
with a mainstream teacher Because they were
confident she would address their learning needs
in a mainstream classroom.
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DEMOGRAPHICS OF GIFTED EDUCATION
PROGRAMS _________________________________________
_____________________ STUDENT CATEGORY
SCHOOL POPULATION GIFTED ED.
________________________________________________
_______________ WHITE, NON-HISPANIC
62.1
75.53 AFRICAN AMERICAN
17.2
8.40 HISPANIC
15.6
8.63 ASIAN AMERICAN
4.0
6.57 NATIVE AMERICAN/ALASKAN 1.2
0.87 NATIVE _______
__________________________________________________
_______ Sources Elementary and Secondary School
Civil Rights Survey (1998) www.demo.beyond2020.co
m/ocrpublic/eng. National Center for Educational
Statistics. (2001). Common Core of Data (CCD),
State Nonfiscal Survey of Public
Elementary/Secondary Education, 1999-2000.
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Giftedness - Definitions

• The federal government defines "gifted and
  talented" students, children, or youth as those
• ...who give evidence of high achievement
  capability in areas such as intellectual,
  creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in
  specific academic fields, and who need services
  or activities not ordinarily provided by the
  school in order to fully develop those
  capabilities. 
• No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110 (Title IX,
  Part A, Definitions (22) (2002) 20 U.S.C. Sec.
  7802 (22) (2004))
• National Association for Gifted Children
  www.nagc.org
• To find out how the definition of a gifted
  child evolved, visit
• http//www.riage.org/gifted
  def.html

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State definition of gifted
"Gifted - one who has superior intellectual
development and is capable of high
performance. Criteria for eligibility A
student meets criteria under (a) or (b) of this
rule. ____________________________________________
_____________ a) The student demonstrates 1.
Need for a special program. 2. A majority of
characteristics of gifted students according to a
standard scale or checklist 3. Superior
intellectual development as measured by an
intelligence quotient of two standard deviations
or more above the mean.   ________________________
_________________________________ b) The
student is a member of an under-represented group
and meets the criteria specific in an approved
school district plan for increasing the
participation of under-represented groups in
gifted programs. For the purpose of this rule,
under-represented groups comprise a. limited
English proficient          b. low
socio-economic status. (Florida Admin. Code
Ann. r. 6A-6.03019)
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RECRUITMENT BARRIERS

• The first step in addressing such
  underrepresentation is to focus on recruitment
• Definition of recruitment activities related to
  (1) screening, (2)identification and (3)
  placement of students in gifted education.
• What undermines educators ability (or desire?)
  to recruit minority students?
• Donna Y. Ford DEFICIT ORIENTATION

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Recruitment Barriers Deficit Thinking
Definition Deficit thinking occurs when
educators interpret differences as deficits,
dysfunctions and disadvantages (Ford, 2005, p.
381). Differences are interpreted in a negative
way, and in addition to that, they become a
students main trait, while positive traits
become secondary.
Gloud (1981/1995) and Menchaca (1997) , among
others, showed how deficit thinking contributed
to past and current beliefs about race/ethnicity
and intelligence. They also unveiled prejudiced
research methods of scientists studying
intelligence. Those deliberate miscalculations
gave way to the prevailing belief that human
races could be ranked on a linear scale of
mental worth (Ford, D., p. 382).
As a result of these assumptions, first
standardized test were developed. Although they
claimed to measure intelligence, what they really
tested was familiarity with mainstream US culture
and English proficiency. These tests almost
guaranteed low scores for immigrants and racial
minorities.
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Recruitment Issue 1 Screening
In most schools, testing is initiated by teacher
referral only. This policy often closes the door
of opportunity for minority students, as they are
seldom referred by teachers for screening.
Most check-lists, that teachers and counselors
are asked to complete, are written in a culture-
insensitive mode (focus on sense of humor, verbal
skills, presentation, etc)
Research by Smith, Constantino and Krashen (1997)
reveals that what we commonly consider
giftedness has to do with the kinds of academic
exposure students experience at home and in
school (p. 383).
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Recruitment Issue 1 Screening (continued)
If the checklists ignore cultural diversity, and
how giftedness manifests itself in other
cultures, then gifted students from diverse
groups will receive low ratings that do not
capture their true strengths and talents.
In 1993, the US Department of Education revised
its definition of gifted students. It encouraged
educators to look beyond academic performance to
seek out children that perform at remarkably
high level of accomplishment when compared with
others of their age, experience, or environment.
These children exhibit high performance
capacity in intellectual, creative,
and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual
leadership capacity, or excel in specific
academic fields. They require services or
activities not ordinarily provided by the
schools. Outstanding talents are present in
children and youth from all cultural groups,
across all economic strata, and in all areas of
human endeavor (USDE, 1993, p. 3)
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Recruitment Issue 2Identification and Assessment
There are dozens of ways to assess students
abilities and talents which ones are used to
determine student placement in the gifted program?
Gardner (1993) states that most European
Americans value cognitive skills and academic
ability over special, interpersonal, and musical
abilities.
Based on current practice, Ford concluded that
educators use the tests that measure what society
value the most. The tests are likely to test
verbal and math skills, as well as abstract
thinking. As many as 88.5 of schools use
norm-referenced tests to identify giftedness. By
their definition, these tests ignore the skills
and abilities that may be valued by other groups
(creativity, interpersonal skills, navigation
skills, estimating skills, etc.)
__________________________________________________
___________
Bottom Line Racial and ethnic minority students
are often placed at a disadvantage in the
situations of gifted testing.
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Identification and Assessment Another Look at
Cut-off Scores
The most frequently used cut-off score is an IQ
score of 130, two standard deviations from the
mean of 100.
In a nutshell, the practices of standardized
tests and cut-off scores are more effective at
identifying giftedness in white middle-class
students, than in ANY other ethnic/racial group
or in students of lower socio-economic standing.
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Identification and AssessmentRecommendations
Too much information is better than too little.

• Multiple sources need to be considered
• School personnel, community members,
• family members.

• Data collection should be multimodal
• It should be collected verbally (interviews,
• conversations) and nonverbally (writing,
• observations, performances).

• If the student does not speak English
• fluently, the test administrator should
• use an interpreter.

• Examine tests for ethnocentrism,
• and get rid of ethnocentric questions.

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Recruitment Issue 3 Placement
In US schools, giftedness is associated with
consistent productivity and high Performance of
students. However, plenty of gifted
underachievers go through school or even drop
out of school without being recognized as gifted.
Some underachieve because they are unmotivated,
others are procrastinators, yet others have
learning disabilities. Unfortunately, to most
teachers gifted underachiever or gifted
learning-disabled are paradoxes.
A child is more likely to be placed in a gifted
program if s/he passed the test AND shows high
academic achievement. If the GPA drops, many
districts will remove such students from a
program. Again, this one-dimensional perception
of giftedness has severe consequences for
students, expelled from gifted programs.
Fords work with diverse student groups led her
to believe that Many students from racial,
ethnic, and language minorities are likely to be
gifted underachievers or potentially gifted
students (p. 387).
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Recruitment Recommendations

• Talent development philosophy

• Changes in standardized tests
• and assessment practices

• Multicultural assessment preparation

• Reconsidering policies and
• Procedures

• Culturally sensitive tests
• (Ford, D., 2005)

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Multicultural Education as a Way to Retain
Students

• The need to create culturally responsive and
  responsible learning environments
• (Ford, 2005, p. 390) can be met with
• the implementation of Multicultural Gifted
  Curricula ( slide 19) or
• addressing multiple intelligences and
  differentiated instruction in mainstream
• classroom (slide 20)
• multicultural counseling
• skill-based supports
• ongoing professional development understanding
  of cultures, examining stereo-
• types and its effect on instruction, creating
  multicultural curricula, bringing in
• appropriate instructional methods, culturally
  responsive assessment.

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A different point of view Giftedness through
the lens of tracking

• Grouping students by academic ability is one of
  the fundamental practices in American schools. In
  fact, it goes back to the end of the nineteenth
  century, when the first tracked program was
  opened in St. Louis, Missouri. Educators admit
  that the issue of ability grouping or tracking
  is the old one (Tomlinson, 2006), yet it
  continues to be important to researchers who
  dwell on its negative long-term consequences.
• Ability grouping, or tracking, is defined as the
  sorting of students based on an assessment of
  their academic ability (Rubin, 2005)

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Winners and Losers

• The overview of research, presented in four
  recent articles, shows that there are fewer
  arguments defending ability grouping than those
  opposing it.
• In fact, the articles revealed an important
  point although higher-level tracking may give
  educational advantages to a select group of
  high-performing students, the majority of
  students in lower tracks are left at a
  disadvantage.
• Tracking may in fact be a significant
  determining factor in polarizing some students
  attitudes about themselves as winners and losers
  (Ansalone Biafora)

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Differentiated instructionwithin mainstream
classrooms

• Some school districts across nation have begun
  detracking efforts, and they offer documented
  evidence of best practices for teachers,
  curriculum designers, school districts and
  institutions.
• Beth C. Rubin Tracking and detracking debates,
  evidence, and best practices for a heterogeneous
  world. Theory into Practice, Vol. 45. No. 1.

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Support for Gifted Minority Students Recommendati
ons for Educators
Cropper (1998) and Ford (1996) state that all
gifted students may experience pressure to hide
their abilities, but minority students tend to
feel that pressure to a greater degree. Gifted
minority students report feelings of inferiority,
as well as the need to constantly choose between
using their talents and fitting in. Providing
gifted students with extra support is especially
important in mathematics and science, where
minority groups are especially underrepresented.
http//www.nwrel.org/msec/just_good/9/ Meeting
the Needs of Gifted Students Differentiating
Mathematics and Science Instruction. (Northwest
Regional Education Laboratory)
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Support for Gifted Minority Students Self-reflect
ion for Educators

• Do you communicate high expectations?
• Are you sensitive to the experiences and beliefs
  of people from different cultural groups?
• Do you try to get to know all students and their
  cultures?
• Do you consider the challenges that students may
  face in school?
• Do you continuously and firmly encourage
  students to go to college?
• Do you discuss the necessary coursework, tests,
  and other preparations with students and parents?
• Do you make sure that the curriculum reflects a
  variety of cultures?
• Do you help minority students connect with role
  models and mentors? (e.g. organize peer support
  groups for students with similar interests and
  abilities).

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Self-reflection for Educators (cont.)

• Do you enlist parental support in providing
  encouragement and high expectations?
• Do you provide students with a variety of
  learning options? (e.g. create or select
  activities
• that are engaging, active, and grounded in
  reality)
• Do you listen to students' concerns, fears, and
  beliefs about their experiences and their
  education?
• (Cropper, 1998 Ford, 1996)

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References

• Beth C. Rubin Tracking and detracking debates,
  evidence, and best practices for a heterogeneous
  world. Theory into Practice, Vol. 45. No. 1.
• Carol A. Tomlinson An alternative to ability
  grouping. PL, April 2006.
• Robyn Zevenbergen Grouping by Ability a
  self-fulfilling prophecy? Australian Mathematics
  Teacher. 2002.
• George Ansalone Frank Biafora Elementary
  school teachers perceptions and attitudes to the
  educational structure of tracking. Education,
  Vol. 125. No. 2.
• Amy C. Brualdi , Multiple intelligences
  Gardner's theory, ERIC/AE, September 1996.
• Donna Y. Ford. Recruiting and retaining gifted
  students from diverse ethnic, cultural, and
  language groups. In Multicultural education
  Issues and perspectives, J. Banks, Ed. 2005.
• National Association for Gifted Children
  www.nagc.org
• Rhode Island Advocacy for Gifted Education
  www.riage.org
• Meeting the Needs of Gifted Students
  Differentiating Mathematics and Science
  Instruction. (Northwest Regional Education
  Laboratory)
• http//www.nwrel.org/msec/just_good/9/

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END OF SLIDE SHOW