gifted and talented programs minorities discrimination

In addition, many scholars maintained that poor children, regardless of race, were also intellectually inferior to white students from middle- and upper-income families. For example, in the early 1900s, many researchers who examined intelligence among students held the belief that culturally diverse children, particularly African American children, were innately inferior to white children (see Figure 1). This historical problem is rooted in the deficit views of culturally diverse groups, as well as in the overreliance on intelligence tests as the single or primary means of selection. Rather, Hispanic American, American Indian, and African American students remain underrep-resented by large percentages (see Table 1). Throughout its history, gifted education has not been truly desegregated. Often been tantamount to de facto segregation. Ford, 1998, The Journal of Special Education, 32, p. SOURCE: From “The underrepresentation of minority students in gifted education: Problems and promises in recruitment and retention ” by Donna Y. Source for 1992 data OCR Elementary and Secondary School Civil Rights Compliance Report (1992). Percentage of underrepresentation was calculated using the following formula: 1-(percentage of gifted education program divided by percentage of school district). “o ” indicates overrepresentation “u ” indicates underrepresentation. Notes: Percentages are rounded top number indicates percentage of student population and middle number represents percentage of gifted education. Trends in the representation of minority students in gifted education programs from 1978 to 1992 Gifted education has encountered much criticism due to a legacy of racial inequality in the United States that has Table 1

Thus, the Javits Program is also important because priority funding is given to efforts to serve gifted and talented students who are economically disadvantaged, speak limited English, or have disabilities. It is now clear that conventional views of giftedness and traditional ways of identifying giftedness (e.g., using single IQ scores or standardized achievement tests) often create barriers for culturally and linguistically diverse and low-income students to gain access to gifted programs. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program, enacted in 1988, supports demonstration grants, a national research center, and national leadership activities designed to focus attention on the needs of students with demonstrated or potential talent. In addition to developing this new definition of gifted, the Jacob K. It also boldly states that giftedness exists in all groups, and that no group should have a monopoly on being identified and served.

This definition may be the most culturally sensitive federal definition to date, with its focus on talent, potential, and comparisons of students of the same age who come from similar backgrounds and experiences. Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor. They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools. These children and youth exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields. According to the report:Ĭhildren and youth with outstanding talent perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. The 1993 National Excellence Report provided a foundation upon which advocates of gifted education can be proactive in defining giftedness and identifying and serving gifted students.

IDENTIFYING GIFTED STUDENTSįederal-level initiatives provide guidance for local and state gifted program policies and practice. Gifted education programs in public schools have also received national attention as a result of the low percentage of culturally and linguistically diverse students identified as gifted and served in these programs. The history of gifted education is filled with controversy and concerns regarding how best to define and assess giftedness, and also how best to serve those who are deemed to be in need of gifted education programs and services.

Gifted and talented programs minorities discrimination