scholarly journals School Integration Limits the Ability of Local Norms to Diversify Gifted Programs: A Mathematical Analysis with Implications Related to the Achievement Gap

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell T. Warne

Several experts within gifted education have advocated for the use of local norms when selecting students for gifted programs, instead of national-level norms. Local norms compare students to the peers in their school to identify gifted students and are believed to produce a more diverse gifted program. However, one limiting factor on the ability of local norms to diversify gifted programs has been almost completely overlooked in the gifted education community. Through a simplified example, I show in this article that local building-level norms are best at diversifying gifted programs when schools are highly segregated. Conversely, I also show that—when achievement gaps are present and a uniform admissions cutoff is applied—using building-level norms in highly integrated schools produce gifted programs that are highly segregated. In short, the use of building-level local norms trades one form of segregation for another. Implications and recommendations for gifted education and beyond are explored. A preprint version of this article is available at XXXX.

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy Hong Cao ◽  
Jae Yup Jung ◽  
Jihyun Lee

Assessment is a crucial component of gifted education. Not only does it facilitate the recognition of the potential and specific needs of gifted students, it also monitors the progress and growth of gifted students, and allows for the evaluation of gifted education programs. In the present review, we synthesize the literature on assessment in gifted education published in the period from 2005 to 2016. We suggest that gifted assessment research has witnessed notable advances, which are apparent in both the extensive range of assessment instruments/methods that now exist and the diverse ways in which assessment data are now used. Future research attention nevertheless appears to be necessary on the optimal approaches to (a) use multiple criteria in gifted identification, (b) address the disproportionate representation of disadvantaged groups in gifted programs, and (c) promote the development of guidelines for gifted program evaluation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 001698622110405
Author(s):  
Sema Tan

Turkey adopts a single-state (centralized/unitary) system that results in following the same identification procedures and providing similar service delivery options for the entire country. At first glance, this might seem like a fair way to achieve equity within public school gifted programs. However, a close look at this system reveals several handicaps such as implementing the same teacher training program for all teacher candidates, ignoring the unequal opportunities provided in the most (İstanbul) and least (Şırnak) economically developed cities, and the accessibility of services delivered to gifted students. Turkey has paid much attention to the education of the gifted and taken several important steps for improvement in the last three decades. However, a need for bigger changes to achieve equity in gifted education is clear. With a careful planning and implementation, appropriate changes might pave the way for gifted students to access more equal opportunities to fulfill their potential.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce VanTassel-Baska

This article explores the history of gifted education policy and practice in the United States over the last five decades, documenting the lack of sustained progress in obtaining sustained federal support. It also highlights two case examples, one at the state level and a second at the national level of where a policy in a specific aspect of gifted program development has been successfully advanced. Implications of the article suggest that gifted education policy is not coherent across the country, is controlled by state legislatures, and subject to annual scrutiny for continued and new funding.


1996 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Borland

In this paper, I argue that, when one subjects the field of gifted education to critical appraisal, the most important finding that emerges is a sense that the field is increasingly irrelevant in the educational scheme of things. At a time when education is a major topic in the discourse of the nation and when fundamental issues of educational philosophy and practice are being raised, our field has been largely marginal. Instead of asking the questions that are and ought to be basic to our field, we have left that task to others, contenting ourselves instead with defending gifted programs as if they were an end, not a means to an end. I develop this argument in the context of a number of fundamental questions that bear on the theory and practice of educating gifted students, questions that have, for the most part, been raised by individuals outside the field of gifted education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-49
Author(s):  
Harry Killas ◽  
C Owen Lo ◽  
Marion Porath ◽  
Yuen Sze Michelle Tan ◽  
Chia-Yen Hsieh ◽  
...  

The “Superkids,” a group of highly gifted students, were first portrayed in a 2004 documentary. In response to the question of what happened to these students after the original film, a second documentary has been produced. The sequel focused on these individual’s lives, their retrospective insights about gifted education, their educational and career choices, and their reflections on their early adulthood. Transcripts of filmed interviews were analyzed using The Listening Guide, a qualitative method for understanding and interpreting voices. The researchers further highlighted first-person voices that may not have been apparent in interviews. This information was used to identify contrapuntal voices among the participants that reflected their views on the meaning of giftedness and their experience of studying in full-time congregated gifted programs. These voices provided a foundation for understanding the variety of pathways to accomplishment, the meaning of the gifted label, and the purpose of education at large.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-204
Author(s):  
Janice I. Robbins

This article presents a view of barriers to effective gifted program evaluation resulting from ineffective tools for measuring growth in gifted students and the human barriers confounding the evaluation process. The role of advocacy in the design, implementation, and utilization of evaluation studies is examined. Long held beliefs and biases related to gifted education are recognized as influencing program evaluations. The recognition of the strengths and challenges inherent in the educational role of specific stakeholder groups is presented. Suggestions for developing an emerging cadre of advocates for gifted education are detailed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 305-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perry A. Zirkel ◽  
Paul L. Stevens

It is estimated that there are as many as 2.5-3.0 million school-age children in the nation who are gifted.1 The number of such children participating in special public educational programs is approximately 1.2 million.2 Definitions of giftedness and commitments to publicly funded special programs for gifted students vary widely. Reflecting our federal structure for education, some of the legal development have arisen on the national level but the primary scene of activity relating to the law of gifted education is at the state level. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the legal activity on the federal and state levels. This increasing activity has been largely neglected in legal books and periodicals to date.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-139
Author(s):  
Katie D. Lewis ◽  
Cecelia Boswell

Rural gifted education historically has struggled with its own identity. Limited research exists on rural gifted programming, effective ways to implement gifted pedagogy and curriculum, and how to maximize limited time, resources, and funding. Rural communities are complex, dynamic entities, full of nuances and guided by a sense of place and rural culture. Faced with limited funding, resources, and time, rural gifted programs struggle to provide consistent quality enrichment to gifted learners. This study reflects on how rural gifted education policies and procedures in Texas have evolved over the last 30 years and the realities of providing gifted programs in rural school districts. Findings highlight a need for written policies and procedures for gifted programing, challenges gifted teachers face in rural districts, and the positives of being educated in a rural gifted program.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-107
Author(s):  
Lai Kwan Chan ◽  
David W Chan ◽  
Xiaoyan Sun

The development and implementation of regular Spring, Summer, and Winter Gifted Enrichment Programs, Gifted Students Exchange Programs, and the Gifted Peer Mentoring Scheme provided by the Program for the Gifted and Talented (PGT) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong for gifted and talented students are briefly described. PGT also conducts research to advance the knowledge of gifted education and talent development and furthers the development of its gifted education provisions based on evidence-based information from research. Specifically, PGT does research on the assessment of giftedness and the special needs of local gifted and talented learners and conducts evaluation on gifted enrichment programs, course design and instruction, and students’ performance. The uniqueness of PGT, future directions in the development of university-based gifted programs, and program evaluation research in gifted education in Hong Kong are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Joyce VanTassel-Baska

This article examines these important questions related to differentiated curriculum: Should curriculum for the gifted be available for all learners? Would differentiated strategies that work with gifted students work for all learners? What are some promising directions in curriculum for gifted programs that have emerged from general education? These questions are examined along with important issues in the field of gifted education.


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