DOCUMENT RESUME ED 404 769 EC 305 193 Sayler, Michael, Ed. AUTHOR Cultural Diversity: Challenges for Gifted TITLE Education. Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented, INSTITUTION Austin. PUB DATE 96 21p.; Includes only theme-related materials, NOTE extracted from serial issue. Dr. Michael Sayler, University of North Texas, P.O. AVAILABLE FROM Box 13857, Denton, TX 76203-6857; fax: 817-565-2089; telephone: 817-565-4699. Guides Serials (022) Collected Works PUB TYPE Descriptive Reports Non- Classroom Use (055) (141) Tempo; v16 n2 Spr 1996 JOURNAL CIT EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01. Plus Postage. *Ability Identification; Bilingual Students;-Black DESCRIPTORS Students;. Cultural Awareness; *Cultural Differences; Elementary Secondary Education; Enrichment Activities; Evaluation Methods; *Gifted; Hispanic Americans; Language Minorities; *Minority Group Children; Non English Speaking; Student Evaluation; *Talent; *Talent Development African Americans; *Diversity (Student); Hispanic IDENTIFIERS American Students ABSTRACT This theme issue of a Texas journal focuses on gifted education and culturally diverse students. "Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Students in Gifted Education" (Donna Y. Ford and J. John Harris) discusses the challenges of recruiting diverse students in gifted education and presents solutions, including using different measurements of intelligence, moving away from identification to ,assessment, using a range of scores and group norms, and considering non-cognitive factors. Recommendations are also made for retaining minority students in gifted programs. "Hispanic and Gifted/Talented: Can You Be Both?" (Rebecca V. Rendon) provides information on the assessment of bilingual children, characteristics of culturally diverse students, and curricular and program strategies. "The Education of a Gifted Non-English Speaking Immigrant" (Becky Alanis) describes a monolingual Spanish-speaking student's experience in a gifted program. "Discovering and Nurturing Talents in Young Hispanic Students" (Marta Mountjoy) discusses the use of different assessment measures to identify gifted Hispanic students and the development of a summer enrichment program for bilingual gifted students in a culturally diverse school district. In "Alternate Identification for Gifted African-Americans" by Donna Ashby, alternative testing procedures to identify more gifted minority students are described. Articles include references. (CR) U S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Moe o rem Ream. Mad IMPINIMIL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION ya.CENTER /ERIC) domenenI Ms been reprodume m comived horn the pemon at organimtko onlemena R. 0 Moog changes have been made le eadm Mdrodochon duality. Points RI view a 010000 MINN, in 0.4 document do nag nommen., represent eRNial OERI domino or poem. 2 VOLUME XVI TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR THE GIFTED AND TALENTED ISSUE SPRING 1996 Member, National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) REGULAR FEATURES CULTURAL DIVERSITY: From The President 2 Mary Seay :1- Executive Director Column CHALLENGES FOR GIFTED EDUCATION 3 Connie McLendon zj- 35 Call For Articles THEME SECTION RECRUITING AND RETAINING DIVERSE STUDENTS Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Students EDUCATION: PITFALLS AND PROMISES IN GIFTED in Gifted Education Donna Ford; John Harris 1 J. John Harris III, Ph.D. Donna Y. Ford, Ph.D. Guest Editorial The University of Kentucky The University of Virginia 7 Ernesto Bernal How can we get more Black, Native American, and Hispanic students Hispanic and Gifted/Talented: Can You Be into our gifted programs? This concern and related questions are quite Both? legitimate given the demographics of gifted programs nationally. The most 13 Rebecca V. Rendon recent report on the status of gifted education showed that minority stu- The Education of a Gifted Non-English dents are under-represented by at least 50% (USDE, 1993). In this article, Speaking Immigrant students in our we broaden the question to examine keeping minority 15 Becky Alanis gifted programs. In essence, after minority students have been identified Discovering and Nurturing Talents in Young and placed (i.e., recruited), what support services are available to ensure Hispanic Students their success and continuation in the program (i.e., retention)? Marta Mountjoy 16 The Dumbing Down of Gifted Children Deep feelings are aroused when discussions based on differences are Robin Marantz Henig 18 raised. In gifted education, we constantly defend the rights of gifted stu- dents to receive an education that meets their differential and individual Alternate Identification for Gifted African- needs. Opponents of gifted education hurl accusations of elitism, while Americans proponents call for curricular differentiation of many kinds (e.g., accelera- 19 Donna Ashby tion, enrichment). Similarly, proponents of multicultural education seek Using the Texas Bluebonnet Books for interventions that meet individual children's needs. Unfortunately, the Bibliotherapy relationship and support between multicultural education and gifted Sharon Gullett, Rhonda Mathis, education is weak, despite having similar goals. The two movements must 21 Beth Fouse not be mutually exclusive, for both seek equity and excellence. Throughout Book Review this article, we maintain that the successful recruitment and retention of 24 Karen Fitzgerald minority students in gifted education rests heavily on providing students with an education that is multicultural. SPREADSHEET FEATURES O 25 News and Announcements Recruitment -- Problems and Solutions Many efforts are underway to increase the representation of minority Call for Nominations: students in gifted programs. Recommendations frequently emphasize 27 TAGT Executive Board finding alternative ways (more reliable and more valid methods and 28 1996 Conference Preview procedures) to identify gifted minority students. What barriers inhibit the identification and placement of minority students in our gifted programs? 30 Association Reports The following section presents problems and promises in the identification 32 Calendar of Events PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND process. DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL (See FORD and HARRIS, pg. 8) HAS BEEN GRANTED BY c Ukid 0 K-2 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Mary Seay VOLUME XVI ISSUE 2 SPRING 1996 EDITORIAL STAFF PUBLICATIONS EDITOR Michael Sayler, Ph. D. CELEBRATE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Renee Horton TACT OFFICERS MISTAKES PRESIDENT N. Mary Seay, Ph. D. PRESIDENT-ELECT Susan Johnsen, Ph. D. FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT Benny Hickerson, Ph. D. Mistakes are what drive the mind and spirit. They are the energy which lets you know when you have finally over- SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT Ann Williams come the obstacles and have learned something new. They keep us moving toward the pots of gold at the end of our own THIRD VICE-PRESIDENT Colleen Elam special rainbows. SECRETARY/TREASURER Tracy Weinberg There's a story in Chicken Soup about Thomas Edison. A young reporter was asking him how many times he had failed IMMEDIATE PAST-PRESIDENT Ann Wink before he found the right type of wire for the electric light globe. He replied that he never did fail, but he did find 1,235 TACT STAFF things that did not work. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Connie McLendon Mistakes are experiences to celebrate as long as we are COORDINATOR OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES not taught to believe that they are failures. Alicia Denney ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT If we can believe in the wisdom of mistakes, then there Beth Tracy will be no such thing as failures; there will only be tries until MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Trey Watters we are successful. There will only be the experience of having missed the target on this particular effort. The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) is a non- profit organization of parents and professionals promoting appropriate It is an intriguing idea that we should set ourselves up as education for gifted and talented students in the State of Texas. judges of what a child has learned in our classrooms this TAGT Tempo is the official journal of the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented. It is published four times a year in January, April, year; especially since the child who is making no mistakes July, and October. The subscription is a benefit for TAGT members. very possibly came to us with enough knowledge about the Annual individual and family dues are $25. Opinions expressed by individual authors do not necessarily target information that her brain has done very minimal represent official positions of TAGT. Material appearing in Tempo may novel neural firing. Compare her learning energy with the be reprinted unless otherwise noted. When copying an article please citeTempo and TAGT as the source. We appreciate copies of child who came knowing nothing about the subject at hand, publications containing Tempo reprints. and explosion after explosion of learning has occurred, yet TAGT does not sell its membership list to advertisers or other parties. this youngster will have made many mistakes along the However, membership names and addresses are made available for approved research requests. If you do not wish your name to be made learning path; and, therefore, receive a poor grade because we available for G/T-related research, please write to TAGT at the address grade children on their learning trails and not on their final below. Address correspondence concerning TAGT as an organization to: successes. TACT, 406 East 11th Street, Suite 310, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Call us at 512/ 499-8248, FAX 512/ 499-8264. Address correspondence and inquires concerning Tempo or I have always thought the grading system is somehow publications to: Dr. Michael Sayler, TACT Editorial Office, P. 0. Box backwards. Instead of my trying to figure out what the child 13857, University of North Texas, Denton, 77/ 76203-6857. Call us at has learned, that child should be giving me grades on how 817/ 565-4699, FAX: 817/ 565-2089, or by Internet at saylereunt.edu. excited I had helped him become about learning, on how ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED: Please notify TAGT if much curiosity I had stimulated and on how many different you are moving or if your mailing address has changed. TAGT publications are sent via third-class mail and are not forwarded by the subjects, on how well I had understood that child and her Post Office. Also, note the date at the top right of your mailing label. style and her temperament and the differences in the way she This is the date your membership in TAGT expires. Be sure to renew your membership. You will not receive TAGT publications or mailings and I thinkor maybe the similaritiesor my own wonder at after your membership expiration date. (see SEAY, pg. 5) 3 BEST COPY AVAILABLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S UPDATE Connie McLendon STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES CHANGES IN G/T RULES hours of professional development that includes Changes to G/T Rules at First Reading nature and needs of gifted/talented students and On February 16, the State Board of Education program options. (SBOE) approved at first reading rules for Chapter 89, Subchapter A, Gifted and Talented Education. 89.3 Student Services Several changes recommended by TAGT were made School districts shall provide an array of learning to the rules as printed in the winter issue of Tempo. opportunities for gifted/talented students in kinder- Rule changes approved by the State Board follow: garten through grade 12 and shall inform parents of (italics indicate changes.) the opportunities. Options must include: 89.1 Student Assessment (3) in-school and, when possible, out-of-school School districts shall develop written policies on options relevant to the student's area of strength student identification that are approved by the local that are available during the entire school year. board of trustees and disseminated to parents. The policies must: No changes to provisions (1), (2), and (4). (1) include provisions for ongoing screening and 89.4 Fiscal Responsibility selection of students who perform or show potential (No change) for performing at remarkably high levels of accom- plishment in the areas defined in the Texas Educa- 89.5 Program Accountability tion Code, 29.121. (No change) (3) include data and procedures designed to ensure The SBOE met on March 26 to discuss public com- that students from all populations in the district have ments received on Chapters 74, 76, and 89. Chapter access to services designed to identify gifted students. 89 containing the rules for gifted and talented education will be on the May 16 State Board agenda No changes to provisions (2), (4), and (5). for second reading and final adoption. 89.2 Professional Development Senate Bill 1 and Legislative Intent School districts shall ensure that: Determining "legislative intent" behind Education (1) teachers who provide instruction and services Code revisions from Senate Bill 1 (SB1) was the that are part of the program for gifted students have subject of a meeting February 20 between SB1 co- a minimum of 30 hours of staff development that authors Senator Bill Ratliff, Representative Paul includes nature and needs of gifted/talented stu- Sadler, and TEA leadership. Following are interpre- dents, assessing student needs, and curriculum and tations impacting gifted and talented education: instruction for gifted students. Play Exempted Courses . No Pass/No teachers who provide instruction and services 2) Responding to a TEA inquiry, Sadler and Ratliff said that are part of the program for gifted students that SB1 does authorize the SBOE to designate receive a minimum of six hours annually of profes- advanced and honors courses for which students sional development in gifted education; and would be exempted under no pass/no play. Courses eligible for the no pass/no play exemption can also be (3) administrators and counselors who have author- determined locally based on the essential elements. ity for program decisions have a minimum of six 4 3 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 Tempo DA Association News . Credit by Exam Sadler and Ratliff stated that the legislature in- Meet Jean Gallagher who on March 4 joined the TAGT headquarters tended only one test to be used for credit by examina- office team. Jean, working with tion, not two, and that ISDs may not charge students Trey Watters in membership ser- for credit by examination fees. vices, was greeted her first day on . Criteria, Policies, Rules the job with 400+ scholarship ap- plications to process. Jean brings SB1 directs the SBOE to develop criteria for gifted and talented programs, but does not direct the board more than ten years experience in association work to the TAGT team, having worked previously at the specifically to develop rules. To clarify any confusion Capital Area Arthritis Foundation, the South Cen- on this matter, Sadler and Ratliff said that criteria, tral Association of Blood Banks, and the American standards, procedures, policies or requirements are Medical Association. We are very pleased to have as binding as rules. Jean in the headquarters office! . Grading Standards Winners Announced in TAGT SB1 does not give the SBOE the authority to set Recruitment Drive minimum grading standards. The old Education TAGT recently conducted a New Member All-Region Code had set a 70-out-of-100 minimum grading Recruitment Drive from August to November, 1995. standard for course completion and promotion. The results far-surpassed our goal, taking the School districts, not the SBOE, are authorized to current membership to 8,136. TAGT's strength and set local grading standards. effectiveness as a state advocacy group is a strong, active, and growing membership. House Public Education Committee Chair Plans Statewide Meetings The following individuals are recognized for their The House Public Education Committee met recently special recruitment efforts: Karen Fitzgerald, Spring to discuss the charges given to them by the Speaker Branch ISD; TAGT Region IV Director, enrolled 52 of the House. The committee's top priority will be to new members. Karen has won a roundtrip airline monitor the implementation of SB1. Beginning in ticket from Southwest Airlines for anywhere in the March, the committee plans to travel around the Continental United States the airline flies. Dr. Peggy state visiting a different city each month. Sadler Kress, Round Rock ISD, enrolled 37 new members. wants the committee to visit schools and observe Peggy also won a roundtrip airline ticket from classrooms on Friday and conclude the visit with a Southwest Airlines for anywhere in the Continental public hearing on Saturday. Chairman Sadler United States the airline flies. Elizabeth Montes, El believes this procedure will show the ways SB1 is Paso ISD, enrolled 32 new members. Elizabeth won working or not working in schools across Texas. a 1996 TAGT annual conference registration and TAGT members are encouraged to attend these three nights hotel accommodations for the confer- meetings and to let the committee know how SB1 is ence. Debra Midkiff, Grand Prairie ISD, enrolled 30 faring in their community. new members. Debra has a won a 1996 TAGT annual conference registration and three nights Javits Program Administrator Position Saved hotel accommodations for the conference, and NAGC has informed state organizations that the Madeleine Bullock, Pasodale Middle School, Ysleta Office of Educational Research and Improvement ISD, has won a 1996 TAGT annual conference (OERI) has posted the position for Administrator of registration and ticket to the Membership Luncheon the Javits Gifted and Talented Program. Much of the and Awards Ceremony. credit for saving this important national office for gifted and talented education goes to TAGT members TAGT members recruiting more than ten new who contacted their Washington congressmen. members have won a one-year extension to their Contact Gizelle Young at 202/ 219-1930 or by fax, current TAGT membership or may give the award to 202/219-2106 at the U.S. Department of Education another individual or family. Winners are: Barbara for information about the position. The Jacob K. Miller, T.H. Rogers Elementary and Middle Schools, Javits Gifted and Talented Program announcement Houston ISD; Nellie Jordan, John Neely Bryan from NAGC is located in Spreadsheet. Elementary School, Dallas ISD; Chris Johnson, Lake Travis Primary School, Lake Travis ISD; Dr. Michael Sayler, University of North Texas; Jane Burroughs, pg. (See EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE, 6) Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 4 Tempo PRESIDENTS'S COLUMN SEAY, from pg. 2 wrong direction, according to Melissa Roderick, as the majesty of knowledge and my respect for life, reported in the December, 1995, Research Bulletin both mine and hers, on how well I adapted to her for Phi Delta Kappa. She writes that the proportion learning modes and how I accommodated to her of students who are overage for grade by the time cognitive need. they reach high school has risen nearly 40% over the past two decades. Citing data that demonstrated The customer should be the one filling in the many teachers believe that retention, particularly in customer-satisfaction card, and not me, the teacher, the early grades, is an effective strategy to remedi- filling in the teacher-satisfaction card. ate poor school performance. Roderick goes on to Many programs for the gifted give gifted chil- conclude that repeating a grade provides few reme- dren grades. Divining what learning has taken place diational benefits and, in the long run, places stu- and separating it from what she already knew when dents at a higher risk of dropping out of school. The she entered my classroom, brings to mind a haystack permanency of retention and the message it sends half full of needles, and I am to separate the needles students have long term effects on self-esteem and and weigh them to see how sharp she was when she school attachment that may override even short- came into my classroom. And I guess the hay is the term academic benefits, even when the retained roughage that I feed her to keep her a regular students receive special services. Sophomore stu- dents who had repeated at least one previous grade student. dropped out at more than twice the rate of youths of If having our gifted children grading their similar reading levels who reported that they had teachers sounds like too anarchic an idea, here's never repeated a grade. another suggestion: In a study of teachers' attitudes about grade retention conducted by Ellen Tomchin and James Today we give a ceiling grade of what we per- Impara, teachers often believed that early grade ceive children know and we have a string of letters retentions give immature kindergartners through to indicate to what degree they are not meeting our third graders a chance to catch up and have few little window of excellence, or of failure. It might be negative impacts on self-esteem. Teachers overesti- just the opposite. We should have just one grade, say mate the potential for benefits in early grade reten- "A," to indicate what they knew when they came in, tion and seriously underestimate the enormous and if they got the "A" on the report, it would mean impact on the child's self-image and feelings of self- that they didn't learn anything that they didn't worth. The child perceives it as failure and a form of already know. Then we would need a long string of punishment which results in a stigma or mark of alphabet showing exactly how much they have really disgrace, and indelible stain on his or her reputation. added to their store of knowledge for the time period. So, if the child got an "L," we would have Qualitative studies often conclude that retention honestly taught them a lot. The way it is today, exacerbates disengagement from school and leads to many children at the primary levels come in read- increases in frustration. This is probably nowhere ing, and we spend a year teaching them "pre-reading more obvious than in gifted students. Fragile to begin with, their personal esteems take failure skills." Maybe there should be an "-A" for when we subtract from their store of knowledge. seriously. Often a gifted child is given failing marks by the teacher for not completing homework. Some I am prompted to write these words because gifted students do not understand the need to do there are two kindergarten children in my district (what is for them) excessive amounts of homework targeted for "failure" this school year who are because, "I see that I understand how to do this in 5 identified as gifted children. What this seems to be problems. Why should I have to do another 20?" saying is that we have not been paying enough Why, indeed. Is it because that I, the teacher, do attention to whether the mistakes the child makes need to work 25 problems and find it too restive an are the kind that are moving him in the right idea that Sue-Sue doesn't? There are students at the direction, or whether we should be intervening in middle school level who receive failing grades for the mistake-making process to redirect the child's coloring; their map pencil strokes are not all going course. the same direction. Some very sound research on the kind of mis- A recent article on grade reduction for behavior takes which lead to school failure is shudderingly raises the question of whether a grade for academic chilling. Failing a child in school is a mistake in the performance is a grade for academic performance if 5 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 Tempo Top Ten Silly Myths someone takes off points for behavior, or for losing the book. One student whose grades averaged 99 in a About G/T Coordinators history class was given a "F" because the teacher deducted five points for every time she did not bring her textbook to class. There is something wrong with Karen M. Fitzgerald Spring Branch ISD this picture. 10. G/T Coordinators don't do anything. Does it bother you that we have trained our children that making high grades and not making 9. G/T Coordinators don't let anyone in the gifted mistakes is more important than the fact that they program. are not learning much that is new or novel to them? 8. G/T Coordinators let everyone in the gifted pro- In life outside school we usually get as many gram, except my child. tries as we need to work out the solution to a prob- lem. It is tragic when a child stops trying to do 7. G/T Coordinators have never spent a day in a something that he was not good at the first time he classroom. tried it. 6. G/T coordinators never answer their phone mes- We cannot celebrate mistakes if we never want sages. children to make any. 5. G/T coordinators are required to have painted nails. 4. G/T coordinators are grossly overpaid. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UPDATE, from pg. 4 3. G/T Coordinators always side with the parents. Barbers Hill Middle School, Barbers Hill ISD; and Tillie Hickman, Odom Academy, Beaumont ISD. 2. G/T Coordinators sound like a "broken record" when they discuss gifted students. Many thanks to all of you who participated in TAGT's New Member All-Region Recruitment Drive, 1. G/T Coordinators spend a lot of time out of the helping raise the membership bar to an exciting new district at meetings. level. 7 Spring 1996 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Tempo 6 GUEST EDITORIAL EDUCATORS GIFTED AND TALENTED ADVOCACY THE ROLE OF Ernesto Bernal, Ph.D. Arizona State University bright but haven't been selected for gifted education. The Texas Association for the Gifted and Tal- Those who insist on identifying gifted children ented continues to grow because of the enthusiasm sometimes get things confused and standardized test with which gifted educators meet the challenge of Our scores becomes the only or ultimate criterion. supporting and conducting education for the gifted. task is selecting students not identifying the "one However, if we want gifted education to thrive in this and only " gifted child. "Identification" is a status state, educators must become advocates for their gate, where too many in gifted education justify local programs. allocation of special opportunities and limited resources to a very few able learners. We have great opportunities right now to ensure continued support for gifted education. Texas has a Next, let people see you at work, in your class- new, but controversial, financial allocation system. rooms and curricular meetings. Too many people One positive outcome of the new system could be the think that gifted and talented teachers don't have expansion of gifted programs. On the other hand, the much to do, that since we have the "cream of the Texas Education Agency is downsizing and there is crop," our work is easy. So bring in your fellow the danger the agency's role in supporting gifted professionals. Invite them to watch you teach a education could diminish. lesson, and then invite them to teach one - to select any topic, prepare a lesson that addresses multiple As gifted education advocates, we face certain content objectives and levels of thought, and then challenges. Some individuals are attempting to come teach it while you take over their classes. narrowly define giftedness. If successful, they would reduce the number of children eligible for our pro- As we broaden our talent pool, we must up-date ethnic grams, especially children in non-dominant and re-design our curricula, making it more modern groups. The related threat of exclusivity in many and more responsive to the characteristics of this gifted programs is another challenge. Only a few broadened pool. We need not compromise our rigor or gifted programs have effective outreach to minority expectations, but we must become more thematic, students and other gifted, but special, populations. cross-disciplinary, and sensitive to the varying We maintain barriers to entrance by insisting upon cognitive styles of females and minorities. Gifted and using a system of identification that seems more talented curriculum must promote creativity and concerned with maintaining the prestige of the gifted risk-taking. Our children must learn to behave a label than with delivering a program for gifted and little bit like the gifted adults we want them to be. talented. To ensure the future of gifted education, we must Another challenge in many local education eliminate so-called "compensatory " gifted education agencies is excessive concern over teaching the for minorities and institute instead programs that "basics". These districts are overly committing their deal with the culturally different from where they financial resources to that end, including money that are and educate them from that point. To do this used to go to gifted and talented programs. would require that we expand our own ranks by recruiting, training, and certifying teachers from How can gifted educators meet these challenges? other fields (bilingual, for example) and get them to First, educate your fellow professionals. Don't preach the point where they become fully certified teachers to them, just help them understand that the purpose of the gifted. This will allow us to simultaneously of gifted and talented education is not exclusivity. provide appropriate education to special populations Explain that we want to find all the children who are while expanding the offerings to the remainder of very able learners and help them become gifted the gifted. For example, a team of bilingual teachers adults. who are appropriately trained in gifted education could teach all our children to be bilingual. Then give credibility to your claim of not being elitist by providing opportunities to a more diverse set of children to participate in your programs. Invite teachers on your campus to brainstorm effective ways of nominating and selecting children who are BERNAL, pg. 12) (See 8 7 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 Tempo L D D FORD and HARRIS, from pg.1 initially established. Specifically, because the life Problem: Psychometric Definitions and experiences and educational opportunities between Theories of Giftedness. minority and White students vary considerably. We Most definitions and theories of giftedness are should question the reliability and validity of these grounded in psychometrics. Thus, we rely heavily or tests when used with minority students.. exclusively on tests of intelligence and achievement to decide who is gifted. Little attention is given to Solution: Select Instruments Carefully. those abilities difficult to measure by standardized We must consider the purpose of the instrument, instruments. Further, given that minority students it's validity and reliability, the target population, often score poorly on traditional intelligence and and the limitations of the instrument itself (Hansen achievement tests, they are unlikely to be identified and Linden, 1990). Similarly, we need to use nomi- as gifted. Standardized tests can serve as nation forms and checklists for parents that are gatekeepers; minority students are frequently sensitive to all reading and educational levels. They placed at a disadvantage because their abilities are must include specific examples and descriptors of neither identified nor served. how the characteristics are exhibited by minority students. It is recommended that teachers and Solution: Contemporary Theories and parents complete the same checklists so that the Definitions of Giftedness. selection committee or decision makers can explore Gardner's (1983) and Sternberg's (1985) theories consistencies or discrepancies in the responses of hold that intelligence (e.g., creativity, interpersonal parents and teachers. intelligence) cannot be adequately measured by traditional means. They also support the notion that Problem: Reliance on Arbitrary Cut-Off Scores. gifted students must be assessed within a contextual The decision to accept students into gifted framework that considers their cultural and ethnic programs based on a predetermined cut-off score is background, and the quality and quantity of their commonplace, yet there is little consensus on what learning opportunities. Adopting broader definitions that score should be. The rationale for these cut-offs and theories will increase the likelihood of having is often unclear, and there is often little flexibility in identification practices that are inclusive rather interpreting scores. We can think of numerous than exclusive. instances when Black students were not admitted to a program because they had missed a cut-off by one Solution: Move From Identification to point. Assessment. Identification confirms one's perception that a Solution: Use a Range of Scores and Group child needs special services, while assessment gives Norms more specific information on the areas in which the . All tests and ratings have measurement errors. child is gifted, as well as their strengths and short- These errors require that a range of scores be consid- comings. Given these important distinctions, we ered. Thus, while the district's cut-off score may be must move from a testing culture to an assessment an IQ of 130, schools should accept students whose culture. In a culture of assessment, comprehensive scores are within the range based on measurement information is gathered from parents, teachers, and errors; for example, accept scores of 124 or higher. students themselves, and all information is deemed Specific group norms should also be adopted. Many useful to placement decisions. Numerous options standardized tests have norms specifically for exist for assessing minority students for placement minority students. As the 1993 federal definition of in gifted programs; the most promising practices rely gifted states, gifted students should be compared to on multidimensional and multimodal assessment their economic, as well as cultural and racial peers. strategies (Harris & Ford, 1991). Problem: Reliance on Composite Scores. Problem: Invalid and Unreliable Use of The use of composite or global scores can hide Instruments. the abilities, strengths, and achievements of stu- Arguments against using standardized tests dents. For instance, a composite IQ score of 120 can with minority students have proliferated in recent be calculated in various ways: a non-verbal score of years on the grounds that minority students are 100 and a verbal score of 140 or both non-verbal and assessed by tests that do not reliably measure verbal scores of 120. The same problem arises when intelligence and achievement for their particular subscale scores on an achievement test are com- group. The tests only indicate how reliable the bined. The use of an overall mean score makes it results for the groups upon which reliability was 9 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 Tempo 8 CULTURAL DIVERSITY: CHALLENGES FOR GIFTED EDUCATION and retention of minority students, particularly as nearly impossible to develop appropriate program- in many teachers are not substantively prepared ming for individual students; and it treats students gifted and multi-cultural education. This lack of receiving the same scores as if they are homoge- preparation and experience decreases the probability neous. that gifted minority students will be identified and Solution: Reliance on Subscale Scores. placed. Observations of subscale scores permit educators Solution: Teacher Preparation in to develop profiles of students' strengths and weak- Gifted Education. nesses. With these data, schools can develop diagnos- Teachers who hold stereotypes about gifted tic and prescriptive means for meeting students' students as well-behaved and academically success- needs in specific areas. Schools, in essence, would ful are unlikely to refer gifted underachieving recognize the heterogeneity of gifted students. students and those students who are currently misbehaving. Training in gifted education can Problem: Reliance on Most Recent Test increase teachers' understanding, awareness, and Performance. competence in recognizing gifted behaviors. Placement in gifted programs is often based on the child's most recent test and school performance Problem: Lack of Attention to data. An examination of early scores for minority Cultural Differences in Learning. students is important given that their test scores When students are culturally different from tend to decrease the longer they are in school (Ford, ourselves, it is difficult to recognize their strengths. 1995, in press-b). (It is easy, however, to recognize their weaknesses!) When cultures clash, teachers may not refer minor- Solution: Consideration of Past Records. ity students who have different learning styles than By examining early school records, teachers can gifted White students. Minority students often have see indicators of potential and giftedness in the learning styles similar to those of underachievers: comments of parents and former teachers, and concrete, holistic, field-dependent, social, tactile and sometimes in test scores and grades. They can also kinesthetic learners (Ford, in press-b). Gifted look for descrepancies between subtest scores, and nonminority students tend to be abstract, field- discrepancies between tests. Teachers can use independent, and self-oriented learners (e.g., Dunn records to recognize underachievement and deter- & Price 1980). mine whether it is subject-specific, global, situ- ational, chronic, temporary, or teacher or peer Solution: Pay Attention to Cultural related. Manifestations of Giftedness. Gifted minority students share many of the Problem: Inattention to Non-Cognitive Factors. strengths of gifted students in general. They retain Many factors affect students' performance in and recall information well, enjoy complex problems, evaluative situations. Most test manuals, including can tolerate ambiguity, are creative, extremely that of the WISC-III, caution test administrators to curious, perceptive, evaluative and judgmental, and seriously consider such non-cognitive variables as interested in adult and social problems. To better health, motivation, and learning style in the testing understand and appreciate the strengths of minority and interpretation process. students, educators must get to know them as Solution: Consideration of Non-Cognitive cultural beings and individuals with strengths and Factors. potential. Attention to motivation, school attitudes, test Solution: Multicultural Training for Teachers. anxiety, self-perceptions, learning styles, and health To be successful in school and life, gifted minor- promise to further our understanding of the re- ity students have been required to be bicultural, sponses of gifted minority students. If testing condi- bicognitive, and bidialectic. These skills are not tions are not optimal, test results must be inter- choices; they are prerequisites to school success. preted with caution, and the decisions based on the Unlike gifted minority students, teachers are seldom results must be made carefully. required to take on this arduous task. Preparation Problem: Heavy Reliance on Teacher Referral. which focuses on individual differences attributable Teacher expectations, as influenced by their to race, gender, socio-economic status (SES), and geographic locale must be infused throughout values and beliefs, significantly influence their decisions, including referrals. The practice of using preservice and graduate curriculum, including courses in gifted education. teachers as primary identifiers of gifted learners carries numerous implications for the recruitment 9 Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Spring 1996 Tempo 10