susan bratek courtney shevchuk

Chapter 15Chapter 15Recruiting and Recruiting and

Retaining Gifted Retaining Gifted Students from Students from Diverse Ethnic, Diverse Ethnic, Cultural, and Cultural, and

Language GroupsLanguage Groups

Susan BratekSusan Bratek

Courtney ShevchukCourtney Shevchuk

How can we recruit and retain more How can we recruit and retain more racial and ethnic minority students in racial and ethnic minority students in gifted education?gifted education?

How can we have gifted education How can we have gifted education programs that are both excellent and programs that are both excellent and equitable?equitable?

Gifted and TalentedGifted and Talented

“ “The term ‘gifted and talented’….means The term ‘gifted and talented’….means students, children, or youth who give students, children, or youth who give evidence of high achievement capacity in evidence of high achievement capacity in areas such as intellectual, creative, areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need specific academic fields, and who need services or activities not ordinarily services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.” (Title IX, Part develop those capabilities.” (Title IX, Part A, Section 9101(22) (p.544)A, Section 9101(22) (p.544)

RecruitmentRecruitment

ScreeningScreening

IdentificationIdentification

PlacementPlacement

• When educators interpret differences When educators interpret differences as deficits, dysfunctions, and as deficits, dysfunctions, and disadvantages.disadvantages.

• Differences are interpreted Differences are interpreted negatively (abnormal, substandard, negatively (abnormal, substandard, inferior, etc.)inferior, etc.)

Deficit ThinkingDeficit Thinking

Screening Issues and Screening Issues and BarriersBarriers

To be considered for gifted To be considered for gifted education:education:– tested with cutoff scorestested with cutoff scores– teacher referralteacher referral– checklistschecklists

1993, U.S. Department of Education issued a 1993, U.S. Department of Education issued a definition of giftedness, relying on talent definition of giftedness, relying on talent

development:development: “ “Children and youth with outstanding talent Children and youth with outstanding talent

perform or show the potential for performing perform or show the potential for performing at remarkable high levels of accomplishment at remarkable high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment. These children experience, or environment. These children and youth exhibit high performance capacity and youth exhibit high performance capacity in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas, possess an unusual leadership capacity, or possess an unusual leadership capacity, or excel in specific academic fields. They require excel in specific academic fields. They require services or activities not ordinarily provided by services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools. Outstanding talents are present the schools. Outstanding talents are present in children and youth from all cultural groups, in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic across all economic strata, and in all areas of strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.” (USDE, 1993, p.3)human endeavor.” (USDE, 1993, p.3)

Identification/Assessment Identification/Assessment Issues and BarriersIssues and Barriers

““What is valued as giftedness in one What is valued as giftedness in one culture may not be valued in another.” culture may not be valued in another.”

In different cultures, there are differences In different cultures, there are differences in giftedness:in giftedness:– CognitiveCognitive– AcademicAcademic– SpatialSpatial– MusicalMusical– InterpersonalInterpersonal– Navigational skillsNavigational skills– Hunting skillsHunting skills

Intelligence/Achievement TestsIntelligence/Achievement Tests

Test verbal skills, abstract thinking, Test verbal skills, abstract thinking, math skillsmath skills

Ignore other forms of intelligence Ignore other forms of intelligence that may be valued by other groupsthat may be valued by other groups

Scores in these tests are the Scores in these tests are the dominant role in identification and dominant role in identification and placementplacement

Most frequently, IQ = 130 or aboveMost frequently, IQ = 130 or above Average IQ = 100Average IQ = 100 Average for African Americans = 83-Average for African Americans = 83-

8787 Average for Whites = 97-100Average for Whites = 97-100 Average for those who live in poverty Average for those who live in poverty

= 85= 85

Extensive Use of Cutoff Extensive Use of Cutoff ScoresScores

The Bell CurveThe Bell Curve

Interpreting ResultsInterpreting Results

Negative stereotypesNegative stereotypes Heavily subjectiveHeavily subjective Interpretations influenced by the Interpretations influenced by the

quantity and quality of training to quantity and quality of training to work with diverse cultural, ethnic, work with diverse cultural, ethnic, and language groups.and language groups.

Interpreting ResultsInterpreting Results

“ “The ultimate responsibility for The ultimate responsibility for appropriate test use and appropriate test use and interpretation lies predominantly interpretation lies predominantly with the test user. In assuming this with the test user. In assuming this responsibility, the user must become responsibility, the user must become knowledgeable about a test’s knowledgeable about a test’s appropriate uses and the populations appropriate uses and the populations for which it is appropriate.” (p. 112)for which it is appropriate.” (p. 112)

How can we make responsible and How can we make responsible and defensible decisions about culturally defensible decisions about culturally diverse students when assessments diverse students when assessments and interpretation of test results and interpretation of test results ignore or trivialize the impact of ignore or trivialize the impact of culture?culture?

Data CollectionData Collection

Data collected on students should be:Data collected on students should be: Multidimensional: collected from Multidimensional: collected from

multiple sourcesmultiple sources Multimodal: collected in variety of Multimodal: collected in variety of

ways ways Verbally and NonverballyVerbally and Nonverbally Subjective and ObjectiveSubjective and Objective

Placement Issues and Placement Issues and BarriersBarriers

““Many racial, ethnic, and language Many racial, ethnic, and language minority groups are likely to be gifted minority groups are likely to be gifted underachievers or potentially gifted underachievers or potentially gifted students.” (Ford, 1996)students.” (Ford, 1996)

If intelligence and achievement data If intelligence and achievement data were collected during screening, were collected during screening, educators would know whether the educators would know whether the student is:student is:– Gifted and achievingGifted and achieving– Gifted and underachieving Gifted and underachieving

Should these students be Should these students be placed?placed?

Educators have often chosen to not Educators have often chosen to not place these studentsplace these students

““When placement is combined with When placement is combined with support, gifted underachieving support, gifted underachieving students are more likely to be students are more likely to be successful in gifted education successful in gifted education programs.” (410)programs.” (410)

What policies, practices, procedures, What policies, practices, procedures, philosophies, and supports should be philosophies, and supports should be in place for diverse students to in place for diverse students to experience success and remain in experience success and remain in gifted education?gifted education?

Recruitment RecommendationsRecruitment Recommendations

Talent Development PhilosophyTalent Development Philosophy““Abilities – gifts and talents – should be recognized and Abilities – gifts and talents – should be recognized and nurtured early (USDE, 1993) especially among students nurtured early (USDE, 1993) especially among students already at risk of being unrecognized as gifted.” (411)already at risk of being unrecognized as gifted.” (411)

Changes in Standardized Tests and Assessment Practices

If you are concerned about the testing used to screen for gifted students:

1. never select, use, interpret tests that lack validity for students from racial, ethnic, language minorities

2. mesh process of assessment with cultural characteristics of the group being studied

3. tests should never be given so much power that other data is disregarded, just assist

Culturally Reduced Tests

-performance based

-abstract figural

-nonverbal content

Culturally Loaded Tests

-printed instructions

-require reading

-verbal content

-requires written response

vs.

“Nonverbal tests decrease the confounding effects of language skills on test performance

and consequently increase the chance of students from diverse groups being identified as

gifted.” (pg. 412)

Culturally Sensitive Culturally Sensitive TestsTests

There is a need to include non-verbal There is a need to include non-verbal tests in screening and identification.tests in screening and identification.

The best to date test for African The best to date test for African American students:American students:

Naglieri Non-Verbal Abilities Test Naglieri Non-Verbal Abilities Test

Raven’s Matrix Analogies TestsRaven’s Matrix Analogies Tests

Multicultural Assessment Multicultural Assessment PreparationPreparation

What you need to know as the teacher or What you need to know as the teacher or administer of the test:administer of the test:

-cultural assessment variables-cultural assessment variables-preparation in gifted education, urban and -preparation in gifted education, urban and

multicultural education, and multicultural multicultural education, and multicultural educationeducation

Cultural Assessment Variables:Cultural Assessment Variables: The students The students heritage, religion, history of immigration, child-heritage, religion, history of immigration, child-rearing practices, language skills, gender rearing practices, language skills, gender roles, views about assimilation about authority roles, views about assimilation about authority figures and family structurefigures and family structure

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Vocabulary

Math Concepts and Estimation

Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)Sample Questions

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Verbal Classification

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Verbal Analogies

Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT) (NNAT)

Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Retention RecommendationsRetention Recommendations

Many African Americans are choosing Many African Americans are choosing not to be in gifted programs.not to be in gifted programs.

High Achievement = “Acting White”High Achievement = “Acting White” Multicultural CurriculumMulticultural Curriculum

Retention Retention RecommendationsRecommendations

Multicultural CounselingMulticultural Counseling Teachers need to be aware and take Teachers need to be aware and take

actionaction Supportive systemsSupportive systems Ongoing Professional DevelopmentOngoing Professional Development