The Underrepresentation of African

American Students in Gifted Programs

By Monique Sims

The Foundation on which all our constitutions are built is the natural equality of man.

-Thomas Jefferson

BackgroundPlessy v. Ferguson (1896)Brown v. Board of Education (1954)Education Inequality

Resources and opportunityLarge Minority population

Nearly 50%, Newborns, 2009Over- and underrepresentation

RationaleUnderrepresentation of Minority students in gifted education is a substantial problemThese students make up a large portion of the school age population and yet their talent is going to waste

Research QuestionsWhat are the factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of African American students in gifted programs?What are the experiences and feelings of these students in gifted programs?

Gifted Education1972 Marland Report1993 Federal Definition

CultureSES

Disparity continues

Attitudes and Beliefs ABOUT African American Students

Model MinorityMass media

Deficit ThinkingRemediationFalsification and misinterpretation of data

Entity Theory of IntelligenceCultural Misinterpretation

85%-90%

Attitudes and Beliefs OF African American Students

Acting WhiteNegative-criticismIntelligence, Preppy, Uptight

Stereotype ThreatConfirm or deny

Other Contributing FactorsBiased Testing

Standardized- “Objective?Dominant culture

Teacher TrainingGiftedMulticultural

Implications and Recommendations

Teacher TrainingCritical Examination of BeliefsFamily communicationCulturally relevant instructionTeach by example

ReferencesReference List