Examples Of Achieved Statuses

In his often cited essay, “The Formation of In-Groups,” Gordon Allport offers his theory on how the groups with which one identifies directly influence the development of one’s individual identity. An “in-group” is a group where members share common traits such as societal status, religion, values or sexual orientation. All the members are alike in some way and that similarity unites them as a group. Allport suggests that one belongs to many in-groups throughout his or her lifetime. Individuals are born into some in-groups, such as one’s family, race or socio-economic level; this Allport terms as an “ascribed status”. People also obtain “achieved status” in a group such as one’s circle

In 2015, I wrote about my personal philosophy of the gifted learner. I stated in my paper that, “Giftedness is not a one, set definition. The definition of gifted must encompass intellect, ability, creative talent as well as emotional awareness. It cannot be micro-managed and be a “one size fits all” definition” (Dauber, 2015). People, who are gifted, need differentiation and opportunity to express, demonstrate and show their giftedness. Educators must be able to provide opportunities for the gifted learner to express his/her abilities and/or talents. Gifted students learn differently and require special educational experiences in order to grow academically and achieve their highest potential. Therefore, the education field must be able to understand not only the cognitive side of a gifted learner but the affective or social/emotional aspects too.

In society, social privilege is bestowed upon particular individuals at birth- typically on the merit of characteristics that individuals have little or no control over, including: race, gender, nationality, physical ability, etc. (Black & Stone, 2005). Though these traits may seem arbitrary they bare very real social consequences and shape individual life experiences (Black & Stone, 2005). Racial privilege is rooted in a history of white supremacy and Eurocentric ideologies of early North American settlers (Black & Stone, 2005). Classically, this privilege has been discussed in the context of a white/black dichotomy, however, this is inaccurate given that members of all racial groups are affected by racial privilege or the lack thereof (Black & Stone, 2005).

One of the difficulties in identifying the needs of low-income students is the profound cultural barriers which exist that prevent their strengths and deficits from being identified. Children from low-income homes frequently have poorer vocabularies and a weaker basis of the type of knowledge that is frequently considered 'intelligence' on most forms of assessment. A low-income child's IQ may be high, even though he lacks a framework of accepted middle-class knowledge. "In January 2003, the National Academy of Sciences released a report on the seeming overrepresentation of minorities in special education and underrepresentation of those students in gifted education. The NRC reported that, nationwide, 7.47 percent of all white students and 9.9 percent of Asian students are placed in gifted programs. Meanwhile, 3.04 percent of African-American students, 3.57 percent of Hispanic students, and 4.86 percent of American Indian students are classified as gifted" (GT-minority identification, 2003, ERIC Clearinghouse). The discrepancy, the NAS believed, could not be solely explained by talent alone but was at least partially rooted in the methods of identifying students labeled as gifted. Biases in standardized and other tests identifying student strengths, combined with prejudices, however unintentional, amongst educators and administrators lead to under-identification of the gifted

Have you ever felt like you have been judged or classified based on how you look, what you do or where you come from? Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, think differently for a second and realize how status affects others. Being categorized based on clothing, religion, or actions is hard to go through but eventually we make it. Our status more times than not, is defined by what we look like, how we dress and where we come from.

But the problem of this admission system is that it can’t recognize those kids who have real talent; the kids who are picked are those who have parents that can afford the prep test program. With this system, it’s possible that many students who have real talent might be missed. If this admission system can’t help us finding those talents, then there is no reason we maintain it. What we should do is exactly the opposite; we should abandon it and set up a new system which can really help us recognizing gifted

The students within Northern Secondary School’s 2014-2015 Gifted Program graduating class slid into AP and gifted classes like they were made for them. Since the beginning of their middle school careers, these gifted high school students have been spoonfed a thought-provoking and comprehensive education. At Wong’s public gifted elementary school, Cummer Valley, the faced-paced and in-depth curriculum not only stimulated his intellectual capacity and unlocked his potential, but “compelled him to achieve higher academic standards and established a strong foundation to build upon for high school.” Wong claims that he entered Earl Haig, a non-gifted public high school, with a knowledge base practically a grade higher than the majority of his subordinate

A fifth grader may come in at a “second-grade level” and graduate at a “fourth-grade level,” which is a tremendous achievement on the part of the educators; however, because standardized testing fails to account for such circumstances, the entire year would be seen as a failure from the perspective of the state (Berger). To put it crudely, “poor schools can’t win at standardized testing” because students in areas of poverty start school academically behind and are unable to catch up as there is the lack of resources and funding (Broussard). On the other extreme, gifted students are also hurt by attempts to standardize education, for instance, with the No Child Left Behind Act, an act that many say has “failed our adolescents” (Steinberg). Teachers say that the legislation has resulted in a “race to the middle” that means “talented students have their potential squandered” as schools “[don’t] foster growth” (Weller). In effect, standardization attempts to remove individuality from learning and ignores that students have different capacities for learning, that some students may need more help while others need to be challenged above their grade level - instead it averages it all out to a “standard” that harms both

[Students who are gifted] give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic or leadership capacity, or in specific academic field, and who need services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities. ( No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 [NCLB], 2002, p. 526)

Our lives are shaped by who we are, what we are, and where we come from. The different opportunities and life chances do matter in U.S. society in many ways. Research shows that someone's race, ethnicity, gender, social class, immigrant status, and sexual orientation, and other dimensions of identity, shape our life prospects from birth until death. Many aspects of yourself matter more than many of us want to acknowledge, because doing so means admitting that life isn’t actually an equal, and that the American dream is more easily fulfilled for some people than others. Ethnic minorities are often disadvantaged through being discriminated against at work, when looking for accommodation, health services and through various levels of law and order.

The stereotype threats that these minorities, including women, black and other minority indigenous groups, face diminish the level of achievement the students can obtain. For example, Gordon and Bridgall examine the challenges students of color must manage while in school (Gordon et al, 122). While in environments dominated by ethnically white individuals, students of color seem to receive a lower quality of education because of academic isolation and expectations originating from their stereotype threat. Rather then studying with others, students of color would study alone, losing the chance to gain insight or different perspectives from other students. Then the students of color would fall victim to poor expectations deriving from anxiety, such as fear of disapproval, negative environments, and limited access to academic models (Gordon et al, 126). Eric Wargo touches on socioeconomic status and how it challenges giftedness, specifically in intelligence and IQ scores. He examines the differences in IQ scores and explains that the disparity comes from the wide gap in socioeconomic status, or SES, which leads to to different bringing up of children. While families in a high SES have educated conversations with their children, lower SES families may only yell and curse to their children. Other differences include

Some risks associated with social inequality and educational disadvantage are quantified by an individual's identity. This is an issue of diversity because identity factors including race, class, gender, culture and religion are implicated as contributing significantly to students’ outcomes and achievement. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians conducted an extensive review of Australian education policy and practices. Their research and findings revealed evidence of an educational divide (MCEETYA, 2008, p. 5). They confirmed that for children from low SES homes, school achievements have a vastly lower chance of success via academic achievement or school completion their equivalents from high SES families (Organisation

These children are defrauded not just of an education, but also of the ability to be socially mobile. Researchers of the American Psychological Association found that education level directly correlates with socioeconomic status. A lack of education undermines any individual’s true capability, preventing them from surpassing their academic limitations. Potential important figures and world leaders may never come to be if not given the tools to become what they can become. The next generation’s Einsteins and Gandhis will not exemplify their prowesses if never given the rudiments

Gifted students are mistakenly perceived as individuals with the intellectual capacity to excel in their endeavors whether it is academically, artistically, athletically, or musically; however, this is one of the most common myths educators believe. According to the National Association for Gifted Children (n.d.), gifted students are those who have outstanding abilities to reason and learn or who demonstrate exceptional proficiency in one or more areas such as mathematics, language, painting, dance, sports, and more. With this definition, the gifted youth likely are capable of achieving their goals on their own, but these kids have demands that must be met in order for them to succeed. Some teachers argue that gifted students do not require

In the world we live in today there are many social statuses that define us. A social status is a social position that a person can occupy within society, this role that we can occupy comes with certain expectations that begin to shape who we associate with, the things we do, and how we live. Essentially social statuses mold our lives and our personalities starting from an early age. The most impactful social statuses in a young person’s life are educational status, socioeconomic level, race and ethnicity, as well as the generational cohort one belongs to. These statuses have the biggest influence on the decisions we make and the social realm we exist in. However, today, race and ethnicity is the most prominent social status because our population is becoming more diverse and understanding what our racial status is and the advantages or disadvantages that come with it is incredibly important for youths today. In the future generational status will be the most valued social status because it will hold a great influence on the United States government and imply that a person has the skills necessary for certain occupations. People tend to be defined by many statuses in their lives, and not just four, yet these four statuses, when combined, have the largest influence on the way people live.