Gifted and Talented Program Admissions: Needed Improvements and Reforms

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.

A Gifted and talented (G/T) student” is “one who . . . exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area, possesses an unusual capacity for leadership, or excels in a specific academic field” (Aldine ISD Board Policy Manual, 2014). The Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides a state plan, which outlines the standards for Texas schools to be in compliance. It also offers the educational opportunities these students should receive. In fact, there are performance measures for five aspects of G/T programs including student assessment, service design, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and family and community involvement. The plan assists districts in delivering these comprehensive services to

2 & 3. Use the most current versions of standardized tests that are going to be used to make a decision about admission into a gifted program and that norms are up-to-date and a good representation of

[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)

Motivating gifted students can present a challenge for any teacher. Many children are coming to school with very little enthusiasm to learn, especially the gifted child. Although

Gifted students should be provided advanced opportunities to be challenged, to experience both success and growth, to develop higher level study, creativity, and productivity. To develop their interests and talents their individual characteristics, needs, learning rates, motivations for learning, cognitive abilities, and interests must be taken into account. Differentiation can be included in the curriculum by incorporating acceleration, complexity, depth, challenge, and creativity. Students can also be given fewer tasks to master a standard, use multiple resources and higher-level skills, conduct research, develop products, make cross-disciplinary

As a principal I find the limitations to this program are within the scope and sequence. Although separated by grade level, there is no in-depth research of a subject. Critical thinking is not of the highest level; critical thinking is that of evaluation and not of creating. Another concern is that the scope and sequence is not detail and concise with project and research expectations. The way the current scope and sequence is written it leaves the teacher with the understanding that projects are optional and can be completed at any Bloom's level. I argue that if a student is nominated and invited to be in the Gifted and Talented Program their work needs to exceed that of their peers. Class work as well as research projects must meet a higher Depth of Knowledge (DOK).

The brief of “Acceleration of Gifted Students” (2003) emphasizes that the decision of which track to send kids on must be made on an individual basis to ensure the most academic gain. Accelerating the curriculum for students is simplest for schools because it solely affects the individual student based on his, or her, class schedule or educational history; a whole, new class does not have to be created to accommodate only a few students. Accelerating a student’s educational program benefits them overwhelmingly by increasing their performance and creating a feeling of fulfillment for students (“Acceleration,” 2003). When students are incapable of advancing their education at the pace they need, “it teaches students that they are supposed to have all the answers without having to work” (“The Many Faces,” 2006). This occurrence promotes behavior that inhibits gifted students from attempting to conquer challenges that ultimately push them to become even more successful academically. Accelerating a student’s academic program is comparable to athlete’s lifting schedule; it cannot progress too quickly or slowly and it must be unique for the

Typically gifted and talented programs are intended to challenge fast pace learners and recognize their special abilities, however the innocuous separation between peers can prevent other students’ talents from being acknowledged and advanced. While the gifted and talented students are applauded for their intellectual capabilities and natural talents, other students are labeled as average or less skilled. Placement into these programs are rooted from the results of standardized testing, which students and teachers spend a great amount of time preparing for. Preparation for these exams alter the curriculum and objective for learning all together. Some education systems seem to focus more on teaching to test rather than teaching to educate. In Cathy Davidson essay, “Project Classroom Makeover,” she explores how there should be more emphases on the relevance, relationship and rigor in the classroom and how this can teach students more efficiently and improve our school. Within the past 15 years, advancements in technology alone theoretically have created new prospective ways of learning, therefore standardized testing may be an inadequate method of testing students’ talents and abilities. Because each student’s future is so heavily weighted on their performance throughout grade school, education systems should have a well-rounded system in place that allows students to support and learn from each other rather than creating a divide between the strong versus the poor test

When the students graduating from Northern’s Gifted Program were in elementary or middle school, they nervously took a test would make them eligible for the school’s reputable Gifted Program. At Northern, all students entering the grade 9 Gifted Program must be formally identified through the TDSB’s assessment of intellectual ability. In our Board, in order for a student to qualify for gifted education, his or her overall score must be higher than that of 98% of same age students; gifted students constitute the elite 98th percentile. TDSB gifted assessments such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or Fourth Edition typically take about three hours to complete.

Specifically, it holds high test-retest and internal validity (Cross et all, 2008). The validity scales of the test also allow the assessor to determine “faking good,” “faking bad,” and level of defensiveness (Cross et all, 2004). Not only is there a difference between personalities in gifted children and non-gifted children, but their differences are negative deviations from the norm. This literature review will show that teachers, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and other educational placement professionals can use the results of the MMPI-A to better support gifted adolescents

Using teachers to screen for potential gifted students gives a basis for more formal testing of the students. However, the district must first define their own requirements for a gifted program. Primarily, a higher than average IQ score, general good grades, leadership abilities, and creative abilities should be considered when looking to identify gifted students. While all of these characteristics are important, it is also important to note that students may not possess all of them, and may only have a gifted talent in one specific area of study. When a teacher suspects giftedness, they should refer the student to the guidance counselor or school psychologist, who can then set up a formal assessment to determine if the student has enough of the characteristics to qualify as gifted by the state. After students have been identified, it is then important to secure a GIEP (Gifted Individual Education Plan) and make greater opportunities available. However, as mentioned above, the first step is to use the tools described above to identify students in need of the gifted

In the article, the term “gifted” is a very precise, yet very broad; it is more than a number on an IQ test, hence is termed by the U.S Department of Education as children and youth with outstanding talents and accomplishments, in comparison to others of their age, experience of the environment.

Principle 1: High-Quality Curriculum for Gifted Learners Uses a Conceptual Approach to Organize or Explore Content that is Discipline Based and Integrative

I really do agree with you that students with a disability can teach everyone around them. They have a unique viewpoint on the world and often times, they are among the strongest people around us. Also, I agree the that students who are gifted can have a hard time communicating with their fellow peers. Many programs in schools do not have enough resources to have a sophisticated gifted program. Through my primary school, the gifted program's teacher was only able to meet with the students once a week for an hour or so. I wish there was more time for the students to meet as many of them were able to communicate with each other about higher-level topics. Often times, I notice that younger students who talk about issues that their peers don't