Clark, B. (2013). Growing up Gifted: Developing the
Potential of Children at School and at Home (8th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Stambaugh, T. Ph.D. Retrieved from
www.scgifted.org/scpoverty.ppt
Conclusion
Under representation of economically disadvantaged students is a result of more than simple test results. Identification of these students is not enough. Improving gifted and talented education is an ongoing process. We as educators, community members, and parents must work together to develop programs both inside and outside of school that will allow economically disadvantaged students to advance both socially and academically.
Suggested Interventions
- Offer after school, extra-curricular programs geared toward math and science to enhance college application
- Offer programs to prepare students for gifted program
- Provide dual-enrollment opportunities
- Offer explicit instruction in English
- Encourage participation in community programs for social and intellectual development
- Teach critical thinking skills
- Choice and discussion for learning
- Sort relevant and irrelevant information
- Teach questioning techniques
- Encourage parent involvement
- Praise / Positive learning environment
How Can Economically Disadvantaged Families Assist Their Gifted Child?
- Encourage
- Monitor progress
- Communicate high expectations for academic achievement
- View socioeconomic circumstances as motivator to succeed
Barriers Found in Economically Disadvantaged
Home
- Belief giftedness can not exist in SED population
- Inability to speak English
- Lack of playthings to stimulate cognitive and developmental skills
- Lack of conversation
- Type of discipline
- Guardians work more than 1 job (Home jobs left to younger siblings)
School
- Belief giftedness can not exist in SED population
- Negative attitude of SED gifted population toward school, teachers, own achievement, inability of focus on long term goals
- Use of violence by SED gifted students to resolve problems
- Lack of alternative activities for SED students in the program
Learning Differences
- Cognitive Functioning
- Sequencing
- Cause and Effect
- Categorization
- Language Skills
- Vocabulary limited
- Grammar
- Reading
Due to deficiencies in these areas, negative behaviors and attitudes often result. (Clark, p. 239)
Other Strategies for Identifying Economically Disadvantaged Students
The Road to Gifted Education
- Use assessments to allow a fair opportunity over time
- Creative choices such as comic strips, PowerPoint, models, maps, portfolio, journal, inventions, joke-telling, songs, etc.
- Use multiple measures both traditional and non-traditional
- Use measures of verbal and non-verbal abilities
- Identify multiple areas of intelligence
Identification Tools for Gifted
Low representation of SES in gifted programs is many times related to inappropriate testing. (Clark, p.237) Using a mixture of traditional and non-traditional methods can help identify economically disadvantaged gifted and talented students.
Traditional
- Intelligence tests
- Achievement tests
- Aptitude tests (domain specific)
- Grades
- Teacher referrals
Non-traditional
- Nonverbal ability test
- Creativity tests
- Student portfolios/performance by audition
- Performance-based assessment
- parent/peer/community referrals
- Self-nomination
- Checklists
List Retrieved from Tamra Stambaugh, Ph.D.
www.scgifted.org/scpoverty.ppt
Observable Traits to Assist in the Identification of Economically Disadvantaged Gifted Students
- Higher mathematics and verbal abilities
- Demonstrates curiosity
- Independent
- Demonstrates imagination in thinking
- Flexibility in problem solving strategies
- Rapid learning rate
- Ability to retain and apply learning
- Desire to learn
- Demonstrates originality and creative thinking
- Demonstrates leadership among their low socioeconomic peers
- Varied interests
- Generalizes learning and demonstrates relationships in unrelated concepts
- Mature sense of humor
Result of Poverty on Gifted Students
Poverty stricken gifted and talented students lack opportunities in their environments. As a result these students develop different.....
- Perceptions
- Ways of responding
- Expectations
- Set of rules for how the world works
Example: Language ability
Fails to be understood, personal, emotional, loud, and not chronologically or grammatically sequenced (Clark, p. 236)
for the Economically Disadvantaged
By: Dinean Stevens
Poverty & Gifted Education
What is Poverty?
Poverty is not simply a lack of money. "Poverty involves the extent to which an individual does without resources - not only financial resources, but also emotional, intellectual, and physical resources; relationships and role models, and innumerable external support systems." (Clark, p. 236)