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The Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted Education

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The Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted Education
Abstract

Society has consistently overlooked minorities in identification of gifted and talented education over the past few decades. The purpose of this research paper is to show these consistencies do, in fact, exist and try to give some explanation as to why they exist and how we can overcome the negative tendencies of Underrepresentation of minorities in the school programs that are meant to identify gifted students regardless of the socio-economic background and race.

The Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted Education
Introduction

L. T. Anguiano stated that gifted and talented education student is defined as “any student who has the potential to perform at a higher intellectual capability than other students of the same age. These students may demonstrate high intelligence, artistic ability and/or creativity. Specific selection procedures measure a student’s academic and intellectual abilities which will result in the possibility of placement into the gifted program” (Anguiano, 2003). Students who are identified as gifted and talented usually possess a talent for having higher-order thinking skills and become somewhat bored when waiting on their fellow classmates to catch up to their learning. Anguiano alludes to the fact that if these students are not properly identified, the will risk not achieving their “academic and social potential” (Anguiano, 2003).

Significance of the Problem Gifted and Talented Education comes under the program of special education because it serves students with special needs. Each student nominated for the gifted program is given a specific test that the school uses and if the student should qualify, he/she will be placed in the program. Certain state mandates govern how each program will be implemented within a district and yearly state applications are submitted to keep the program in compliance with state standards. What are the causes of



References: Anguiano, L. T. (2003, Fall). Underrepresentation of minority students in gifted and talented education. Retrieved September 23, 2006, from http://find.articles.com/p/articles/mi_ga3935/is_200310/ai_n9322277 Cohen, L. M. (2000, April 20). Meeting the needs of gifted and talented minority language students. Retrieved September 6, 2006, from http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/gifted_and_minority_lang.html Coleman, M. R. (2003, June 6). The identification of students who are gifted. Retrieved September 6, 2006, from http//www.eric.ed.gov Gallagher, J. J. (2005, March 1). The role of race in gifted education. Roeper Review, 27(3), p.135. Gallagher, J. J. (2002). Society’s role in educating gifted students: The role of public policy. Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Miller, L. S. (2004, August). Promoting sustained growth in the representation of African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans among top students in the United States at all levels of the education system. Retrieved September 10, 2006, from National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Research Teams database. Olszewski-Kubilius, P., Lee, S., Ngoi, M., & Ngoi, D. (2004). Addressing the achievement gap between minority and nonminority children by increasing access to gifted programs. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 28(2), pp. 127-155. Sanders, M. (2004). Urban odyssey: theater of the oppressed and talented minority youth. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 28(2), pp. 218-237. Sarouphim, K. M. (2004, Winter). Discover in middle school: identifying gifted minority students. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, XV, 2. Retrieved October 8, 2006, from National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented Research Teams database. The Teaching Commission (2004). Teaching at risk: A guide to action. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/guide_p22.html#sources

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