1. Increasing the Identification of Gifted Students from Underrepresented Populations
________________, ESE Administrator
Jeanette Lukens, School Psychologist
Exceptional Student Support Services
Sample County Public Schools
April, 2013

2. Learning Objectives
Participants will understand the core attributes of giftedness as they are expressed in different cultural and environmental contexts
Participants will increase their recognition of cognitive, physical, and affective characteristics of diverse gifted students
Participants will understand their role in the screening and identification process
This presentation is being given to help you, as teachers, more accurately identify gifted students and to help you “think outside the box” in looking for students from underrepresented populations.

3. Agenda Gifted Eligibility Criteria
SCPS Gifted Identification Demographics
Target School Demographics
Concept of Giftedness
Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students
Specific Domains for Diverse Gifted Students
Student Vignettes
Current Gifted Eligibility Procedures & Adaptations
Participant Role in Identification

4. Identifying Gifted Students From Underrepresented Populations
As of 1993, the U.S. Department of Education reported that Black, Hispanic, and Native American students were underrepresented by 50%-70% in gifted education programs (Naglieri & Ford, 2003)
Black and Hispanic students are less than half as likely to be in gifted programs as White, American Indian or Asian students.
(Donovan & Cross, 2002 as cited in Callahan, 2005)
Despite recent efforts to address this problem, the underrepresentation of minority students in gifted programs has been persistent and, for some groups, has increased.
(Ford, 1998 as cited in Naglieri & Ford, 2003)
The underrepresentation of minority children in classes for the gifted has been and continues to be one of the most important problems facing educators of gifted students.

5. Identifying Gifted Students From Underrepresented Populations
Sample County has developed an initiative making it a priority to search out and identify students from our underrepresented populations.
Elementary Gifted Planning Committee
Mission
To examine strategies needed to create an action plan to increase the identification of Gifted students who are low socioeconomic status (SES) or English Language Learners (ELL)
Vision
To increase the participation of low SES and ELL students in the Gifted Program to align more closely to the percentage of students in these categories attending Sample County Public Schools

6. Gifted Eligibility Criteria
Plan A
Education for learners who are gifted has been included within Florida’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Programs since The first state mandate for gifted education was State Board Rule 6A , FAC, which became effective July 1, This State Board Rule defined the gifted student as “one who has superior intellectual development and is capable of high performance” further defining the criteria for eligibility to include an intelligence quotient of two standard deviations or more above the mean on an individually administered standardized test of intelligence, a majority of characteristics of gifted children according to a standard scale or checklist, and a need for a special program (Special Programs, 1977).
Plan B
In 1991, as a result of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, the State of Florida revised their gifted rule to include specific criteria for traditionally underrepresented students. Section B of Board Rule 6A (2)(b)1., FAC, provided greater flexibility in identifying students who are members of an underrepresented group, including limited English proficient (LEP) students and students from low socioeconomic status (SES) families, as measured by the student’s eligibility for the government-subsidized free and reduced lunch program. This section, which became known as Plan B, provided school districts with guidelines to develop a plan for increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in programs for gifted students.
Because there seemed to be inequity in terms of some groups being represented in the gifted population in Florida, a law was passed to allow districts to develop a Gifted Plan B. We are proud that we have this plan in place and encourage you to take advantage of it. This is not an “easier” way to be classified as gifted; it is a “different” way to become eligible as gifted.

7. This graph indicates the total Elementary School and Gifted student membership by racial/ethnic distribution thus far in the school year. The District student population is represented by red bars while District’s Gifted population is represented by blue bars. District wide, the data indicates significant disproportionality with regards to the ethnic distribution of students in the Gifted program.
Black and Hispanic students are underrepresented, while White and Asians are overrepresented, when compared with the District’s student population.
For example, while 20% of the District’s student population is Hispanic, Hispanic students only make up 10% of the District’s Gifted population.
Ideally, the participation of Black and Hispanic students in the Gifted Program would align more closely to the percentage of students in these categories attending Sample County Public Schools’ Elementary Schools.
Data generated from Skyward on 3/8/2013

8. The Elementary Gifted Planning Committee also reviewed the total Elementary School and Gifted student membership by Free or Reduced Lunch and English Language Learner categories thus far in the school year.
The District student population is represented by red bars while District’s Gifted population is represented by blue bars. English Language Learner includes LY and LF students.
District wide, the data indicates significant disproportionality with regards to the distribution of students in the gifted program. FRL and ELL students are underrepresented, when compared with the District’s student population.
Selective referral is one of reasons for underrepresentation of minority students in gifted education programs.
Referral rates for gifted eligibility of students from culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged homes are significantly lower
Data generated from Skyward on 3/8/2013

9. Sample Elementary Gifted Identification Demographics
Here are the gifted identification demographics for your school. Once again, our analysis focused on the following subgroups: black, Hispanic, FRL and ELL students. <insert specific school analysis here and ADD number of students in each category>
Data generated from Skyward on 3/8/2013

10. Concept of Giftedness
Identifying giftedness can be a difficult task because although certain characteristics can be generalized within this population, some gifted individuals may not possess the same characteristics as other gifted individuals or exhibit them in the same way (Clark, 2013)
Concept of giftedness as a psychological construct
Core Traits, Aptitudes and Behaviors of Giftedness
Classroom Behaviors of Gifted Students

11. (Traits, Aptitudes and Behaviors)
Concept of Giftedness
Definitions and General Descriptions of the 10 Core Attributes of Giftedness
(Traits, Aptitudes and Behaviors)
Frasier, et al, 1995
Core Attribute
General Description
Motivation: evidence of desire to learn
Forces that initiate, direct and sustain individual or group behavior in order to satisfy a need or attained goal
Communication Skills: highly expressive and effective use of words, numbers, symbols, etc.
Transmission and reception of signals or meanings through a system of symbols (codes, gestures, language, numbers)
Interest: intense (sometimes unusual) interest
Activities, avocations, objects, etc., that have special worth or significance and are give special attention
Problem Solving Ability: effective (often inventive) strategies for recognizing and solving problems
Process of determining a correct sequence of alternatives leading to a desired goal or to successful completion or performance of a task.
Imagination/Creativity: Produces many ideas; highly original
Process of forming mental images of objects, qualities, situations, or relationships, which are not immediately apparent to the senses; solve problems by pursing nontraditional patterns of thinking
Memory: Large storehouse of information on school or non-school topics
Exceptional ability to retain and retrieve information
Inquiry: Questions, experiments, explores
Method or process of seeking knowledge, understanding, or information
Insight: Quickly grasps new concepts and makes connections; senses deeper meanings
Sudden discovery of the correct solution following incorrect attempts based primarily on trial and error
Reasoning: Logical approaches to figuring out solutions
Highly conscious, directed, controlled, active, intentional, forward-looking, goal-oriented thought
Humor: Conveys and picks up on humor well
Ability to synthesize key ideas or problems in complex situations in a humorous way; Exceptional sense of timing in words and gestures
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12. Concept of Giftedness Classroom Behaviors of Gifted Students
A child may show giftedness through academic ability.
Does the student…
Show unusual ability in some area-reading, science, mathematics
Get math answers correctly, but find it difficult to tell you how
Show fascination with one field or interest and manage to include this interest in all topics discussed
Enjoy graphing everything and/or seem obsessed with probabilities
Enjoy meeting or talking with experts in this field
Invent new obscure systems and codes
A child may show giftedness through creative ability.
Does the student…
Try to do things in different, unusual, imaginative ways
Create problems with no apparent solutions and enjoy asking you to solve them
Have a really zany sense of humor
Love controversial and unusual questions
Enjoy new routines or spontaneous activities
Have a vivid imagination
Love variety and novelty
Seem never to proceed sequentially
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As a school psychologist, I am often asked about gifted traits, from both teachers and parents.
As a classroom teacher, what behaviors do gifted students display? What behaviors should you keep in mind?
Here is a list of classroom behaviors that are typical among gifted children for various areas of ability.
A child may show giftedness through leadership ability.
Does the student…
Organize and lead group activities and sometimes take over
Enjoy decision making and stay with that decision
Enjoy taking risks
Synthesize ideas and information from a lot of different sources
Seems cocky, self-assured
(From Growing Up Gifted, 8th Edition by Barbara Clark, 2013)

13. Concept of Giftedness Classroom Behaviors of Gifted Students, continued
A child may show giftedness through cognitive ability.
Does the student…
Ask a lot of questions
Seem board and often have nothing to do
Show a lot of interest in his or her progress
Complete only part of an assignment or project and then take off in a new direction
Have in-depth information on many things
Stick to a subject long after the class has gone on to other things
Often wants to know why or how something is so
Seem restless and leave his/her seat often
Become unusually upset at injustices
Daydream
Seems interested in and concerned about social or political problems
Seem to understand easily
Often have a better reason for not doing what you want done than you have for asking him or her to do it
Like solving puzzles and problems
Resist requests to drill on spelling, math, facts, flash cards or handwriting
Have his/her own ideas about how something should be done and argue for it
Criticize others for dumb ideas
Talk a lot
Becomes impatient if his/her work is not perfect
Love metaphors and abstract ideas
Seem to be a loner
Love debating issues
HANDOUT
As a school psychologist, I am often asked about gifted traits, from both teachers and parents.
As a classroom teacher, what behaviors do gifted students display? What behaviors should you keep in mind?
A child may show giftedness through performing arts ability.
Does the student…
Seem to pick up skills in the arts without instruction-music, dance, drama, painting, etc
See minute detail in products or performances
Invent new techniques and/or experiment
Have high sensory sensitivity
(From Growing Up Gifted, 8th Edition by Barbara Clark, 2013)

14. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Students
English Language Learners (ELL) are students currently receiving ESOL services (LY) or are within their two-year probationary period after dismissal (LF)
Gifted Characteristics of ELL Students
The identification of gifted minority students is a problem because these students often do not exhibit behaviors and characteristics which are recognized as manifestations of talents and gifts by the dominant culture (Leung, 1981).

15. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students, ELL Students
Characteristics of Gifted English Language Learners (ELL)
Aguirre and Hernandez, 1999 as cited in Wallace & Eriksson, 2006
Eagerly shares his/her culture
Shows strong desire to teach peers words from his/her native language
Has a strong sense of pride in cultural heritage and ethnic background
Translates for peers and adults at a high degree of accuracy
Balances appropriate behaviors expected of the native culture and new culture
Possesses advanced knowledge of idioms and native dialects with ability to translate and explain meanings in English
Understands jokes and puns related to cultural differences
Reads in native language two grades or more above grade level
Functions at language proficiency levels above that of non-gifted peers who are Limited English Proficient
Able to code-switch
Possesses cross-cultural flexibility
Has a sense of global community
Learns a second or third language at an accelerated pace
Excels in math achievement
Characteristics of Gifted English Language Learners (ELL)
Kent State University, U.S. Department of Education, 1992 as cited in Wallace & Eriksson, 2006
Exceptional learner
(acquisition and retention of knowledge)
Learns quickly and easily
Advanced understanding
Exceptional user
(application and comprehension of knowledge)
Exceptional use of knowledge
Advanced use of symbols
Demands a reason
Reasons well
Exceptional generator
(creator of knowledge)
Highly creative
Atypical thinking
Keen sense of humor
curious
Exceptional motivator
(pursuer of knowledge)
perfectionism
initiation
reflective
long attention span
leadership
intensity
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16. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students, ELL Students
Characteristics of Gifted English Language Learners (ELL)
Bernal, 1974 as cited in Wallace & Eriksson, 2006
Enjoys intelligent (or effective) risk-taking behavior, often accompanied by a sense of drama
Exhibits characteristics, which are defined by the students’ native culture as fulfilling the characteristics of gifted children
Has older playmates and can easily engage adults in lively conversation
Is able to keep busy and entertained, for example, imaginative games and ingenious application, such as getting the most out of a few simple toys and objects
Exhibits leadership behavior and emphasizes interpersonal skills
Is ‘street-wise’ and recognized by others as possessing the ability to ‘make it’ in the dominate society
Rapidly acquires English language skills once exposed to it and given the opportunity to use it expressively
Accepts responsibilities at home normally reserved for older children, for example, supervision of younger sibling
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17. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students
Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) Students
Low SES students are from families that have qualified for free or reduced school lunch
Gifted Characteristics of Low SES Students
The identification of gifted minority students is a problem because these students often do not exhibit behaviors and characteristics which are recognized as manifestations of talents and gifts by the dominant culture (Leung, 1981).

18. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students, Low SES Students
HANDOUT
(From Growing Up Gifted, 8th Edition by Barbara Clark, 2013)

19. Characteristics of Diverse Gifted Students
Traditional Gifted Students
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Gifted Students
Low SES Gifted Students
Shows superior reasoning powers
Outstanding problem-solving ability
Shows persistent intellectual curiosity
Is markedly superior in quality and quantity of written and/or spoken vocabulary
Reads avidly and absorbs books well beyond his or her years
Learns quickly and easily and retains what is learned
Shows insight into arithmetical problems
Shows creative ability or imaginative expression
Sustains concentration for lengthy periods, outstanding responsibility and independence in classroom work
Shows initiative and originality in intellectual work
Observes keenly and is responsive to new ideas
Shows social poise and an ability to communicate with adults in a mature way
Gets excitement and pleasure from intellectual challenge, subtle sense of humor
Shows superior reasoning powers
Shows persistent intellectual curiosity
Has a wide range of interests, often of an intellectual kind
Learns quickly and easily and retains what is learned
Shows insight into arithmetical problems
Shows creative ability or imaginative expression
Shows initiative and originality in intellectual work
Gets excitement and pleasure from intellectual challenge; shows an alert and subtle sense of humor
Venn Diagram: overlapping characteristics of
Traditional Gifted Students
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Gifted Students
Low SES Gifted Students
Shows superior reasoning powers
Shows creative ability or imaginative expression
Shows persistent intellectual curiosity
Shows initiative and originality in intellectual work
Has a wide range of interests, often of an intellectual kind
Gets excitement and pleasure from intellectual challenge; shows an alert and subtle sense of humor.
Learns quickly and easily and retains what is learned
Shows insight into arithmetical problems
Shows resourcefulness (the ability to solve problems by ingenious methods)

20. Specific Domains to Consider for Diverse Gifted Students
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21. Specific Domains to Consider for Diverse Gifted Students, cont.
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22. Specific Domains to Consider for Diverse Gifted Students, cont.
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23. Specific Domains to Consider for Diverse Gifted Students, cont.
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24. Student Vignettes
Vignettes of gifted students from underrepresented populations
Opportunity for participants to identify gifted characteristics

25. Current Gifted Eligibility Procedures
All students will be considered for eligibility under Plan A.
If a student from an underrepresented population (either ELL or low SES) needs further consideration, the student study team will complete the eligibility matrix.
Part A of the matrix takes into account the screening procedures and the individual screening used for all students
Includes Achievement Test Standard Scores, Academic Performance, Parent Checklist, Teacher Checklist, and Intellectual Screening Results
Part B of the matrix takes into account the intellectual testing results and the portfolio of student products
The student must have a score of 65 points to be eligible for gifted services

26. Current Gifted Eligibility Procedures
The Elementary Gifted Planning Committee developed recommendations to increase the participation of low SES and ELL students in the Gifted Program to align more closely to the percentage of students in these categories attending Sample County Public Schools
Recommendations include
Increasing professional development opportunities
Review and possible revision of current Plan B Gifted Characteristics Checklist
Review and possible revision of Talent Development
Possible administration of large-scale screening instrument
Our committee’s recommendations range from the district level to the school level. Recommendations that may impact you at the school level include the following…

27. Participant Role in Identification of Diverse Gifted Students
Teacher Specific Roles in Identification
The most critical element in identifying gifted students
Must realize that the student’s culture will influence what gifted behaviors will be observed and how they will be exhibited.
Should be aware that giftedness is not necessarily manifested in academic achievement.
Teachers are involved with
Initial referral for Gifted Program eligibility
Completion of Gifted Characteristics Checklist, Teacher Version
Statement of Need for Gifted Program
If Plan B Matrix is utilized
Evidence of Student Achievement
Portfolio of Student Products
Teachers, you are the most critical element since you are the most likely person to make the referral. It is important to consider that a child’s background and culture may influence the way that he or she demonstrates giftedness. Also keep in mind that your gifted students may not be your highest achievers. If schools only look at achievement scores when they screen for giftedness, they will miss the gifted under-achiever or the gifted child who is not a proficient speaker/writer/reader of English.

28. References
Castellano, J. (2006). Bilingual education issues: Haitian and haitian-american students in gifted education. In B. Wallace & G. Eriksson (Eds.), Diversity in gifted education (9-20). New York, NY: Routledge. Clark, B. (2013). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at school and at home (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Development of Educational Plans for Exceptional Students who are Gifted, 6A , FAC. (2005). State Board of Education Rule, Florida Department of Education. ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children (1990). Giftedness and the gifted: What’s it all about, what does giftedness mean. ERIC EC Digest #E476. Retrieved from: Frasier, M. M., et. al. (1995). Core attributes of giftedness: A foundation for recognizing the gifted potential of minority and economically disadvantaged students. Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Nielen, E. (1994). Characteristics of twice-exceptional children. University of New Mexico.