Supporting Gifted Students from Diverse Backgrounds

Benna Haas

One of the breakthroughs in today’s gifted educa­tion has been the adoption of universal screen­ing and a subgroup norming practice that casts a wider net to identify gifted children from all backgrounds. Once they are identified, one of many ways to advocate for our underrepresented gifted students is to peel away deficit-focused narratives that place barriers for their so­cial and emotional growth. To proactively disrupt the def­icit-driven language used to describe gifted children from diverse backgrounds, we must continue our efforts to raise awareness by creating strong spaces to build their capac­ity and connect them with adults who resonate most with the children’s experiences.

It is easy for us to focus on what these gifted children lack and how to “lift them up” to fit the existing gifted ser­vices. Rather than addressing the systemic problem that needs to be dismantled to fit the needs of these students, we often frame their needs as something that has to im­prove or get better. What we must strive to do collectively is to shift the underlying deficit lens that continues to per­petrate biases against Black, brown, or poor gifted chil­dren in our schools.

Here are some practical ways any educator or a gifted advocate can begin to provide strong support for the creation of social and emotional spaces for our diverse gifted children.

1. Gather Data: Reach out to your school’s or AIG specialists or coordinators of advanced programs to learn about their underrepresented gifted students. Then get to know the students and their learning pro­files from Cognitive Abilities Tests, achievement test data, interview records, or other testing instruments used to identify students. How were those students screened, nominated, and accepted to gifted pro­grams? What do the learning profiles reveal about their learning styles?

2. Find Your Allies: Once you have collected data about the students, propose your ideas and collaborate with shareholders on how to provide both excellence and equity for the underrepresented or marginalized gifted students. Network with teachers, counselors, or in-house staff members who would resonate most with the identified underrepresented gifted children. Find opportunities to train them on characteristics of gifted learners, non-teacher pleasing behavior, or their thoughts on the particular demographics and seek their insight on how all can support the initiative.

3. Engage Families: Invite parents into the school and let them know how the building will celebrate the students’ strengths and skills as gifted children. Hold an ice cream social, coffee hour, or a potluck to kick off a support group for their children. Be sensitive to family and work schedules and plan ahead of time. Share how the school plans to support the children’s advanced or gifted needs. Plan to also hold informa­tional meetings to help them access gifted programs or services for their children.

4. Facilitate Circle Time: Coordinate a regular meet­ing with your students and allies. It is critical for stu­dents to come to understand their social and emo­tional identities. Utilize a circle space during lunch or after school and have them share one adjective to describe their feeling for the day. As they reflect their day’s experiences and extract a single adjective to signal how they feel at that moment and why it feels that way, they begin to recognize their common ties.

5. Cultivate Capacity: Guest speakers, such as dis­trict leaders, educators, parents, and community pro­fessionals who are connected with students can be invited in to share their life stories throughout the year. Create community or outreach opportunities that build leadership capacity and connect your students with other organizations such as Blue Ribbon Mentor Ad­vocate, Boys and Girls Clubs, universities, and other coalitions to increase possibilities for field trips, men­torship, and community services.

Benna Haas is with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. This post is a version of an article that will appear in the May 2019 Teaching for High Potential.


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Goings, R. & Ford, D. (2017). Investigating the intersection of pov-erty and race in gifted education journals: A 15-year analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly. 62(3). doi://001698621773761.10.1177/ 0016986217737618.

Lohman, D. F., & Gambrell, J. (2012). Use of nonverbal measures in gifted identification. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 30, 25-44.