Program+Rationale

*** Rationale**
Gifted African Americans have the same needs and concerns as gifted students in general. However, as students of color, they also have unique and special needs, which must be addressed. Non-cognitive issues in response to institutional racism, discrimination, and lowered expectations effect their performance.

Issues such as racial identity, cultural conflict, isolation, peer pressure, and underachievement are cognitive and socio emotional needs that can be addressed through cluster grouping; periodic homogeneous grouping of African American students.

African American students need supportive learning environments designed to provide help in dealing with the socio emotional concerns that impact their achievement. These topics should be presented in ways that also develop critical thinking and academic skills through the use of technology. Meeting these needs is essential to ensure that gifted programs will retain and support the achievement of gifted African American learners.


 * The following recommendations are based upon action research of videotaped student discussions, as well as published research in the field of gifted minorities.** L. Partridge

1. Opportunities to meet with peers to discuss social emotional issues of racial identity, underachievement, and motivation. 2. Opportunities for shared readings and guided discussions of film and books on current topics related to race, social, and achievement issues. 3. Opportunities to explore Black history and multicultural studies in depth. 4. Instruction and support in time management and organizational skills in order to develop good study habits. 5. Fieldtrips to local campuses to promote the expectation and goal of attending college. 6. Opportunities to engage in relevant curriculum, community service and social justice projects. 7. Use of strategies of differentiation such as cooperative learning and field dependent learning styles to accommodate cultural learning preferences. 8. Develop metacognitive awareness of ability, giftedness and racial identity. 9. Provision of mentors and role models with whom students can identify. 10.Opportunities to generate objectives and develop activities to achieve goals.

*** Research which Supports Minority Student Achievement Program**
A review of the research on gifted from Donna Ford, Susan Baum, Joyce Van Tassel-Baska supports these recommendations. Every issue, which emerged in the interviews with students, has been documented in the research on diverse learners, the achievement gap, and gifted minorities.


 * I. The work of Donna Ford** (2007) outlines the following strategies to enhance achievement among culturally diverse learners:

1. Intrinsic strategies to help develop students’ internal motivation, increase academic engagement, and self-efficacy. 2. Supportive strategies to affirm the self-worth and provide socio-emotional support. 3. Remedial strategies to improve academic performance in areas of difficulty. 4. Cognitive strategies to improve metacognition and problem solving skills.


 * II. Joyce Van Tassel Baska’s** (1999) goals for gifted programs are cognitive, affective and social. Because self-perception plays a major role in school achievement, an important affective goal should be the enhancement of self-understanding and the development of effective coping strategies.


 * III. Susan Baum** (2004) promotes focused attention to the social and emotional needs of gifted students. She suggests that gifted students with issues such as lack of self- efficacy, self -regulation, motivation, and low self-esteem need support to cope with cultural and environmental influences that negatively impact their development. Opportunities to explore their unique issues with peers with similar issues and abilities are needed.

//* Excerpts from Partridge, L. __Young, Gifted and Black: Determining the Needs of Gifted African American Students through Focused Discussion and Interviews__, University of Pennsylvania, Spring, 2007.//

//This space is managed by Lynne Partridge, Gifted Support Teacher, LMSD.//