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I have watched in dismay as districts around the country have begun to dismantle gifted programs in attempts to provide “accelerated learning” for all students. There is no question that the identification of giftedness has issues— issues stemming from inequitable access to testing and school resources. However, dismantling programs that provide identified students with the learning they need is not the answer. Pull-out programs do provide benefits for gifted students, but more importantly, we have to move past the idea that all students are expected to learn the same material in the same way at the same time.
Students that are identified as gifted are challenged with asynchronous development where some cognitive abilities, such as math, outpace others, such as reading. Asynchronous development is also prevalent in social-emotional areas where intensity drives students to struggle with relating to peers and other social situations prompting many students to hide their abilities to fit in.
Frederick Hess writes, “If one accepts that people are born with an array of talents, and that students and society benefit when schools cultivate those talents, the conversation about gifted education should be how to do it fairly, responsibly, and effectively.”
As a mom of two girls that are identified as gifted, I can attest to the trials and tribulations of parenting intense and spirited children. Without additional support at school, they struggle in classroom environments where they learn various content at a different pace than their peers—sometimes ahead and sometimes behind, but rarely at the same time.
Although gifted identification programs are in need of a facelift, doing away with crucial support for students who learn differently is unacceptable. Yes, all students deserve equitable access to educational resources. Yes, we must do our best to ensure we meet students where they are and not where some state policy says they should be. This requires differentiation in the classroom, building relationships with our students, and understanding that learning is an intensely personal process that is not passed down through textbooks and worksheets. Gifted education, whether pull-out or push-in, is as important as other educational services, and we owe it to children to provide the support they need.
Professional Learning and Inspiration
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2021
Youki Terada, Stephen Merrill, and Sarah Gonser curated a list of significant studies for Edutopia readers distilling dozens of studies to a select few that represent the current educational climate. Some interesting studies include parents’ perceptions of SEL from the Fordham Institute, the surprising advantages of pretesting, and the benefits of students learning to teach material. This article is well worth your time to stay abreast of the latest in research that might surprise, confirm, or change best practices in the classroom.
What Does It Mean to ‘Disrupt’ Tradition in Education?
TeachThought rounds up “26 Books That Disrupt Traditional Perspectives & Practices in Education.” This article spans the educational space with books on various topics such as Montessori, SEL, culturally responsive teaching, instructional coaching, differentiation, and the downside of reward systems. The upcoming break is a perfect time to read something that challenges current assumptions to improve educational practices.
Emerging Technology Trends in Higher Education
Amelia Pang writes for EdTech Magazine about “5 Emerging Technology Trends Higher Ed Is Watching for in 2022.” Trends include adaptive learning, mobile learning, AI-powered tutors, short-form video-based learning, advanced VR technologies. The ongoing pandemic has been a boon to the education technology industry as colleges and universities seek ways to provide a mobile, convenient, and adapted education that suits the needs of adult learners.
Education News and Research
Jill Anderson, for Harvard EdCast, interviews Claudia Costin, founder and director of the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education Policies at Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil, on the educational impact of COVID-19 in developing countries. Costin notes data that illustrates learning equalities in Latin America that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. She states, “82% of the municipalities in Brazil had some kind of educational response to COVID with absolutely no national coordination by the minister of education.” However, although learning loss is rampant and inequality is still a pressing problem, there are opportunities for countries to re-evaluate how they approach traditional education to better connect students to the content they are learning.
Laura Waters, at The 74, writes “You Won’t Retain Black Teachers Without Transforming Your School Culture.” In a recent New Jersey demographic survey of educators, data shows that 75% of districts are comprised of teaching and professional staff that is 85% white. New Jersey’s student population is 56% non-white. Research has shown that Black students who have one or more Black teachers are more likely to enroll in college. This article highlights explicit recommendations to create responsive conditions to recruit and retain Black teachers.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced $182 million in Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grants to improve academic achievement for underserved students. Grants will focus on improved learning in STEM and increased literacy interventions with a focus on school-based tutoring programs. Grants will also target 2nd-grade literacy in rural and underserved populations, as well as enhance SEL instruction and therapy services. The U.S. Department of Education press office writes: “These grants will support local efforts to develop, implement, and take to scale entrepreneurial and evidence-based projects that have the potential to improve academic achievement for underserved students.”
The Pew Research Center released data related to teacher diversity and found not so surprising results: “America’s public school teachers are far less racially and ethnically diverse than their students.” Some stats include 79% of teachers identified as non-Hispanic White in 2017-2018, whereas only 47% of public elementary and secondary students were White. However, when examining changes over time, there has been an 8% decrease of White teachers since 1987-1988 with increases in Black, Hispanic, and Asian teachers over the last three decades. The Pew Research Center also breaks down teacher diversity numbers by geographic location and school environments.
The Latest Articles from Educate.
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Ending the White Supremacy School by Ira David Socol
Pandemic Fallout in the Classroom by Elissa Levy
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About the Editor
Jennifer Osborne is currently an Educational Leadership Policy Ph.D. student at Texas Tech University. She is an experienced educator with graduate degrees in Educational Leadership and Guidance and Counseling. Jennifer has taught in five countries across a wide variety of classrooms and schools. She is passionate about authentic education for students and personalized professional learning for teachers.
Read her Educator’s Bio at Jennifer Osborne Writes.