To No Longer Educate the Gifted: Programming for Gifted Students Beyond the Era of Inclusionism

Abstract

A B ST RA CT 2s For mnany educators, the goal of programs for tile .g ifted is "the eduLcation of identified gifted students " This article argues that this goal makes gifted and talE ented (GT) programs vulnerable to discontinuation and relegates gifted children to inclusionary, regular classrooms where their needs are rarely nmet. To avoid Z X these possibilities, the goal of GT should be reformnu-1 lated to "the development of gifted young adults This goal has several advantages, including the possi -gX bihtv of a more enriched curriculum and a more diverse group of children with higher creative-productive potential. It also includes the overt recognidion. that these children require both differentiated instruction and specialized guidance to acquire a measure of expertise, establish a strong sense of self. and make personally satistying career choices. ThtGrowing Giftedness model presented would have GT students work more closely with adults and with on another than the inclusionary nmodel or part-time gifted programs can allow. In addition, this model adumnbrates the elements of a fill-time program.

The Validity of the Achievement-Orientation Model for Gifted Middle School Students

“…The benefits of pull-out programming depend on how many contact hours the gifted teacher has with her students and whether or not the general education teacher is able or willing to share planning with the gifted education teacher. Being "pulled out" of class may be very damaging to gifted students socially since they might not want to appear "smart" in front of their friends (Bernal, 2003). The latter is also a concern of ability grouped classes, another popular form of providing gifted services to middle school students.…”

Reconsidering General vis-à-vis Gifted Education: A Tentative Model of Equity and Excellence

“…Studies indicate that the prevailing situation for gifted education in regular classrooms is not optimal (e.g., VaTassel-Baska & Stambaugh, 2005;Bernal, 2003). Gifted students are frequently neglected, intentionally or unintentionally, as teachers may assume they are offering differentiated instructions by asking the gifted to help their peers, rather than by directly offering them more appropriate opportunities to excel (Bernal, 2003;Wu, 2013).…”

“…Gifted students are frequently neglected, intentionally or unintentionally, as teachers may assume they are offering differentiated instructions by asking the gifted to help their peers, rather than by directly offering them more appropriate opportunities to excel (Bernal, 2003;Wu, 2013). Without professional development on gifted education, regular classroom teachers may not be able to provide adequate curriculum and instruction to gifted students.…”

“…Indeed, the latter is a more expanded version of the former, within which all issues related to homogeneous or heterogeneous settings can be discussed. Researchers like Bernal (2003) and Delisle (2005) hold that gifted education should be totally separated from general education, and gifted children should not be disposed in regular classroom with a large variety of learning abilities. They think that gifted students must be given the chance to learn in specifically designed gifted programs; otherwise, they may lose the opportunity to develop their potential to the fullest.…”

Developing Gifted and Talented Education Program: The Malaysian Experience

“…Likewise, Purcell and Eckert (2006) recommended that educational programs for the gifted learners should be backed by "new theories, new models, more inclusive definitions of the words gifted and talented, and more sophisticated research techniques that can reveal a great deal about what constitutes best practices in gifted education" (p. 11). Consequently, gifted programs which developed based on strong theoretical and empirical foundations had been found to be effectively benefited the students in terms of their developmental growth (Davis et al, 2011;Ng & Nicholas, 2010;Goodhew, 2009;Gosfield, 2008;VanTassel-Baska, 2003;Kevin, 2005;Bernal, 2003;Smutny, 2003;Castellano & Diaz, 2002;Eyre & Lowe, 2002;Olenchak & Renzulli, 1989). Furthermore, Kettler (2011) postulated that three essential elements which are the arrangement of students, curriculum and instruction, and guidance and counseling must exist in any gifted programs within school environment to ensure the effectiveness of such programs.…”