Low Socioeconomic Status Of English-Language Learners

I believe that students who come from the following categories of: a low socioeconomic status, English-language learners, or twice-exceptional learners, should have the opportunity to be identified as gifted and talented through other means of identification. Researcher, along with data collection, have shown that many of these categories of people are underrepresented in GT programs. The traditional methods of test/assessments, student cumulative records, teacher recommendations, also known as “one-and-done-determination” have proven to be discriminating and biased. This concept is credited with subconsciously instilling in society that there is a clearcut answer to measuring intelligence. From my research, I have discovered that there

US census data shows that, “Students who speak a language other than English at home compose approximately 21% of the population of children ages 5 to 17 years in the United States” (2) ELL students are overlooked as gifted and talented, because of the standardized method of identifying giftedness. “Within the American public schools, giftedness is associated largely with traditional school skills and characteristics measured by traditional intelligence and achievement tests—advanced vocabulary, highly developed verbal skills in written and oral expression in Standard English, and early and advanced reading skills.” (3) These students are seen as not being part of the norm, and are overlooked, when they indeed possess gifted qualities that are not reflected with traditional

Twice exceptional learners are those students that are gifted, who have a form of a disability. As society, we tend to label people based on their disability. We are so focused on a student’s required specialized instruction and supports to aide with their learning, that we completely overlook their giftedness. As Jennifer Jolly and Claire Hughes point out in their article, The Educational Experience for Students with Gifts and Talents, “Identifying strengths and abilities in the students who are so often identified by their areas of deficit is critical to creating a growth-oriented mind-set.” (4) This concept additionally supports the theory that a “one-size-fits-all” or “one-and-done” assessment that needs to be revamped to accommodate all aspects the student population to have the opportunity to qualify as