Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT is a weekly chat on Twitter that takes place on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and 5 p.m. PT in the U.S. For one hour, parents, educators, advocates and experts in the field of gifted and talented gather to share resources, links, authentic life experiences and insights about gifted issues.
Welcome to Global Gifted and Talented Chat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented @TxGifted#TAGT ~ Thanks for joining us to chat about “Equity and Access to Gifted Education” #gtchat
I’m Lisa Conrad ~ moderator, advocate for gifted children, conference presenter, blogger and parent of 2 gifted adults from Pittsburgh, PA. Please take a minute to let us know who you are and from where you’re tweeting! #gtchat
Are you new to Twitter chats? We use the Q1) / A1) format for #gtchat … Please remember to use the #gtchat hashtag to participate in the conversation. This will make sure that other chat participants see your tweets.
#gtchat Hi! I’m Kelly from WA. I am a classroom teacher of +25 yrs, homeschooling mama to2e DS12 going on 18 & author of @GiftedHF newest book Boost:12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice Exceptional Children
I’m Lisa Conrad ~ moderator, advocate for gifted children, conference presenter, blogger and parent of 2 gifted adults from Pittsburgh, PA. Please take a minute to let us know who you are and from where you’re tweeting! #gtchat
#gtchat Hi! I’m Kelly from WA. I am a classroom teacher of +25 yrs, homeschooling mama to2e DS12 going on 18 & author of @GiftedHF newest book Boost:12 Effective Ways to Lift Up Our Twice Exceptional Children
Lurking to learn? Please say ‘hi’ and then view a livestream from Participate Learning at https://t.co/1zR97oWQw0 Enjoy the chat! All the links and a summary of this chat will be posted later on our blog at https://t.co/jUsAaBcS81#gtchat
Our first question is coming up; let’s get ready to chat! Please preface your responses with A1) Excited to collaborate and share ideas with you today about Equity and Access to Gifted Education! #gtchat
A1) #gtchat I have seen this happen too many times. Kids with behavior problems are often excluded “so they don’t distract” and kids who do not have the social skills to work cooperatively are often excluded
A1 My son was in a self-contained gifted class gr 4-6. Two years later when my daughter was ready not enough qualified so they did not have a gifted class & they did not do any pull-outs or provide any service for gifted children. The "gifted" teachers were not trained. #gtchat
A1) [1/2] We are fortunate that in our district we do universal screening for our kids starting in kindergarten, but there are quite a few of these kids who are identified who are also ELL. They start to slip in MS and HS because they don't have the ELL support #gtchat
[2/2] It's especially frustrating when in many ELL classrooms you have a room of 30 kids, 20 different languages, 20 different experiences before the US and they are all put in a low level bio class they call "ELL" #gtchat
A1) #gtchat I actually had to advocate for one of my students who might be the most gifted mind I have ever worked with but didn’t have the stamina for screening test
A1) There is also a HUGE disparity between affluent and impoverished families. If not in the school programs, then CERTAINLY in enrichment opportunities #gtchat
A1) Minority students including African Americans and Hispanics; ELL (English Language Learners); as well as low SES (socio-economic status) students are often left out of gifted programs. #gtchat
A1) Today, we also need to be aware of bias against the LGBTQ, children of military personnel, homeless, and most twice-exceptional students. #2ekids#gtchat
A1) In addition to the different demographics mentioned, "troublemakers" are excluded because of that label. They're blamed for their own boredom and for school inadequately engaging them. #gtchat
Q2) #gtchat there is a huge misconception that gifted will make it no matter what so in poorer school districts, GT gets cut first. Also, as a parent of a 2e I know these opportunities can be expensive!
#gtchat good point about transient populations like homeless, military, or in my area, migrant farm workers. They can easily get missed because they move around frequently.
A2) Barriers to gifted education include school district policies that fail to recognize and value cultural diversity. Presumptions about low-income and minority students are given too much credence by decision-makers. #gtchat
A2) Kids from low-income families don't have the money for any special programs, including many in schools. They also often encounter low expectations. Parents are often working and don't have time to spend at school.
#gtchat
A2) Twice/thrice-exceptional students may not be achieving at acceptable levels and thus barred from participation in gifted programs. Schools tend to focus on disabilities which may be masking abilities. #gtchat
A2) Transportation seems to be one that our school deals with. We have before and after school opportunities but it’s difficult for some families to participate. #gtchat
A2) Transportation seems to be one that our school deals with. We have before and after school opportunities but it’s difficult for some families to participate. #gtchat
Such a key observation! So often, schools tell families to seek outside enrichment as "the answer" to meeting kids' learning and socio-emotional needs -- but the funding or the knowledge and time to find where/how to request available need-based $$ support is absent #gtchat
A1) There is also a HUGE disparity between affluent and impoverished families. If not in the school programs, then CERTAINLY in enrichment opportunities #gtchat
A2 Title 1 Schools are under enormous pressure to improve. The deficit model can run rampant and our under-identified gifted population is overlooked or forgotten. This is a system issue. #gtchat
#gtchat it seems that schools are content to label and leave- meaning once a student has a label (like poverty, ELL or SPED) they don't often think to look at other issues or labels, leaving the needs inadequately addressed.
A2) I see a lot of challenges with achievement/affiliation conflicts. Also just the parts of life some of our kids have to deal with. Family, work obligations, etc #gtchat
A3) Identification of giftedness is too often based on outdated information/research that doesn’t take into account cultural diversity and the needs of ELL students. #gtchat
I remember at my kid's elementary school - the kids of the parents who spent half their lives at school were the ones who were sure to get into the gifted program. How many low-income parents can manage that? Or single parents, for that matter. #gtchat
I've had some success with the CogAT, TONI-4, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test. There is a glaring hole in screeners, though, for our highly verbal EL students. #gtchat
Q3) #gtchat sometimes the identification process is slanted against very bright minds. Still antiquated thinking about what gifted is can impact those who are accepted
A2) I also think that even with universal screening, if a child's parents do not see the value of the education/special programing and/or are uneducated about raising a gifted child, that barrier is enormous #gtchat
A3) Universal screening gets them in, but how do we KEEP them in through the end of high school? We face this challenge in a big way in our district #gtchat
A3) In many cultures, being identified as gifted has negative connotations. Parents and students need to be better informed by school districts about the benefits and opportunities afforded by participation in gifted programs. #gtchat
Yes! We must be intentional in our search for gifted students. Dig into the district's data warehouse. Collaborate with the EL Department. We cannot rely on teacher and parent referrals to find all of our students. #gtchat
A2) barriers for gifted ed begin with the understanding of how gifted ed is constructed. Continuing to use measurement, scores & data will make the wall go higher between haves and have nots
@gtchatmod#gtchat
A3- #gtchat Identification is at the center of inequity in gifted education. It doesn't matter how inclusive the classroom, program or service is, if children from diverse and at risk populations aren't being identified, it's inequitable.
Factor in multiple household work schedules on 'untraditional' time tables (generally true for shift work, days of week, part-time, etc.) and the fact that workplaces often leave v. little notice for changes, it's tough for families to rely on outside enrichment as answer #gtchat
A4. In #TXEd we have specifications about using multiple criteria for identification which does help diversify...but it is not a saving grace for all students #gtchat
Want to Make Gifted Education More Equitable? First, Be Aware of the Political Winds That Drove (and Derailed) Innovative Policies in These States https://t.co/ULXsIHzmwI#gtchat
A4) Gifted education has been successfully argued under civil rights legislation. Also, 2E students often covered by special education regulations. #gtchat
#gtchat In NM, Gifted falls under SPED with some adjustments. However, since it s unfunded, it's hard to enforce the laws and develop quality programs. It's just not a financial priority for most districts.
A4) The legality of participation in gifted education programs is often dependent on state laws and regulation. Parents and teachers should check with state gifted organizations for laws applying to their particular state. #gtchat
Excellent conversation about building support for Universal Screening in MN at recent GT Advisory Council meeting, but there's road to travel, funding to consider, etc. Right now, even with some identification funding, there's no guarantee of services or programs. #gtchat
#gtchat In NM, Gifted falls under SPED with some adjustments. However, since it s unfunded, it's hard to enforce the laws and develop quality programs. It's just not a financial priority for most districts.
Colorado has ECEA. It defined gifted, established portability requirements and has 13 areas of gifted identification. The law has helped but students still need advocates. #gtchathttps://t.co/7hC1Yv3l7T
Underrepresentation of Minorities in Gifted and Talented Programs: A Content Analysis of Five District Program Plans (pdf) https://t.co/LqOSpVxNAY#gtchat
A5) I feel like way to many of the parents in our underserved groups really don't know what gifted is, how it's different, why it's important etc.. I think the bigger question is what can gifted educators and schools do for our underserved parents #gtchat
A5) Parents are passionate about the education of their children. Parents of gifted children should learn the lessons provided by parents of special needs children who took their battles to the courts. #gtchat
Of course you work on growth in weak areas...however it isn’t how you’re hired. We send such a strong message to “fix” what is weak in school that we sometimes forget to cultivate the gifts that are there also. #gtchat
That's the model - make up deficits, never mind that we know kids do better when we address their strengths. My kid's 3rd grade principal insisted we work on my kid's "weakness" in math and ignore his strength in language. He was grade level in math, light yrs ahead in lang
A5) Parenting a gifted child is hard work – parents should become knowledgeable about state regulations regarding gifted education and who their state congressional representatives are as well as their child’s school’s written gifted policies. #gtchat
A4) It's unfortunate truth that enforcement matters. MN culture, legislation, and school funding emphasize local control and flexibility, which also matter, but it's easy for GT services to fall by wayside with attention elsewhere, general funding not at pace w. inflation #gtchat
A4) Unfortunately, my daughter's intelligence & cognitive sphere are learned = privilege and power other students can't afford at home. We as teachers have to invest in our school community so that all students have access to that power and privilege #gtchat#giftedEducation
A5) Parents also need to learn the ‘chain of command’ in their school district. Start with the child’s teacher, then administrator; and if necessary, school board. #gtchat
YES YES! And we start to wonder if all that time on deficits was worth it. By then we've become fearful of our weaknesses, running like the plague from anything that would, say, require math. We need to better leverage strengths to confront weaknesses. #gtchat
Enhancing Professional Learning Strategies to Increase Students from Diverse Cultural Groups Participation in Gifted Programs via @NAGCGIFTEDhttps://t.co/EEn7MvIq8b#gtchat
A6) Practical steps to increasing equity include: see possibilities rather than limitations, seek solutions rather than dwelling on obstacles, emphasize student’s strengths over weaknesses, and improve communications with parents. #gtchat
A3) The only reason any of my 4 kids are idldentified is because I paid for private testing and knew that the school-based testing under-identifies kids. The teachers all know it but the board likes that it's cheap. #gtchat
A6) Tough question. They need to become more aware of giftedness in general and learn more about how giftedness manifests itself in different populations. #gtchat
This is so true. Particularly in younger grades, where there are no g/t programs or enrichment. If family cannot afford museum trips, tutoring, sports, arts programs, the student may be completely left behind. #gtchat
A6) Policy makers/admins need to provide cultural sensitivity training for all educators, high quality course offerings that are culturally sensitive & ELL compliant, and expand access to rigorous curriculum. #gtchat
A6) Practical steps to increasing equity include: see possibilities rather than limitations, seek solutions rather than dwelling on obstacles, emphasize student’s strengths over weaknesses, and improve communications with parents. #gtchat
A3) The only reason any of my 4 kids are idldentified is because I paid for private testing and knew that the school-based testing under-identifies kids. The teachers all know it but the board likes that it's cheap. #gtchat
A6) Admins should provide PD in gifted education which would aid in achieving accurate identification, increase out of school opportunities for most at-risk students & engage community support for expanded opportunities. #gtchat
A3) The only reason any of my 4 kids are idldentified is because I paid for private testing and knew that the school-based testing under-identifies kids. The teachers all know it but the board likes that it's cheap. #gtchat
Our next chat will be on Thursday April 19th at 8E/7C/6M/5P US and Friday 20th April at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1AM UK. Our topic will be “Early Learning Interventions For Gifted Kids.” #gtchat
A5) Support one another -- don't dismiss others' claims that their child is gifted as thinking they're "special." Trust parents. They know their kids. #gtchat
