African+American+Students

= __African American Gifted Students__ = page compiled by Luke Humphrey



Problem
It's no secret that, in many areas, African American students are proportionally the most underrepresented group in gifted programs. In her article, Donna Ford attempts to explain why. She cites "four categorical roadblocks to representation:
 * lack of teacher referral
 * students' differential performance on traditional intelligence and/or achievement tests
 * stagnant and outdated policies for labeling and placement
 * social-emotional concerns and eventual decisions of Black and Hispanic students and their primary caregivers about gifted education participation" (32).

In short, African American students are shortchanged at nearly every level of gifted education--from referral, to identification, to programming, and self-concepts.

Ford & Whiting (2010) also discuss the problem of African American students conforming to peer pressure and the fear of "acting white." Surprisingly, in a 1990 study conducted by Brown and Steinberg (cited in Ford & Whiting, 2010), "fewer then 10% of ... high achievers were willing to be identified as part of the 'brain' crowd, and students often withdrew from debate, computer clubs, and honors classes to avoid being labeled a 'geek' or 'nerd.'" (134). Among African American students, this number was closer to 0%.

What is "acting white"? Ford & Whiting, according to survey of African American students, found that these students equated acting white with:
 * "being intelligent
 * speaking Standard English
 * being a high achiever and caring about school
 * having mainly white friends" (135)

What, then, is "acting black"? In the same survey of African American students, Ford & Whiting found this to be recollected in responses as:
 * "being unintelligent
 * speaking non-Standard English
 * showing disinterest in school and learning; low achievement
 * being thuggish and having 'bad' behaviors and attitudes
 * showing a preference for hip-hop culture in dress and music" (135)

Solutions
In potential solutions to the problem of underrepresentation and perception, Mattai, Wagle & Williams (2010) suggest:
 * appropriate professional development for teachers of the gifted emphasizing cultural diversity
 * (at the very least) cursory gifted education for all teachers and administrators in order to be aware of unique needs of gifted students
 * reaching out to parents of African American students to educate them about gifted programs and opportunities

Furthermore, Ford & Whiting (2010) suggest that educators:
 * "find culturally sensitive instruments, strategies, policies, and procedures to effectively recruit African American students;
 * find more effective and inclusive ways of retaining these students in gifted programs once recruited, and
 * collect data on gatekeeping factors in both the recruitment and retention of Black males and females in gifted education" (132)

In terms of counseling students, Ford & Whiting (2010) have the following considerations:

Ways to Elicit Giftedness
Like any underrepresented group, African American students who exhibit gifted qualities need opportunities to display their giftedness in and out of the classroom. [|Project Generation D] is an after school program based in Atlanta that works with students in schools throughout the area, including Clarke County. The program teaches students music and video production, and is an excellent outlet for gifted students to display their creative talents.

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For younger students, the use of picture book biographies has proven to be a successful way to elicit giftedness. Floyd & Herbert (2010) suggest these kinds of books to instill a positive image about African American identity and connection to the curriculum (40). Examples of biographical subjects suggested by Floyd & Herbert include Satchel Paige, Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass (43-44).

Hip-hop music can also be utilized in the classroom to make connections to literature, poetic elements, social awareness, or simply as a memory tool.

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