The underrepresentation of minority groups in North Carolina's gifted programs

UNCW Author/Contributor (non-UNCW co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Sonja M. Adger (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW )
Web Site: http://library.uncw.edu/
Advisor
Karen Wetherill

Abstract: African American, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans have traditionally been excluded from gifted programs in the nation. In 1996, North Carolina addressed the concern of underrepresentation by passing a law, Article 9B, giving school systems greater flexibility in identification procedures. Since the implementation of Article 9B, some school systems are showing fewer gaps in representation than others. The purpose of this study is to compare identification procedures for six school systems representing small and wide gaps in minority participation to determine those characteristics that are driving greater participation for some school systems. Six school systems were divided into two groups- systems with small gaps and systems with large gaps. Comparisons were made in three ways: among systems with small gaps in representation, among systems with larger gaps in representation, and between systems with small and large gaps in representation. The results indicate that four characteristics in the identification process may encourage the inclusion of more minority students in gifted programs. They were (1) assigning more weight to some indicators of giftedness, (2) using performance as a criterion for placement, (3) using Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities test as an alternative instrument for culturally different populations, and (4) requiring one hundred eighty hours of teacher training for certification.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
A Thesis Submitted to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education
Language: English
Date: 2009
Keywords
Children of minorities--Education--United States, Gifted children--Education--United States, Minorities--Education--United States
Subjects
Children of minorities -- Education -- United States
Gifted children -- Education -- United States
Minorities -- Education -- United States

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