Under-Representation of African American Students in Gifted Education Programs

Introduction

Students of color are often disadvantaged within social facilities and systems, the education system included. They are constantly reminded of their inferiority, an aspect that has gradually made them conform to the perspective of the society. The under-representation of the African American students in gifted programs presents one of the many biases within the education system. The bias can be tracked down to negative stereotypes about the academic performance of African American students, inadequate referrals of the black students, culturally biased tests as well as teacher attitudes. The under-representation often intimidates the few students in these programs as they fell like they are trying to act white (Dorothy et al. 14). These students require a special kind of attention, a nurturing environment, and unconditional support. This, therefore, calls for all stakeholders, teachers, parents, and the community to grant them exactly that. African American families often face economic and structural disparities, a fact that can limit the involvement of the parents in the academic progress of the students. However, an emphasis should be made on the vitality of their involvement.

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Student Identity and Mental Development

The very first task a student is given when commencing their education journey is to say and later write their names. This task is vital in the academic as well as psychological development of a student, as it grants them a chance to learn more of who they are, as they also gradually learn on the characters and letters that make up their names, link them to grammar, and form sentences about themselves, their families and friends. The progressive increase in the complexity of the tasks similarly advances their creativity and intellectual development. From the simple spelling out of a name to the construction of sentences and ideas about who they are, and formulating complex technology-based chains of memories and facts about who they are, students master their personality, strengths, weaknesses, and prejudices.

Learning is a means of seeking awareness, and identity while at it, and therefore education should be taken as a platform for change and self-realization and nit simply an avenue for learners to demonstrate how much they can grant from the text and transfer it to a test (Buehl 438). However, this does not mean that the classroom curriculum should be overlooked. Teachers, therefore, need to adopt strategies that ensure that student grasps what they prevent them in class, achieve their cognitive development needs and goals, and consequently attain self-realization.

Works Cited

Buehl D. Classroom strategies for interactive learning: Teaching students to read it and get it. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 2012. Vol. 55(5). Pp. 438-443. 10.1002/JAAL.00052

Dorothy M. S., Jonathan L., Dorothy H., and Jones A. H. under-representation of African American students in gifted education programs: implications for sustainability in gifted classes. The Howard Journal of communication essence culture and American sociological review. 2014. Vol. 9. Pp. 11-21