Sample Issues and Barriers to Gifted Educational Involvement

Learn more about the perceptions from CLED families regarding gifted educational involvement, the referral process, and advocacy.

Sample Issues and Barriers Black Families Hispanic Families
Family Involvement
  • Associated with negative school experiences, may be too intimidated to be involved, even if requested by school or teacher.
  • May believe it is disrespectful to offer advice to teachers because they are the professionals.
  • Associated with negative school experiences, may be too intimidated to be involved, even if requested by school or teacher.
  • If not a U.S. citizen, will shy away from schools to avoid (negative and positive) attention. Threatened by fear of deportation.
  • If not a native English speaker or bilingual, may avoid schools due to communication barrier.
Information About Gifted Education
in General and in School District
  • Does not know that gifted programs exist.
  • May know about gifted education as a field, but does not know that district has gifted program.
  • May not have friends whose children are identified; thus, not sure of procedures and who to contact.
  • May not be informed of gifted education by school personnel.
  • May come from a country where gifted students are not identified. Thus, are not aware of gifted in U.S. and their school.
  • May not have friends whose children are identified; thus, not sure of procedures and who to contact.
  • District may not have gifted website in Spanish.
  • May not be informed of gifted education by school personnel.
Views About Giftedness
  • May not know characteristics of gifted (especially intellectual and academic areas).
  • May value other types of giftedness not identified as serviced in schools (tacit intelligence, spiritual interpersonal intelligence, creativity, visual and performing arts).
  • May believe all children are gifted. Values every child’s strengths.
  • May not want one child identified if sibling(s) is not. Values family accord and every child’s strengths.
  • May be concerned about racial isolation in gifted classes.
  • May not know characteristics of gifted (especially intellectual and academic area).
  • Family values dictate humility; to pursue gifted identification would be viewed as lacking humility.
  • May believe all children are gifted. Values every child’s strengths.
  • May be concerned about racial isolation in gifted classes.
Gifted Education Process
  • May not have funds to pay application fees.
  • May not have funds to get private evaluation if permitted by district; may not know how to get private evaluation.
  • May not have transportation to get to testing site if before or after school or on weekend.
  • May be overwhelmed by the process and forms (content and quantity).
  • May not have funds to pay application fees.
  • May not have funds to get private evaluation if permitted by district; may not know how to get private evaluation.
  • May not have transportation to get to testing site if before or after school or on weekend.
  • May be overwhelmed by the process and forms (content and quantity).
Referral Forms and Checklists
  • May not be culturally responsive. Thus, families do not see the characteristics in their child(ren).
  • May believe all children are gifted (thus, may not refer or may underrate their child).
  • May not be culturally responsive. Thus, families do not see the characteristics in their child(ren).
  • May believe all children are gifted (thus, may not refer or may underrate their child).
  • Forms may be in English only and/or schools may lack translators; thus, they are unable to complete forms.

Used with permission from Donna Y. Ford. From Recruiting & Retaining Culturally Different Students in Gifted Education by Donna Y. Ford, PH.D. Copyright 2013 by Prufrock Press Inc., P.O. Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714, 800.998.2208, www.prufrock.com. All rights reserved.