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Covid-19 continues to create challenges for students, their families, and advocates. Peters and Langi (2023) reported on the comparative loss in academic achievement for students from 2019 to 2022. According to the Nation’s Report Card (NAEP), all students showed a decline in math and reading scores (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/). However, students from traditionally marginalized communities faced more academic loss than other students.
As advocates and educators promoting equitable practices for advanced learners, this data challenges our protocols. Gifted people exist and thrive with early programming (Vaivre-Douret, 2011). Furthermore, giftedness manifests in all socioeconomic and demographic groups. Unfortunately, systemic practices such as inequitable funding limit opportunities for all students to receive access to appropriate programming. Peters and Langi (2023) recommended expanding the quantity and quality of identification protocols and services. For example, rather than saying students must score 90% on a standardized test, lowering the threshold for entry to 85% provides more entry points into programming. It throws a wider net that also accommodates diversity. Next, collecting more data about individual students, such as their classroom performance and attendance, leads to a broader understanding of needs. Furthermore, developing tiered programming allows students to reach their full potential. Strategies such as pre-testing and curriculum compacting provide tools for educators (Winebrenner & Brulles, 2018) to serve gifted students. For example, traditional math programming follows two paths for learners: either regular math pacing or subject acceleration. For accelerated children, especially those from traditionally underserved communities, skipping a year might create challenges. Providing a hybrid model of accelerated learning could help them master missed topics and gain new material rapidly, allowing them to rise and fulfill their potential. Ultimately, the challenge of inequity might appear daunting, but the solutions are doable. When parents believe in their child, and educators help children reach their full potential, anything is possible. Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D WATG Board Secretary and Membership Chairperson References: Peters, S., & Langi, M. (2023). The typical gifted program is likely to become even less equitable. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from The typical gifted program is likely to become even less equitable | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Vaivre-Douret L. Developmental and cognitive characteristics of "high-level potentialities" (highly gifted) children. Int J Pediatr. 2011;2011:420297. doi: 10.1155/2011/420297 Winebrenner, S., & Brulles, D. (2018). Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing WATG would like to thank Esther Vasquez Guendulain of the Appleton Bilingual School for translating this article into Spanish for our Spanish-speaking families and educators. Exigir equidad en tiempos inequitativos Covid-19 continúa creando retos para los estudiantes. Peters y Langi (2023), reportó en la pérdida comparativa en logros académicos de los estudiantes del 2019 al 2022. De acuerdo con la Boleta de calificaciones de la Nación (NAEP por sus siglas en inglés), todos los estudiantes mostraron un declive en las calificaciones de matemáticas y lectura (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/). Sin embargo, los estudiantes de comunidades tradicionalmente marginadas enfrentaron más pérdidas académicas que los otros estudiantes. Mientras los maestros y quienes abogan promueven prácticas equitativas para alumnos avanzados, este dato desafía nuestros protocolos. Las personas con talentos excepcionales existen y prosperan con una programación temprana (Vaivre-Douret, 2011). Más aún, los talentos excepcionales se manifiestan en todas los grupos socioeconómicos y demográficos. Desafortunadamente, prácticas sistemáticas como los fondos inequitativos, limitan las oportunidades para que todos los estudiantes tengan acceso a la programación apropiada. Peters y Langi (2023) recomendaron expandir la cantidad y calidad de protocolos y servicios para identificar. Por ejemplo, en lugar de decir que los estudiantes deben tener una puntuación del 90% en una prueba estandarizada, reducir el mínimo para ingresar a un 85%, proporciona más puntos de ingreso en la programación. Da una red más amplia que también se adapta a la diversidad. Siguiente, recopilar más datos sobre estudiantes individualmente, tal como su desarrollo en el salón de clases y asistencia, lleva a un amplio entendimiento de las necesidades. Además, el desarrollo de una programación escalonada permite a los estudiantes alcanzar su máximo potencial. Estrategias tales como el compactar la pre-evaluación y el currículo, proporciona herramientas a los maestros (Winebrenner & Brulles, 2018) para dar servicios a los estudiantes con talentos excepcionales. Por ejemplo, el programa tradicional de matemáticas sigue dos vías para los alumnos: ya sea a un paso regular de matemáticas o aceleración de la materia. Para los estudiantes avanzados, especialmente aquellos de comunidades tradicionalmente desatendidas, brincarse un año puede traer desafíos. Proporcionar un modelo híbrido de aprendizaje acelerado podría ayudarlos a dominar los temas perdidos y obtener material nuevo rápidamente, permitiéndoles crecer y alcanzar su potencial. Finalmente, el reto de la inequidad puede parecer desalentador pero las soluciones son factibles. Cuando los padres creen en sus hijos, y los maestros ayudan a los niños a alcanzar su máximo potencial, cualquier cosa es posible. Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D WATG Board Secretary and Membership Chairperson Referenciass: Peters, S., & Langi, M. (2023). The typical gifted program is likely to become even less equitable. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from The typical gifted program is likely to become even less equitable | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Vaivre-Douret L. Developmental and cognitive characteristics of "high-level potentialities" (highly gifted) children. Int J Pediatr. 2011;2011:420297. doi: 10.1155/2011/420297 Winebrenner, S., & Brulles, D. (2018). Teaching Gifted Kids in Today’s Classroom: Strategies and Techniques Every Teacher Can Use. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing WATG quiere agradecer a Esther Vazquez Guendulain de la Escuela Bilingüe de Appleton por la traducción de este artículo al español para nuestras familias y maestros de habla hispana.
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Ntse is the Hmong word to describe someone who is smart, wise, clever, brilliant, or bright. But, for me, ntse wasn’t always a compliment or positive characteristic. Being labeled smart came with unrealistic expectations and standards that led to years of perfectionism and several mental breakdowns. It was more suffocating than worth celebrating. Pressure from all angles was immense. I felt I was not allowed to make the same mistakes as my peers or siblings. I struggled to relate to them and noticed the difference in treatment and discipline. “Mee, you should know better. You’re a smart girl.” It was a burden. “Mee, you’re smarter than that. We expected more from you.” It was damaging and exhausting. “You’re an Asian. All Asians are smart.” Being deemed smart by others can be a really good thing or a really bad thing. From my experiences, being a “smarty-pants” carried more negative connotations than positive. No one likes a know-it-all. I’ve been called all sorts of names for being “smart.” I had to be careful with how much knowledge I shared, how many questions I asked, and my tone of voice. It was viewed as being rude, rebellious, and inappropriate, especially when I questioned Hmong values, beliefs, and practices. Children were not to talk back; instead they were required to respect their parents and elders. I became afraid of making mistakes and voicing my opinions. The anxiety surrounding that contributed to perfectionism and a need to constantly please people. Grace was seldom offered when smart people made mistakes—or so it seemed. The child version of me thought it was best to keep my curiosity, passion, ideas, and thoughts to myself. Slowly, I stopped expressing and trying to communicate, and received the shy label. This approach was favorable in the Hmong culture, but contradicted the American values in the classroom— where active participation and group work were valued. The term smart defined and confined me to a certain image and standard. Being smart is not limited to IQ, performance, or good grades; nor is it reserved for a particular group of people. Although I believe I’m exceptional in my own ways, it’s very rare that I’ll associate myself as “smart”. Indeed, I was a fast-learner, very perceptive, and highly inquisitive and empathetic. Therefore, I didn’t believe ntse was befitting for me. There had to be more to it. At 34 years old, I discovered being smart had little to do with who I was. Being gifted was the magic responsible for it all. Once I understood that, everything clicked for me: the intense curiosity, the intuitiveness, the boredom, the constant need to be challenged and stimulated, the vast interests, the preference to be around older children and adults. Now I understood why I was always reading and writing ahead of my peers. I had all the classic traits and characteristics of giftedness. However, being Hmong, this meant I was just someone who is ntse. Performing well with desirable results was no surprise at all. All the intricate details of this discovery got lost. The beauty and uniqueness of being gifted was watered down and pushed to the side. There was also a lack of support and guidance for my social and emotional needs. I didn’t have any friends who were my peers, but loved hanging out with my teachers. Ntse never seemed like the appropriate word because it didn’t capture the essence of which I am—gifted. I have always known there was something different about me and could never describe the word and reason behind this. Ntse is too universal and simple of a word to describe and define the neurodiversity of giftedness and the needs and challenges that can come with it. The Hmong language doesn’t have a word for giftedness or neurodiversity. Giftedness is still a newer concept and has yet to make its breakthrough within the Hmong community. The best way I can think of to define giftedness would be to explain the differences in the brain and the child. The Hmong word for brain is hlwb while txawv means different. Despite overrepresentation of Asian American students in gifted and talented programs, there are limited statistics, studies, and research on them. Finding anything on gifted Hmong learners was pretty much non-existent. Besides my two cousins who were admitted into the same gifted and talented program, I don’t know of any other gifted Hmong. It still feels lonely to be gifted in a Hmong household. Growing up, I didn’t have any Hmong leaders, educators, or role models to support and guide a gifted child, which still remains true. I believe that the lack of resources, support, and awareness is mainly due to the language barrier and cultural differences and gaps. I feel the hardest barrier to overcome will be separating giftedness from ntse; they do not equal each other. Another setback is the Model Minority stereotype placed on Asian Americans. This makes it harder to define giftedness and reach gifted students in the Hmong and other Asian American communities. Being successful and educated is deeply rooted in a lot of Asian cultures. My goal for the upcoming year is to network and connect with Hmong/Asian educators who work with gifted students, gifted Hmong/Asian American adults, and parents of gifted students. I am currently brainstorming ways to create awareness and initiate conversations about giftedness in Hmong/Asian households. I hope to build a community for gifted Hmong/Asian-Americans. Mee Xiong, WATG Board Member In August of 2022, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) presented their 2nd Annual Symposium on Equity for Black and Brown Students.The key highlights of this symposium focused on the importance of developing systems that honor and respect all individuals all of the time. Systems should strive to become proactive in their acknowledgment that eminence exists in all demographics and socioeconomic groups.
Dr. James Whitfield, Ph.D. explained that rather than continuing to only discuss the data, educational institutions and advocates must change now and offer services. Access to rigorous academic opportunities proved a salient theme throughout the conference. For instance, Dr. Whitfield counseled against deficit thinking and the belief that one failure means exclusion from advanced course work for traditionally marginalized populations. Rather, the system should include opportunities for students to master skills and build on their inherent strengths. Building on the theme of developing assets, Dr. Francesca Lopez, Ph.D. spoke on the topic Role of Asset-Based Pedagogy to Expand Rigor. Using data and qualitative examples, Dr. Lopez highlighted how rigor and high expectations are critical to student success. However, for students from traditionally marginalized communities, these expectations must include teachers trained in Asset Based Pedagogy. Educators trained in this pedagogy understand that Critical Consciousness means that they must maintain high expectations, maintain rigor, view the student’s home culture as a place of strength, and promote critical consciousness in their students. Gifted and talented students exist in all demographic and socioeconomic groups. In Identifying and Serving Students Who Are English Language Learners and Gifted, Dr. Nielsen Pereira, Ph.D. explained that changing our mindset allows us to recognize that multilingual learners bring amazing assets to our educational environments; however, identification and appropriate services are key to student success. Currently, the data shows that non-native speakers are not equitably represented in academic programming that enhances their talents. Recommendations to alleviate this issue include the use of universal screening; applying multiple identification measures; communicating with parents (making sure it is in their language), and providing professional development as a leveler for the challenge. In the school environments, recommendations included building language-rich environments, recognizing and honoring the home culture of the student, using the home language to build community, and promoting language practice by allowing students to work with dominant language speakers. More than one speaker stressed the importance of accepting that for many black and brown students, schools prove challenging environments. Drs. Anne Gray, Ph.D., Stephanie Masta, Ph.D., and Doctoral Candidate Sarena Gray, M.Ed. spoke about the historical trauma affecting Native American people. These scholars shared the detrimental effects that lack of authentic representation causes. All students should see themselves reflected and honored in the systems intended to help them grow. Moderated by Drs. Joy Davis, Ph.D., and Erinn Fears Floyd, Ph.D., a panel discussion by parents and students proved a highlight of the conference. All six parents spoke about the importance of involvement in their children's education. This involvement allowed partnerships to form between parents and schools and enabled parents to bring forth their own talents into the system. For instance, parents in rural communities may have access to broader networks that can support schools with fewer resources. Advocacy includes students' voices. More than one parent and student spoke about the importance of allowing students to advocate for their educational needs. However, as more than one student pointed out, teachers and administrators must be willing to listen to the students. As with last year, this conference provided a wealth of information for continued program enhancement. All students, including gifted and talented children from traditionally marginalized communities, deserve the opportunity to learn something relevant every day. Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D WATG Board Member Madison Olszewski, a student at Menasha High School, has been selected to have her art be part of an exhibit displayed in Sarasota, FL through a non-profit group called, Embracing Our Differences. This organization uses the power of art and education to expand consciousness and open the heart to celebrate the diversity of the human family.
Madi's piece titled, "A Mile in My Shoes" was one of 50 chosen from 17,912 entries from 123 countries, 47 states and 423 schools around the world. Her piece will be showcased in the 19th annual exhibit, January 15 through April 10, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park. The exhibit consists of 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quote. Her art can be viewed at Embracing Our Differences.org,, along with a short video of Madi explaining her inspiration and creative thought process. You can view Madi’s video here. Madi's art work was also chosen as the cover for the school's annual catalog. There was also a national segment on PBS talking about the exhibit: The link for the PBS Segment is here. Congratulations to Madi, and to all of the educators, mentors, and artists who inspired her along the way! If you have a student or students whom you’d like to showcase in our featured Spotlight on Students series, please contact us at watg@watg.org, and put Spotlight on Students in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you. Partnerships help advocates for the gifted and talented population grow stronger. For this reason, the WATG board was excited to partner with The G Word Film organization. This organization is based in California, and their film, currently in post-production, is a new documentary about giftedness, intelligence, and neurodiversity in the 21st Century. It asks the critical question, “Who gets to be gifted?” As they work to finalize this documentary, they have developed a phenomenal website with clips from their movie, highlighting amazing youth from all walks of life. Further, they are becoming a force within the gifted community, advocating for all gifted learners, especially students from traditionally underrepresented communities.
Recently, the G Word Film hosted a discussion with Drs. Ford, Davis, Statmore, and Mr. Ridgeway, entitled: Young, Gifted & Black: Recalibrating Race, Education & Equity for San Francisco. While the core focus of this presentation was centered on San Francisco, many of the themes for moving forward resonate with all learners. Here they are:
The entire podcast, along with many other resources, can be found on the G Word Film website. Take a look, and stay tuned for the release of The G Word Film. Dr. Maria-Katsaros-Molzahn Social Justice Taskforce Chairperson WI Association for Talented and Gifted The November 8, 2021 article by Frederick Hess, director of educational policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, entitled
Defend Gifted Education. And Then Do Much More, is a must-read for parents, educators, and advocates for the gifted student population. Summarizing the article fails to give justice to its eloquent defense of our students. This snippet, however, manages to capture the understanding that equity includes ALL gifted children. Three years ago, in a “Culturally Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for Gifted Students of Color,” a group of equity scholars including Donna Y Ford, Kenneth T. Dickson, Joy Lawson Davis, Michelle Trotman Scott, and Tarek C. Grantham argued that “gifted students of color need skilled gifted educators, gifted programs committed to recruiting and retaining them, and access to gifted programs and services, including Advanced Placement, accelerated, magnet schools, early college, and other programs for advanced students/learners. They’re right. In fact, when equity is understood in this way, there are endless opportunities for simultaneously pursuing both equity and excellence. Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D. and the Justice For All Taskforce The 2021 Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted Fall Conference offered the opportunity to delve deeper into key issues around gifted education, both locally and nationally, with a specific focus on equity.
Regardless of the difficulties surrounding change, growth requires it. Dissecting what works versus what continues to challenge a system often begins the change process. For some, this dissection leads to refinement. “This worked, now all we need to do is…” For others, this dissection leads to complete system elimination. “This worked, but for reasons x, y, or z it no longer meets our needs.” Historians, however, dissect the past to develop a better understanding of the future. They ask, “How did we get to this point in time?” One way to advocate for the continuation of gifted and talented services centers on dovetailing the service into specific niche settings. For instance, careful data analysis may indicate the need for highly targeted instruction. A student may benefit from full grade or subject-specific acceleration; promoting the child to a new class appears to eliminate the need. Full grade and subject area acceleration models exist and show success. Nonetheless, as parents and educators note, these programs do not address the needs of all gifted students. Asynchrony (non-linear development) and other factors might work to undermine a student’s academic progress. For example, a four-year-old with a seven-year-old brain might still need a kindergarten structure. Similarly, highly talented musicians, athletes, or visual artists might require both talent development and advanced academics targeted to foster their needs. However, these models often appear to perpetuate system biases. For numerous reasons, including, but not limited to test anxiety, lack of preparatory opportunities, and continued systemic bias, underserved and traditionally minority populations rarely receive the benefits of gifted programming. Indeed, this proves to be the biggest rationale for the rallying cry, “The program is inherently biased, eliminate it.” Scholars from these very communities, however, propose an alternative path, tied to local norms and talent development. Within this framework, the goal becomes one of inclusion rather than exclusion. One strategy suggested focuses on the use of non-verbal identification tools. The importance of these instruments stems from their non-biased narratives.The challenge comes in disseminating and utilizing the data. Used with prudence, nonverbal identification tools provide entry points. Rather than using these tools to find one or two students from diverse backgrounds in older grades, use them to find a strong cohort of kids early on. The data may or may not lead to a group that would reach a scale score of 130 on a traditional IQ test. The data, however, might lead to “students of promise.” Data collection leads to service development and delivery. Recognizing the disparity in access to enriched opportunities, educational models should adopt an enrichment for all mentality. Talent development is good for all kids and allows brains to create higher-level problem-solving skills. Providing enrichment opportunities in the early grades allows for students to hone in on their passions and develop stronger social-emotional connections to their school community. Students and school systems benefit from this positive engagement. Providing enrichment opportunities, moreover, increases the bonds between the school, home, and community. Parents who believe that their school district provides both appropriate educational opportunities and rewarding experiences become allies. Moreover, as students progress through their academic careers, these bonds ensure that a continuation of appropriate service opportunities remains. Families with strong local connections tend to maintain residency within their district. Ultimately, to arrive at a point where targeted instruction utilizing full or subject-area acceleration becomes the norm, a foundation of opportunity for all must exist. Dr. Maria Katsaros-Molzahn, Ed.D, WATG Secretary for the Justice for All Taskforce |
Justice for All Task ForceThoughts from the Justice for All Task Force Archives
March 2023
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