The Hidden Agenda of Gifted Education

By Megan Smith

What is gifted education?

Gifted education is billed as a program to accommodate the needs of students identified as gifted.

Intelligence tests are biased toward certain socioeconomic statuses.

Because of a lack of governmental regulation, the minimum IQ score for the label of gifted varies from school district to school district.

The IQ Bell Curve

Gifted spectrum

Reasons to Not Label Children

Prescribing labels to children harms their development because they constantly try to measure themselves with the box the label places on them.

The label of gifted can cause some children to be viewed as better than others, which goes against the egalitarian views the United States of America was founded on.

Gifted Children Who Have Felt out of Place*

Types of Gifted Education

Ability (XYZ) GroupingXYZ grouping puts students into groups (high, middle, low) based on their ability on the subject at hand.

AccelerationAcceleration advances students through grades to an appropriate level for their abilities, either by skipping grades or taking higher-level classes in one or more subjects.

Percentage of People Faking Their IQ*

Percentage of Accelerated Students Who Have Emotional Break-Downs on Their Birthdays*

*Thanks to the NAAGC

All charts and statistics are from the National Association Against Gifted Children (NAAGC). All figures used with permission of the original authors.

Ability Grouping Exercise

Group BDani

Fred

Lily

Group CKaylene

Jared

Apryl

Tyler

Kinsley

Emily

Katy

Group ALaura

Jocelynn

Torie

Molly

Isaiah

Tasks

Group A:Take the provided pieces of paper and fold each one into equal halves once. Do this with as many pieces of paper as you can, and each fold must be different. Mathematically analyze your findings.

Group B:Use the provided pieces of paper to make the figure shown in the following picture.

Group C:Make paper airplanes and terrorize the other groups with the planes to distract them.

Problems with Ability Grouping

Ability grouping separates the typical classroom atmosphere and mingling of ideas.

Grouping can easily lead to situations where the class teaches themselves.

Students can lie or fake abilities or weaknesses to get easier work.

Students grow to resent the other groups of students and it breed rivalries and hatred.

The grouped assignments depend on the teacher and could mean a faster pace or an altogether different curriculum (as shown in the activity).

The Hidden Agenda of Ability Grouping

Ability grouping can put students in the same groups throughout their school careers. When this happens, their social circle becomes limited.

Segregating the higher ability students is a way to force them to socialize and eventually breed.

The groups will become more isolated and the higher ability students will be able to dominate society.

Two High IQs

Two Different Abilities

Two Leaders of Different Capabilities

Click to edit the title text format

Column 1

Felt out of Place Once100

Never Feel out of Place0

Column 1

Have Emotional Break-Downs83

Do Not Have Break-Downs17

Column 1

Faking IQ92

Not Faking IQ8