Students who could excel in the math and sciences
are often victims of circumstances which lessen motivation and opportunities to
reach the highest levels because:
1. Higher class sizes mean that
hard-working teachers do well to reach the larger group of learners in the
average-ability range. Those on both ends (Gifted/Talented and those with
learning needs) get less attention in many cases. The effect is a
"watering down" of the talented. Programs from decades past allowed
students to be placed in a "track" with similar learners which narrowed the gap
(or targeted teaching to a smaller range of students). Some disparities
were perceived in this arrangement.
Instead of trying to improve on this process,
the whole system was "dumped" ("Throwing out the baby with the bath water", in
my opinion.)
2. Lack of individually designed
programs leaves bright students "waiting" for the next step instead of
being fully engaged in higher learning.
3. Services for students
with learning disabilities are Federally mandated (Title I, Special
Ed., etc), but services for Gifted/Talented programs are dependent
on District resources and are often among the first to go
when budgets are lean! Note, as an example, the higher-level AP classes
that are not available at our high school now because a teacher was
required for such a small group which increases the cost.
4. Parents have to be fully engaged and well
informed to keep bright kids properly placed and motivated. Not all kids
are lucky enough to have such involved and knowledgeable parents. Thus,
they will generally be serviced in the "middle".
5. There is the whole problem of the cultural
bias (from peers mainly) toward girls who have the ability
to excel in math and sciences. These girls need an extra measure of
motivation to continue to the highest levels. We, as a society, should
devote more positive attention to them~
6. The G/T programs that are provided are
"pull-out" and provide services for a small portion of the day.
We're so busy trying to make ALL students look
successful, that we are often slighting those of the highest caliber. We
just don't hold these talents in high enough esteem to provide the costly
resources they need. We are losing out on great talent.
As a teacher who worked for years with the
Gifted/Talented program and the parent of three identified kids, I speak from
"hard" experience on this subject. We should be pouring more resources
into our high-end learners, but it isn't going to happen until the public
figures out that in the end, "You get exactly what you pay
for!"
Brenda Terpstra
