Achievement of African American students and white students: A comparative study of placement in the program for the gifted

Abstract

The identification of students who are gifted traditionally has been grounded in criteria with an emphasis on unitary measures of intellectual ability. Recently, multiple intelligences [MI] theory has been embraced as an alternative perspective with promise for addressing concerns about groups in which children seldom are identified as gifted when traditional methods are used. The purpose of this research was to compare the performance over a period of four years, on North Carolina's statewide mandatory end of grade tests, of elementary school children, who are identified as gifted with an assessment process based on MI theory, and a group of elementary school children referred for assessment, but not identified as gifted. The Problem Solving Assessment Process, which represents an application of MI theory, was used as an assessment for identification to the gifted program, and the North Carolina End of Course Tests was used as a standardized measure to evaluate progress of black and white students at the end of grades 3, 4, and 5. An analysis of data, over a four-year period, was used to ascertain whether the Problem Solving Assessment [PSAI] Process, designed to assess intellectual strengths in multiple intelligences is an accurate assessment for identification of students when compared to student performance on a traditional, standardized approach to achievement. Results show that black and white students identified as gifted using an alternative measure of assessment consistently do well consistently on mandatory statewide tests. The results are discussed with regard to ongoing practices and future implications for identification and education of gifted children.