Monday, October 24, 2016

Boredom, school, and the gifted child: Challenging its inevitability

Do you remember boredom?

Watching the classroom clock. Staring out the window. Doodling until all space in the margins disappeared. Wondering, yet again, why does this have to be so damned boring?!


Life in a typical classroom. No one ever promised fun and games, but the amount of time spent waiting, daydreaming, and battling boredom is even greater for gifted children. In the recesses of their memory, most gifted children recall the joy of learning, their innate curiosity, the spark of discovery when learning was neither slow nor tedious. But that experience may seem far removed from life in mixed ability classrooms tailored to the needs of the average or at-risk student.

What must change?


1. Recognition that gifted children are different. 

First, schools must acknowledge that gifted children are truly different from the norm and need advanced, intensive and accelerated instruction. Gifted children are not just smart; they learn and relate to the world differently. They grasp material more quickly, with greater depth and complexity, and require fewer repetitions to master a concept. Many are emotionally intense, have a heightened sense of fairness and social justice, and ponder existential mysteries at a young age. Those displaying asynchronous development often struggle socially, as their maturity may lag behind their intellect. Without an appreciation of these differences, schools enable gifted students' boredom by failing to address their learning needs.

2. Provision of appropriate services

Unfortunately, even when these differences are acknowledged, many school districts fall short of providing the academic services gifted children require. Whether a function of financial, political or philosophical priorities, gifted students are treated like every other child; they are offered the same education in the same format in the same classrooms. While seemingly fair and equitable, this deprives them of an appropriate education, and essentially ensures that vast periods of down time will fill their day.

3. Elimination of misconceptions and misunderstanding

Misconceptions about giftedness are commonplace, and those who have not lived with, counseled or taught a gifted child may hold false assumptions. Many view them with suspicion - as studious nerds, oddballs who don't quite fit in, sporting helicopter parents orchestrating their achievements. Let's set the record straight: gifted children are not hot-housed products of upscale parents; no amount of instruction or practice  can instill the cognitive complexity and depth of thinking they possess. They are a widely diverse group, in terms of intellectual range, social/emotional needs, and socioeconomic backgrounds. These children warrant a school environment that dispels misconceptions and prejudice, and grants them an opportunity for engaged learning.

4. Adoption of legal provisions everywhere

It is astonishing that so few states in the U.S. offer legal protection for gifted students. Here in Pennsylvania, a legal mandate (although without funding) exists for the purpose of identification and provision of gifted services. While this does not guarantee an ideal education, it gives families leverage to fight for their child's rights. As a consultant, I have spoken with families from other states across the country where these rights are non-existent. Families are completely on their own, and must rely on the willingness of a given school district to help their child. (See NAGC for a list of services in each state.) No children should be denied their legal right to a fair and appropriate education and left to languish in slow-paced classrooms just because of where they reside.

How can we eliminate boredom from the classroom?


Advocacy, advocacy, advocacy. Change can occur through the following: individual advocacy for your child within the school; participation in parent groups; support for systemic changes in provision of gifted services; and public advocacy for district, state and national policy changes regarding funding, legal rights, and provision of services.

Since reform takes time, you still need to help your child adapt. Some specific ideas for helping your child manage boredom in the classroom can be found here.  And keep in mind that most teachers are dedicated and caring, and don't want to be reminded that their students are bored. So use care when speaking with your child's teacher. But if you want to eliminate the boredom and stagnation that affect gifted children, as well as many advanced students, more involvement is necessary.

Become knowledgeable.

Get involved.

Don't let boredom overshadow your child's or any other child's education.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

What is so threatening about academic acceleration?


If a simple, proven and cost-effective option could help gifted children receive the academic services they need, wouldn't most schools rush to offer it?


Not necessarily.


Despite readily available alternatives, too many gifted children battle boredom every single day. They wait while others catch up, endure instruction offered at a snail's pace, and coast through class assignments. They read, doodle, daydream, and play on their phones. They cause trouble by talking to peers, fidgeting, and asking too many questions. They don't learn study skills, avoid taking academic risks, and may become underachievers.


Academic acceleration: A proven alternative



We know that the trend toward differentiated instruction and the elimination of ability grouping has deprived gifted students of a challenging learning environment in many classrooms. Yet one simple and cost-effective option is academic acceleration. Full-grade, or even single subject acceleration, not only enhances gifted students' education, but alleviates some of the burden teachers face trying to differentiate instruction. Early entrance into kindergarten, dual-enrollment in college classes, and online programming are other forms of acceleration. And most research (see references below) has documented the benefits of acceleration, and refuted the widely held belief that it is socially or emotionally harmful. Gifted children who accelerate thrive both academically and socially.


Yet when parents or a brave teacher suggest acceleration, they are often met with resistance. We can't do that. It wouldn't be fair to the other kids. Your child might not fit in. He/she would miss out on important curriculum. And so on...


There is something threatening about academic acceleration.



When a child with a learning disability or another challenge is evaluated, most schools go to great lengths to find accommodations. Why is there such resistance to addressing the needs of a gifted child? Here are some possible reasons:


1. There will be chaos!

Far removed from the one-room schoolhouse, there are strict rules today for assignment to specific grades and classes. Age cut-off dates for kindergarten vary from state to state, and sometimes town to town, and children are expected to fulfill specific curricular requirements based on their year in school. Once parents or teachers "break" these rules, fear of chaos ensues. 


2. Curriculum reigns supreme

School policy often requires that teachers adhere to the curriculum. Each chapter and section must be covered - learning be damned! If a child accelerates, he misses out on some of that material. Yet, we know that much of what is taught, especially in elementary school, is not necessarily crucial information that won't be assimilated at a later time. When gifted children bypass some of the curriculum rather than languishing in classrooms unsuited to their learning needs, they may be more likely to maintain their intrinsic interest in learning. As Peter DeWitt recently noted:

"When we are too concerned about covering curriculum, instead of seeing students as individuals with strengths and weaknesses, we are more at risk of putting them in a box instead of thinking outside of it. And one group of our students that need our best thinking are students who may no longer need to be in our classrooms at all, and those are the students who need to be accelerated."

3. It is elitist

If a child is permitted to enter kindergarten early or accelerate to another grade, school administrators often fear a backlash of criticism from district parents claiming elitism. Acceleration is viewed by some as a special privilege or a badge of honor, resulting in anger and defensiveness. School officials are left to explain that acceleration is critical and necessary for a particular child's educational needs; it is not a reward for good behavior or excellent grades. This can be tiresome. Administrators need to pick their battles...and this may not be a cause they wish to champion.


4. Who are these gifted you speak of?

Some school districts or teachers lack training or even basic knowledge about gifted children. They may not fully grasp the extent to which these students learn with more depth and intensity, and grasp material at a much quicker pace. They may equate ability with grades and achievement and refuse to consider the underachieving gifted or gifted students who act out due to boredom. They may hold stereotypical images of what a gifted child looks like, and overlook children who don't fit the mold. They may assume that gifted children's needs can be met reasonably well in a regular classroom and that differentiated instruction is sufficient. Some may even believe that gifted students' needs can be sacrificed for the overall good, and that resources should be tailored to struggling or average students.


5. What makes them so special?

Teachers are people just like everyone else. Despite their training, they carry their personal beliefs, emotional impressions from childhood, and unconscious prejudices along with them. Some may have had negative experiences with gifted children in the past. Some may not understand giftedness and may hold negative stereotypes about gifted children or their families. Some may have endured uncomfortable interactions with parents who have pressured them to provide special accommodations. These resentments may color their professional judgment when decisions regarding acceleration are needed, and result in withholding what is perceived as special treatment.


How academic acceleration can help gifted children



Academic acceleration is not the right answer for every gifted child; but it always should be an available option. With research showing that up to 45% of students in upper elementary grades perform at least one year above their grade level, it appears that many students - not just the gifted - are receiving an education lacking sufficient challenge. A 45-year follow-up study of gifted children found that those who skipped a grade were 60% more likely to earn a Ph.D. or have a patent than those who did not accelerate, and twice as likely to have a Ph.D. in a STEM field. And recent meta-analytic findings from studies of academic acceleration confirmed its benefits - both academically and socially. Researchers Steenburgen-Hu and Moon concluded that:

"...accelerated students tend to outperform students who are not accelerated in their performance on standardized achievement tests, college grades, degrees obtained, status of universities or colleges attended, and career status. Accelerants equal or surpass non-accelerants in self-concept, self-esteem, self-confidence, social relationships, participation in extracurricular activities, and life satisfaction."

It is time to put the false assumptions and misconceptions to rest. Acceleration can enhance learning, and has a positive impact on long-term achievement and social and emotional well-being. If your school district is unaware of the benefits of acceleration, you might consider sharing information from NAGC, SENGtip.Duke or from the articles listed below. Any child who might benefit from academic acceleration deserves this powerful and well-researched opportunity.


References:

Assouline, S., Colangelo, N. & VanTassel-Baska, J. (2015) A nation empowered: Evidence trumps the excuses holding back America's brightest students (Vol.1). Iowa City: University of Iowa, Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development.

Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., Marron, M., Castellano, J., Clinkenbeard, P., Rogers, C., Calvert, E., Malek, R. & Smith, D. (2010). Guidelines for developing an academic acceleration policy. National work group on acceleration. Journal of Advanced Academics, 21, 180-203.

Lee, S., Olszewski-Kubilius, P. & Thomson, D. (2012). Academically gifted students perceived interpersonal competence and peer relationships. Gifted Child Quarterly, 56, 90-104.

Lee, S., Olszerski, Kubilius, P., & Paternel, G. (2014). The efficacy of academic acceleration for gifted minority students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 54, 189-208.

Lubinski, D., Webb, R., Morelock, M., & Benbow, C. (2001). Top 1 in 10,000: A 10-Year follow-up of profoundly gifted. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 720.

Missett, T., Brunner, M, Callahan, C., Moon, T., & Azana, A. (2014). Exploring teacher beliefs and use of acceleration, ability grouping, and formative assessment. Journal of the Education of the Gifted., 37, 245-268.

Park, G., Lubinski, D., & Benbow, C. (2013). When less is more: Effects of grade skipping on adult STEM productivity among mathematically precocious adolescents. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105, 176-198.

Steenbergen-Hu, S. & Moon, S. (2011). The effects of acceleration on high-ability learners: A meta-analysis. Gifted Child Quarterly, 55, 39-53.


This blog is part of Hoagie's Gifted Education Page Blog Hop on Acceleration. To see more blogs, click on the following link:  http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/blog_hop_acceleration_2.htm