(NAME-MCE) Report: Seattle's gifted program favors whites

[Anselmo Villanueva]

Report: Racial disparities in Seattle's gifted program

Of the roughly 1,300 students enrolled in Seattle Public Schools'
gifted program, 70% are white -- even though white students represent
just 40% of the overall district, a review panel reported. The 80-page
report, which includes interviews with students, educators and other
school leaders involved with the gifted program, said district
officials are aware of the socioeconomic and racial discrepancies and
have expressed a commitment to remedying the problem.

Complete story below.

To download report, go to:

http://www.seattleschools.org/area/advlearning/APPEvaluationReportSeattle.pdf

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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/342176_app04.html

Poor students of color less likely to be in Seattle's gifted program
Gap reflects perceptions of elitism, racism

By PAUL NYHAN
P-I REPORTER

Seattle Public Schools' program for gifted students is saddled with
perceptions of elitism and racism, and a philosophy that doesn't
reflect the latest in gifted education, an outside review panel
reported Monday.

The 1,300 students served by the Accelerated Progress Program don't
match the racial and economic makeup of Seattle's public schools, the
report found. White students make up 70 percent of the program's
students, but only 40 percent of the overall district population.
"Some of the belief structures and language used to describe the
students and the program contribute to a perception of the program as
elitist, exclusionary and even racist," the report stated.

The 80-page report included interviews with students, teachers and
principals involved with the accelerated program. It pointed out that
district officials are aware of gaps in socioeconomic and racial
diversity and are working on the problem.

"We know that there are highly capable youngsters who are people of
color and/or in our free- and reduced-lunch program who are not being
identified in our current process," Chief Academic Officer Carla
Santorno said. "We need to change that."

For example, only 5 percent of students in the Accelerated program are
eligible for free or reduced lunch, while nearly 40 percent of the
overall district student body qualifies. That measure reflects
students in low-income families.

The issue of gifted education is a hot topic, as involved parents
wonder if their own children are gifted, while educators strive to
develop new tools to identify gifted children from poorer and
culturally diverse families.

The report -- conducted by Carolyn Callahan, Catherine Brighton and
Holly Hertberg Davis of the University of Virginia -- is fodder for
new Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson's strategic plan for Seattle
schools, expected this spring. Other reports cover special education,
curriculum and instruction, and bilingual education.
During interviews with students, teachers and others, the authors
uncovered reports of African-American students being bullied and
isolated and of racist comments. In addition, counselors and teachers
didn't always identify problems of cultural isolation in APP classes.

"Most distressing of all our interview comments were those that
revealed racism in the program," the report stated. "Students reported
racist comments from teachers and other adults in the building."
Students said they didn't always trust counselors and other adults
enough to talk with them about these problems, according to the
report.
District officials said they are already working to diversify their
program for the most gifted students, which should help address
problems, and the report will further spur that work.
They now use new tests and tools to identify gifted students. The
district, for example, has sent letters to top performers of the
Washington Assessment of Student Learning from underrepresented
groups, such as those who learn English as a second language,
encouraging them to explore advanced learning programs. The district
offers three advanced-learning tracks -- APP; Spectrum, where students
take separate classes at neighborhood schools; and Advanced Learning
Opportunities, a more flexible program in schools throughout Seattle.

"They deserve to be brought into this discussion," said Robert
Vaughan, manager of the district's advanced learning programs.

The district also wants to create more opportunities for advanced
learning, not only in APP but also throughout the city's high schools,
develop a more cohesive curriculum and offer greater professional
development, potentially with the help of the University of
Washington, Santorno said.

The report said the Accelerated program could use work on both
professional and curriculum development.

Staff development that relied on outside experts was "non-existent for
nearly 20 years," the report said, noting there have been efforts in
the last two years.
"There is no curricular framework guiding decision-making," the report stated.

Santorno pointed out the district has worked with outsiders to develop
its Advanced Learning programs, but there hasn't always been enough
communication reflecting that work.
"I don't think we are behind the times," Santorno said.

In the Accelerated Placement Program, families apply from kindergarten
through seventh grade and typically test in the 98th and 99th percent
on cognitive, reading and mathematics testing.

While demographic changes may be on the way, Lowell Elementary School,
which houses the elementary Accelerated program, appears safe.
There are "no plans to eliminate Lowell at this time," Santorno said Monday.

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004050142_app04m.html

Report: Seattle's gifted program favors whites

By Emily Heffter

Seattle Times education reporter

An outside review of gifted education in Seattle Public Schools said
the district should act aggressively to diversify its program.
Almost three-quarters of the students enrolled in the Accelerated
Progress Program (APP) are white, compared to about 40 percent
districtwide.

Concerns about APP were noted by a group of consultants from the
University of Virginia who were hired by the district to review the
program. Their report was released today.
About 1,500 students in APP are admitted after testing in the 98th or
99th percentile nationally in cognitive ability and reading and math
skills. They can spend almost their entire public-school experience
together, starting at Lowell Elementary School, on to Washington
Middle and finishing at Garfield High.

But according to the report, APP is perceived to be "elitist,
exclusionary and even racist," and that some of its African-American
students are bullied and isolated.
Administrators are committed to addressing issues of racial and
socio-economic diversity, the report added.

The report also raised concern about student selection, saying
admission to the program relies too much on a single test and is
unfair to low-income students and students without parental support.

"I think that we are going to work really hard to bring [up] the
representation of all the different students in our advanced learning
programs," said Bob Vaughan, director of advanced learning for the
district. "The process we have now for selection is not sufficient."

The program's curriculum lacks vision, the report said, and rigor in
classes is inconsistent. "The philosophy and definition of giftedness
in Seattle do not reflect current developments in the field of gifted
education," it said.

The review is one of several the district has launched, including
evaluations of curriculum, special education and alternative programs.