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Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar to Native American/Indigenous students, Hispanic students can represent 22 different cultures. While most Hispanics share a common origin and linguistic base, that does not mean that any of the groups making up the population are monolithic (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 250). This also means there is diversity among the different populations and groups, and not all Hispanics look and act alike. Castellano & Frazier describe it as such, "Of these Hispanic students, some have white skin, some have brown skin, and still others have black skin. Many are bilingual, while others are monolingual English speakers; many have a distinct immigrant experience, while others were born and raised in this country; some come from wealthy families, yet many qualify for free or reduced lunch; and while most Hispanics are Catholic, there are others who are associated with a host of other religions" (2011, p. 251). Therefore, not all students will look alike, so identifying the giftedness characteristics does not and should not fall on physical appearance. Within this culture, affiliation to country, as well as personal identity are of importance. However, it is more typical to see their presence in their contributions and what they make, versus their visual identity (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 251). That is not to say that there are physical characteristics that are exhibited by this population. For example, many high-achieving Latino students are more likely to have less educated parents, as well as not come from economically and educationally advantaged backgrounds (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 262). However, this population can be found in any community whether that be rural, urban, towns or villages. According to the ERIC Digest article on identifying and assessing gifted and talented bilingual Hispanic students, they list some characteristics that this population portrays. These are listed below:
Rapidly acquire English skills once exposed to the language and given an opportunity to use it expressively
Exhibit leadership ability, although often in an open or unobtrusive manner, with strong interpersonal skills
Tend to have older playmates and easily engage adults in lively conversation
Enjoy intelligent and/or effective risk-taking behavior, often accompanied by a sense of drama
Can keep busy and entertained, especially by imaginative games and ingenious applications, such as getting the most out of a few simple toys and objects.
Accept responsibilities at home normally reserved for older children, such as the supervision of younger siblings or helping others to do their homework
"Street wise" and are recognized by others as youngsters who have the ability to "make it" in the Anglo-dominated society
(Castellano, J. A., 1998, pp. 3-4)
Additionally, on the Denver Public Schools Gifted & Talented website, they list many gifted characteristics related to specific populations such as general gifted, highly/profoundly gifted, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, early childhood, and gifted preschoolers. I have attached a picture of the characteristics they list for the culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds below.
Unfortunately, many of these characteristics are hidden due to the fact that in their socialized environment, it may not be acceptable to be considered smart or gifted (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 263). This could come from stereotypes given by parents, teachers, or peers, as well as the expectations put on them from home, school, or community.
(Gifted Characteristics, n.d., para 10).
Effectiveness of Current Programming Options
Effectiveness of Current Programming Options
Unfortunately, many schools struggle with providing appropriately challenging programming options for Hispanic/Latino/a/x students. Reasons could include insufficient educator training and resources, underfunding of programs, or even just too few students being identified that administrators do not feel the need to devote educators to those gifted programs (Levy & Perdue, 2017, para. 5). One things is for sure when it comes to programming for this population. Since there is a complex diversity found within this population, the process must be flexible enough to validate that diversity within and among the Hispanic students (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 267). Although there might not be many specific programming options for Hispanic students, there is a model which, if followed could allow for these students to be exposed to the challenging curriculum and learning experiences necessary to meet their needs, the Gifted Equity Model. Below is a figure that outlines the model, showcasing the barriers, cultural brokering, and scholarly pursuits needed to achieve racial equity in the classroom. When there is a lack of exposure to challenging and enriched learning experiences, it prevents students from progress. Therefore, it is important to integrate and pursue those four keys listed beside cultural brokering in order to open that door towards racial equity, an increase in student belonging, as well as a racially responsive and collaborative approach in gifted programs. It is also important to provide consistent and early interventions, in order for students to be provided opportunities for their talents to develop and be nurtured (Wells, 2020, p. 67). In addition, mentoring and coaching could also be seen as possibilities for supports for students as they work through gifted environments. With all of these supports, students will be able to develop strategies that will enable them to fully participate in gifted programming rather than feeling invisible or that they need to hide their gifts and talents to be socially acceptable.
(Wells, 2020, p. 65).
Effectiveness of Identification and Assessment Practices
Effectiveness of Identification and Assessment Practices
There is obvious underrepresentation found in this community, which could be from lower academic performances, but is most likely from the stereotyped notions given by teachers about the abilities of these students, as well as the lack of ability to identify giftedness within this population. Whether or not the teachers/educators have been trained to identify gifted behavior, specifically in underserved students, has a direct influence on the rate of nominations and referrals for Hispanic/Latino/a/x students (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 257). There is also quite a bit of ignorance and misinformation about this population that results in prevention into gifted programs for this population. In addition, as mentioned earlier, many schools lack necessary funding, which results in a lack of training, resources, and personnel to help with identifying, assessing, and serving Hispanic/Latino/a/x students. In regards to assessment, it is important to identify the language patterns of students in order to be able to dictate what language assessments should be administered in for those students (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 257). This will help to eliminate cultural bias by choosing assessments which are available and utilize these students and their dominant language, if possible. It could also be beneficial to include assessments that include nonverbal sections in order to bypass the cultural barrier that language could create for these students. Another popular form for assessment for this population are checklists of behaviors, characteristics, or traits, used in combination with other criteria (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 264). It is important to include multiple criteria in order to create more full and representative profiles of students when screening for giftedness, rather than relying on one test/score as a sole identifier. Multicriteria should include both quantitative and qualitative data, as well as informal and formalized assessment tools (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 264). This will help to create better profiles of students that encompass multiple areas of giftedness, and allow for students to portray their skills and traits in different ways. The article done by ERIC Digest about identifying and assessing bilingual Hispanic students, outlines some specific assessment instruments, as well as examples of multiple criteria that could be beneficial for serving those students (Castellano, J. A., 1998, pp. 2-3).
Specific Instruments
Progressive Matrices, Standard
SOI Screening Form for Gifted
System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment
Culture Faire Intelligence Test, Scale 1
Aprenda: La Prueba de Logros en Espanol, Intermediate 2
Bateria Woodcock Psico-Educativa en Espanol
Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition, Level 2
La Prueba Riverside de Realizacion en Espanol
Multiple Criteria Examples
Ethnographic assessment procedures (the student is observed in multiple contexts over time)
Dynamic assessments (the student is given the opportunity to transfer newly acquired skills to novel situations)
Portfolio assessments
Use of test scores (performance based and/or nonverbal) in the native or English language (depending on child's level of fluency)
Teacher observation
Behavioral checklists
Past school performance
Parent interviews
Writing samples and other samples of creativity and/or achievement
Input from the cultural group with which the student identifies in the local school community
Suggested Practices for Teaching
Suggested Practices for Teaching
Perhaps the biggest suggested practice for teaching this population of students, is that educators should use curriculum and materials, where Hispanic/Latino/a/x students can see themselves reflected in the work they are doing. Providing curriculum resources that portray their ethnicity, heritage, and culture, as well as inviting guest speakers from the community, are just a few ideas on how to help these students feel empowered in the classroom (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 250). In other words, there should be connections that students can be making to their personal and cultural worlds within the classroom. There are other things that educators can do to provide a welcoming and culturally relevant classroom such as being trained to work with students from diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as helping to prepare students to be successful in a world that is continuing to become more diverse (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 266). The schools can also help to play a part in meeting the needs of these students. Should counselors can help to meet the affective, social-emotional, and psychological needs, and schools can help to foster parent relationships as well as help support them by collaborating and forming partnerships with them to help create a learning environment that will help their student to be successful (Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 266). Some additional recruitment strategies for this population are listed below:
Screen all students for gifted education
Initiate and implement a prescreening instrument designed to identify potentially gifted Hispanic students
Use ambassadors, mentors, and sponsors to speak to students and their parents
Develop a support system in every school Hispanic students attend to provide assistance as they adjust to a gifted education environment.
Establish partnerships with universities to develop a low-cost, "stigma-free" testing alternative to private testing for parents
Develop a gifted education program in English and Spanish
Offer gifted Hispanic students a continuum of services based on their individual level of need.
Offer gifted Hispanic students a program at their home school (Hispanic parents prefer neighborhood schools to educate their children).
Engage parents in informal conversations regarding the benefits of gifted education.
(Castellano & Frazier, 2011, p. 265)
In addition, in an article done by ASCD about educating Latino students, they gave a few relevant practices that could help both educators and schools to meet the unique needs of these students. Firstly, it is important to be aware of and understand the issues that Latino students are facing in order to combat them (Educating Latino Students, 2002, para 3). This could be done via interviews with these students or looking into literature on this specific population. Secondly, it is important to value the strengths of Hispanic/Latino/a/x students (Educating Latino Students, 2002, para 7). This means having an asset-based mindset, versus a deficit-based mindset. Rather, viewing them with high expectations, instead of believing they will accomplish little while in the classroom. Third, teachers should adopt culturally sensitive pedagogy (Educating Latino Students, 2002, para 15). In order to do this, teachers must design curriculum materials that align with the students strengths and learning styles, as well as challenges them academically. Adequate planning time to activate students' prior knowledge, incorporating visuals, outlines, and graphic organizers, as well as assessing students' understanding by asking questions, are all tips that educators can use when welcoming students into the classroom (Educating Latino Students, 2002, paras 18-20). Parents can also be a major resource in helping plan culturally responsive activities and resources. Lastly, educators and schools should examine society's unexamined norms (Educating Latino Students, 2002, para 23). This means that teachers should be aware not only of their own biases, but the biases that are pushed by society, in order to make sure that racism is not prevalent and correctly combated within their classroom walls.
In the book titled Everybody's Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Students, Carol Tomlinson gives pages upon pages of suggested teaching practices, that I have put into a slideshow to make viewing it slightly easier. She divides them into categories about principles and practices for ensuring reading to teach ELs, creating a safe and inviting learning environment, creating supportive and inspired curriculum, using assessment to improve teaching and learning, and providing instruction that is responsive.
(Tomlinson, 2022, pp. 63-71).
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