State to change rules in which biased tests, culturally insensitive teachers often lead to blacks, Hispanic being overlooked for advanced programs

Cleveland Plain Dealer / Cleveland, OH / February 8, 2000

By Jennifer Gonzalez

William Frazier, a 19-year old Clevelander, wanted the best education possible. He wanted to get into Glenville High School's honors and advanced placement classes. So Frazier, who is black, wanted to be tested for the school's gifted program when he was in the 10th grade. He was told he was too late - testing took place in junior high. "I was kind of left out," Frazier said. "I left the school because I knew I wasn't going to be challenged taking regular classes."

With the help of A Better Chance, a nonprofit organization that works to get minority students into the nation's best schools, he was accepted at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. He now takes classes in French literature and marketing ethics - courses not offered at Glenville.

And he plans to attend Harvard, Georgetown or Yale after he graduates this spring. Frazier's experience is not uncommon. Minority students in Northeast Ohio are often overlooked in the identification process for gifted programs - a fact experts trace largely to biased tests or culturally insensitive teachers.

But state legislation passed in July promises to change all that.

Starting next school year, public schools will be required to test all students in kindergarten through grade 12 for gifted programs, administer only tests from a state-approved list, increase the types of people who can nominate students, and start tracking the racial breakdown in Ohio's gifted and talented programs. The state now gives school districts wide latitude in such matters.

Minority students are expected to total 46 percent of all public school students in the country by the year 2020 - up considerable from 36 percent in 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. Their inclusion in gifted programs has not kept pace.

Between 1978 and 1997, Hispanic students identified as gifted increased from 5.2 percent to 8.6 percent nationally, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The overall Hispanic student population went from 6.8 percent to 14.3 percent. Nationally, blacks have not fared any better. Between 1978 and 1997, black students identified as gifted dropped from 10.3 percent to 7.3 percent. The overall black student population increased from 15.7 percent to 17 percent.

"The numbers are shocking," said Donna Ford, associate professor at Ohio State University's College of Education. "There continue to be many minority students languishing in school districts."

Ford said the most important part of identifying gifted students - the referral stage - is hampered by teachers' inability to deal with culturally and linguistically diverse children. Hank Richardson, director of gifted education for the Painesville School District, said he did not tolerate culturally insensitive teachers on the finer points of identifying gifted students.

"It's important to cast a wide net," Richardson said. "You never know where you will find that diamond in the rough."

Biased testing also is a contributing factor, Ford said. Tests are usually written for people from white, middle-class backgrounds and the questions reflect that, she said. Some minority students cannot relate to how questions are worded, thus dragging down their scores.

Educators hope the state's approved test list will be more equitable for minority students. Many of the tests rely more heavily on visual or problem-solving skills. A test written in Spanish also will be available for students whose native language is not English.

Even though the state does now require schools to record the racial breakdown of its gifted programs, some districts do anyway.

In the Cleveland Heights/University Heights School District, white students have a one-in-five chance of being identified as gifted, according to the district's record keeping. Black students have a one-in-15 chance, while one in 14 Hispanics are identified.

Minority students account for 77 percent of the school district's 7,202 students but only 40 percent of the 1,048 students identified as gifted.

"Our minority numbers are lower than we would like to see," said Gene Rust, school district coordinator of gifted education. "It's been a constant struggle to increase those numbers. We are constantly trying to utilize tests that are appropriate."

In Elyria, roughly one in 11 white students are identified for the district's gifted program, compared with a one-in-40 chance for minority students. The school district has 1,796 black, 182 Hispanic and 6,537 white students in its total enrollment. Only 44 of the district's 492 gifted students are minorities.

"There is no simple answer as to why there are more white students in our gifted program than minority students," said Michele Stoffan, director of elementary academic services. "We are doing what we can to have a broader range in the nomination phase." Stoffan said her district was distributing brochures to the community so parents can be informed about the nomination process. She also said teachers were attending meetings to improve their identification techniques.

Patricia Watkins didn't even know there was a gifted program in Elyria when her son, David Shelton, attended the school from 1998 to 1991.

"His teachers always told me that he was always done with his class work early," Watkins said. "He sometimes even wrote notes to his teachers because he was bored in class, but no one ever suggested he be tested for the gifted program."

Shelton, who is biracial, was later identified as gifted when his family moved to Cleveland. He now attends Baylor School, a college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Cleveland and Lorain school districts say they err on the side of including minority students in gifted programs. In Cleveland, minority students make up 80 percent of the district's enrollment and 77 percent of it's gifted program.

In racially diverse Lorain, the district aims to have its minority student population reflected in the schools' gifted program. The goals are 50 percent white students, 25 percent black and 35 percent Hispanic.

This year's gifted program has 58 percent white students, 17 percent black and 25 percent Hispanics. Gifted Supervisor Dawn Mock said she wants to boost the number of black students.

"The number is pretty darn good compared to some other diverse school districts, but we still have room to grow," she said.