ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and

Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual

Hispanic Students. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest...................................................... 1

IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF GIFTED AND TALENTED

BILINGUAL................................................................. 2

THE USE OF MULTIPLE CRITERIA........................................ 3

GENDER ISSUES.............................................................. 4

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION.............................................5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 5

ERIC Identifier: ED423104

Publication Date: 1998-09-00

Author: Castellano, Jaime A.

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools Charleston WV.

Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented

Bilingual Hispanic Students. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

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ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.

Page 1 of 7
Traditionally, gifted and talented programs have been filled with White, middle- or

upper-middle-class students. These are students whose home backgrounds have

provided them enrichment opportunities and linguistic experiences to enhance their

natural abilities in ways that allow them to do outstandingly well on standardized tests.

Increasingly, observers point out that the tests are designed by White, middle- or

upper-middle-class experts whose academic backgrounds and experiences have led

them to set criteria tending to favor students from the same backgrounds (Barkan &

Bernal, 1991; Jimenez, 1997). This Digest describes the ongoing effort to develop new

methods for identifying and assessing bilingual and limited-English-proficient (LEP)

Hispanic students.

Many LEP Hispanic students have backgrounds that are culturally and linguistically

different from the traditional developers and takers of gifted and talented tests.

Nevertheless, many of these students are capable, have the requisite skills, and should

be eligible for gifted and talented programs. Indeed, across the country LEP Hispanic

students participate in these programs in areas with sizable Hispanic populations,

primarily in large urban school districts such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, and

New York. New programs geared to identify and educate these students have begun to

develop in other places (e.g., Provo, Utah; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Hall County,

Georgia) experiencing increased bilingual Hispanic student enrollment.

Professional journals of bilingual as well as gifted and talented educators have recently

featured articles addressing the needs of these students (Barkan & Bernal, 1991;

Bermudez & Rakow, 1993; Castellano, 1997; Kitano & Espinosa, 1995; Maker, 1996). A

summit held in Washington, DC, in January 1997--convened by the U.S. Department of

Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and Office of

Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs (OBEMLA)--brought together leading

experts to articulate, for the first time on a national level, issues addressing LEP

students with outstanding talents. Besides these national efforts, there appears to be a

grassroots movement developing across the United States, initiated by parents and

other advocates, to include LEP Hispanic students in programs serving the gifted and

talented (Castellano, 1997).

IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF

GIFTED AND TALENTED BILINGUAL

HISPANIC STUDENTSIn an effort to provide better profiles for the identification of all

gifted children, current research suggests use of both qualitative measures and

quantitative instruments, such as achievement and intelligence tests (Garcia, 1994).

Early in the 1980s, a national panel of experts recommended use of several instruments

when assessing children from disadvantaged populations, including culturally and

linguistically diverse students (Richert, Alvino, & McDonnel, 1982). Some of the

instruments they recommended have remained in use, including Progressive Matrices,

www.eric.ed.gov ERIC Custom Transformations Team

Page 2 of 7 ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.
Standard (Raven, 1960); SOI Screening Form for Gifted (Meeker & Meeker, 1975);

System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (Mercer & Lewis, 1978); Culture Fair

Intelligence Test, Scale 1 (Cattell & Cattell, 1950). Spanish language instruments this

author has found useful for measuring academic achievement include Aprenda: La

Prueba de Logros en Espanol, Intermediate 2 (Psychological Corporation, 1990);

Bateria Woodcock Psico-Educativa en Espanol (Woodcock, 1982); Spanish

Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition, Level 2 (Hampton-Brown Company,

1991); and La Prueba Riverside de Realizacion en Espanol (Cote, 1984). For more

information about these instruments and others, readers can refer to the on-line

searchable ERIC/AE Test Locator at <http://ericae.net/testcol.htm> on the Internet.

Other new instruments are being developed, including one specifically designed to

identify gifted bilingual Hispanic students. [Note]

THE USE OF MULTIPLE CRITERIA

Most school districts serving gifted and talented bilingual Hispanic students use multiple

criteria (Castellano, 1994; Garcia, 1994; Bernal & Reyna, 1974) in the screening and

identification processes. Multiple criteria may include, among other items, (a)

ethnographic assessment procedures (the student is observed in multiple contexts over

time), (b) dynamic assessment (the student is given the opportunity to transfer newly

acquired skills to novel situations), (c) portfolio assessment, (d) the use of test scores

(performance based and/or nonverbal) in the native or English language (depending on

the child's level of fluency), (e) teacher observation, (f) behavioral checklists, (g) past

school performance, (h) parent interview, (i) writing samples and other samples of

creativity and/or achievement, and (j) input from the cultural group with which the

student identifies in the local school community.

Furthermore, Bernal and Reyna (1974) identified several characteristics as typical

among gifted Hispanic American children:

They rapidly acquire English language skills once exposed to the language and given

an opportunity to use it expressively.

They exhibit leadership ability, although often in an open or unobtrusive manner, with

strong interpersonal skills.

They tend to have older playmates and easily engage adults in lively conversation.

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.

Page 3 of 7
They enjoy intelligent and (or effective) risk-taking behavior, often accompanied by a

sense of drama.

They 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.

They accept responsibilities at home normally reserved for older children, such as the

supervision of younger siblings or helping others to do their homework.

They are "street wise" and are recognized by others as youngsters who have the ability

to "make it" in the Anglo-dominated society.

Observant educators who notice these traits in particular students may consider

referring them for further assessment.

GENDER ISSUES

Some researchers indicate that opportunities for gifted females have increased, while

barriers to their achievement have decreased (Reis & Callahan, 1989). If this is in fact

the case, we should see an increasing number of Hispanic girls referred and accepted

into gifted and talented programs. While research specifically targeting Hispanic

females is scarce, a study of 63 doctoral graduates and candidates conducted by

Thorne (1995) found that these high-achieving young women varied on several

measures of achievement motivation, but all exhibited low levels of sex-role

traditionalism and low-to-average levels of fear of success. Ortiz (1995), in a summary

of research on the educational achievement of Hispanic women, found that in

comparisons with Hispanic males, females showed slight increases in educational

achievement and a consistent trend of doing better than males. She also found that

Hispanic women have experienced improvements in participation at all higher education

levels. Yet, they remain seriously underrepresented, with only 1% of Mexican American

women enrolling in graduate programs.

To increase participation of Hispanic female students in programs for the gifted and

talented, both parents and educators must be advocates. Hispanic parents need to

nominate their daughters for admittance, and school-based educators need to acquire

better skills in identifying gifted and talented females, including students with limited

English skills.

www.eric.ed.gov ERIC Custom Transformations Team

Page 4 of 7 ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.
Cultural and linguistic minority students have historically been denied access to

programs in gifted education. Girls have faced additional barriers to postsecondary and

graduate school participation. Thus, special efforts may be warranted in identifying and

placing gifted Hispanic females into programs that will recognize and honor their unique

talents.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The process for admission into a program for the gifted and talented is complex at best.

Theories, approaches, guidelines, and plans vary across the country, but as more

culturally and linguistically diverse students enter the nation's schools, it is imperative to

have local programs in place to identify and educate the gifted and talented among

them. They should enter these programs while studying to become proficient in English.

Otherwise, Hispanic student achievement will continue to lag behind other ethnic

groups, as educators fail to recognize the talents of so many students. Recognition of

our shortcomings in this regard could serve as the impetus to double our efforts to

provide all academically gifted children a chance to excel.

Thanks to grant programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, such as

Title VII (bilingual) and Javitz (gifted), school districts across the country have received

the necessary funding to develop gifted education program models to identify and serve

gifted LEP Hispanic and other bilingual groups.

It is often said that youth are the most important natural resource of a great nation.

Gifted programs can help prepare youth of all cultures and languages to become

productive citizens and critical thinkers, ensuring that the future of the country is in good

hands.

[NOTE] For more information on this screening instrument, contact Dr. Beverly J. Irby at

Sam Houston State University or Rafael Lara-Alecio at Texas A&M University.

REFERENCES

Barkan, J. H., & Bernal, E. M. (1991). Gifted education for bilingual and limited English

proficient students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 35(3), 144-147.

Bermudez, A. B., & Rakow, S. J. (1993). Examining identification and instruction

practices for gifted and talented limited English proficient students. In Lillian M. Malave

(Ed.), Annual conference journal: Proceedings of the National Association for Bilingual

Education Conferences (Tucson, AZ, 1990; Washington, DC, 1991), pp. 99-114. (ED

360 871)

Bernal, E. M., & Reyna, J. (1974). Analysis of giftedness in Mexican American children

and design of a prototype identification instrument. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational

Development Laboratory. (ED 090 743)

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.

Page 5 of 7
Castellano, J. A. (1994). The identification of gifted LEP students: An overview for

teachers and administrators. National Association for Bilingual Education News, 18(2),

18-22.

Castellano, J. A. (1997). San Diego, California city schools: A lighthouse school district.

National Association for Bilingual Education News, 21(3), 29-30.

Cattell, R. B., & Cattell, A. K. S. (1950/1960). Culture fair intelligence test, scale 1.

Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing.

Cote, N. S. (1984). La Prueba Riverside de Realizacion en Espanol. Chicago, IL:

Riverside Publishing Co.

Garcia, J. H. (1994). Nonstandardized instruments for the assessment of

Mexican-American children for gifted/talented programs. In Addressing cultural and

linguistic diversity in special education: Issues and trends. Reston, VA: Division for

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners, Council for Exceptional

Children. (ED 379 814)

Hampton-Brown Company. (1991). Spanish assessment of basic education, second

edition, level 2. Monterey, CA: CTB/MacMillan/McGraw Hill.

Jimenez, M. (1997). Gifted education for LEP students: Of course. Unpublished

Manuscript.

Kitano, M. K., & Espinosa, R. (1995). Language diversity and giftedness: Working with

gifted English language learners. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 18(3),

234-254.

Maker, C. J. (1996). Identification of gifted minority students: A national problem,

needed changes, and a promising solution. Gifted Child Quarterly, 40(1), 41-50.

Meeker, M., & Meeker, R. (1975). SOI screening form for gifted. Vida, OR: SOI

Systems.

Mercer, J. R., & Lewis, J. F. (1978). System of multicultural pluralistic assessment. San

Antonio, TX: Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement.

Ortiz, F. I. (1995). Mexican American women: Schooling, work, and family (ERIC

Digest). Charleston, WV: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools.

(ED 388 490)

Psychological Corporation. (1990). Aprenda: La Prueba de Logros en Espanol,

Intermediate 2. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement.

www.eric.ed.gov ERIC Custom Transformations Team

Page 6 of 7 ED423104 1998-09-00 Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic

Students. ERIC Digest.
Raven, J. C. (1960). Progressive matrices, standard. San Antonio, TX: Psychological

Corporation.

Reis, S. M., & Callahan, C. M. (1989). Gifted females: They've come a long way--or

have they? Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 12(2), 99-117.

Richert, E. S., Alvino, J., & McDonnel, R. (1982). The national report on identification:

Assessment and recommendations for comprehensive identification of gifted and

talented youth. Sewell, NJ: Education Information and Resource Center, U.S.

Department of Education.

Thorne, Y. M. (1995). Achievement motivation in high achieving Latina women. Roeper

Review, 18(1), 44-49.

Woodcock, R. W. (1982). Bateria Woodcock Psico-Educativa en Espanol. Chicago, IL:

Riverside Publishing Co.

Jaime Castellano is coordinator of Federal Programs at the School District of Palm

Beach at West Palm Beach, Florida.

This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and

Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract no. RR93002012. The

opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of OERI,

the Department, or AEL.

Title: Identifying and Assessing Gifted and Talented Bilingual Hispanic Students. ERIC

Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Available From: ERIC/CRESS, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348 (free).

Descriptors: Access to Education, Bilingual Students, Elementary Secondary

Education, Evaluation Criteria, Evaluation Methods, Females, Gifted, Hispanic

Americans, Limited English Speaking, Screening Tests, Spanish Speaking, Talent

Identification

Identifiers: ERIC Digests

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