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| Cheyenne during a Lego League competition. |
With so many schools cutting after school programs in order to gain
funding for other “more important things,” it seems even harder for those
parents with “gifted” students to find activities that interest and keep their
children engaged in the learning environment.” It is imperative that parents
and educators provide academic and social support to high-potential students
from low-income families. Out-of-school enrichment programs like Saturday
programs are suggested for high-potential students from low-income families due
to these experiences positively influencing students’ achievement levels, in
advanced courses, and decisions to pursue a college degree” (Gentry &
Miller, 2010).
The purpose behind writing this proposal
is to shine a spotlight on the need for Learning Enrichment and Accelerated
Programs (LEAP) in every school. So that “gifted” children have other facets
that allow them to put what they learn in classes to use in the outside world
and future, and provide a reason(s) why gifted education, the Learning
Enrichment and Accelerated program should not get their funding cut.
“The goal of LEAP is to nurture the gifts
and abilities of our academically talented students.
In
1973, the General Assembly recognized a limited number of academically advanced
students whose mental capacity and learning potential is advanced. They need
services beyond the level of those ordinarily provided” (Waynesville R-VI,
2014). “The attendance of gifted is a challenge for many schools. The inclusion
of these children is very difficult because many teachers are not prepared to
develop an interesting and creative teaching to attend their special needs. It
is important to consider "every human being as an integral and different
individual because each person has his/her unique characteristics of
personality" (Piske, Stoltz, & Machado, 2014: p. 348).
“The intent was to increase the educational
opportunities available for students identified as gifted. In 1979, the
Waynesville School District initiated LEAP (Learning Enrichment and
Acceleration Program) for identified gifted students. The first year 35
students were educated in grades one through six. The district continued to
expand the program and currently serves students K-12. For instructional and personal
purposes LEAP split into five components: grades K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12”
(Waynesville R-VI, 2014). “According to Piske & Stoltz (2013), it is
important that schools know how to provide for gifted students an education
that enables a good social and emotional development respecting their limits,
their capabilities and their feelings. Each student is different and has many
singularities. It is essential to accept their differences and allow their
progress in the school context” (Piske & Stoltz, 2012, 2013).
When asked about how she would
explain her own experience in LEAP my own daughter put it like this.
“Gifted children are not just kids that
are good at math or science, but also music and art. Many teachers just do not
understand that. They expect gifted kids to be good and get A’s in all subjects
when some children are only good at certain subjects “(C. Levengood, 2014). For
instance, Cheyenne is gifted and is a student in one of these classes. She is
good at science and math and hopes to become an engineer one day, but does not
connect on the same level in social studies. Many gifted kids are like this and
their teachers do not comprehend. Even some parents have difficulty
understanding that gifted children are not perfect and are good at some
subjects and terrible at others. Unlike others, gifted teachers understand that
subject and help the children learn to live with the fact that they are not
going to be good at everything they do. For example, Cheyenne’s teacher showed
her that she is not always going to be the best at puzzles; however, she can
improve at them with practice and problem solving skills learned throughout the
year.
“Piske (2011, 2013) explains that teaching
done from the creative educational practices becomes more pleasurable and
satisfying. Therefore, during the process of inclusion teaching, the team needs
to create emotional bonds so that gifted children can be motivated, have
freedom of speech to develop their creativity in a stimulating environment and
present successful interpersonal relationships in their surroundings” (Stoltz
& Piske, 2012).
Piske (2013) emphasizes that it is not
enough just identifying students with high potential; it is important that the
teaching staff promote a stimulating environment of creativity in their
classes. This environment should arouse the curiosity and interest of students.
Wechsler (1998) points out some
suggestions for teachers to develop the creativity of students, among them, it
is possible to:
* Encourage students to do their
personal projects as a way to recognize their skills and talents,
* Encourage them to be
inquisitive; enable students to have different ideas of yours; provide
opportunities for exploration of the environment, whenever possible let them
leave the limited physical space of the classroom;
* Give chance to the students to
propose questions and test their hypotheses, even if these questions seem
inadequate or absurd at first; try to stimulate their curiosity to learn and
discourage their memorization;
* Encourage the students to find
the answers to the problems; give to the students the freedom to choose among
different ways of solving a problem, diversifying the opportunities for a
proposed activity; among other stimuli for developing creativity.
The school context includes many
differences that require preparation of the teaching staff to work differently
to attend the characteristics of each student. "So the ethical field of
movement of inclusion is marked by the affirmation or negation of the each
individual, accepted in his/her uniqueness, respected by the difference that makes
him/her unique among all human beings" (Tunes, 2003: p. 10 & Piske, F.
H. R., Stoltz, T., & Machado, J. (2014).
These amazing things that gifted classes
teach our children are on the chopping block. “The process of teaching and
learning requires educational practices that recognize and attend the interests
of students. It is not enough simply to transmit content by a professional
obligation. The education needs professionals who are committed to teaching,
and sharing their knowledge with their students.
Unfortunately, good teacher training is
desired. Actually, what is evident is a false training that generates
individuals that do not reflect about reality that prevails in the capitalist
world that only worries about to updating themselves. Though it is desired, few
teachers go through with the training leading to a lack of teachers for gifted
education. In my daughter’s district, there are only four gifted teachers. One
teacher in charge of teaching grades K-2, one for 3-4, one for 5-6, and a
gifted teacher for grades 7-12. This makes it difficult for the students to
have time with their gifted teachers. Until my daughter reached 7th grade she
only got to see her gifted teacher once a week. Though it is a small amount of
time, it makes a real difference on a gifted child because they get to interact
with others with the same intelligence level. Teachers with gifted students can
help their students by, “working with curriculum enrichment from artistic
educational practices, such as the use of educational games, paintings,
drawings, theater, literature, and other practices that develop imagination,
fantasy and creativity” (Piske, F. H. R., Stoltz, T., & Machado, J. (2014)
Even though there is a lack of gifted
education teachers, they do their best to make the learning environment fun and
creative for their students by taking them on many field trips throughout the
year. For example, this past weekend all 7-8 grade LEAP students had the chance
to go on a field trip to Huntsville, Alabama and participate in a Space Camp
program since they were learning about rockets and flight. That is just one
field trip they have gone on throughout this school year.
In February, the students will be able to
go the capital of Missouri and participate in GAM (Gifted Association of
Missouri) Day. That is a day where gifted classes around the state of Missouri
gather in Jefferson City. They meet their Missouri Senators and Representatives
who are helping to keep gifted education, talk about what it means to them to
be a gifted student, and even some participate in an art show to show what
gifted means to them. These field trips and events would not be possible if
funding was cut for gifted education. Over the past two years, the gifted class
that Cheyenne has been a part of has experienced such problems with funding for
their after school program, Lego League in which they use problem solving
skills, advanced mathematics, science, robotics and engineering to solve world
problems. However, finding funding/sponsorships to keep the program active has
been a hard fought battle which after this year could no longer be available
without funding from ISTEM (part of state funding) and federal resources.
Gifted kids would become bored and lose
interest in their classes and will start to goof off due to already knowing
what the teacher is teaching .They refuse to
participate if they know the topic already. “Many gifted students prefer
not come to school because they do not see an effective solution to attend
their educational needs. To avoid such a situation, ‘the formation of the
special educator or of regular class must include programs that provide, skills
development that enables a professional of education prepared to act in different and unique
situations’" (Freitas, 2006: p. 169 & Piske, F. H. R., Stoltz, T.,
& Machado, J. (2014). “Consequently, these children feel excluded and
discouraged to continue the process of teaching and learning.
Without LEAP, “gifted” students would just
goof off in class and not care, whereas with the program the child is able to
explore what they do and do not know. Their teachers also get to know the
student’s strengths and their weaknesses in learning. The “gifted” teachers are
able to connect on a level that other teachers cannot. They are able to unlock
hidden potential in that student and help grow on their skills. My daughter has
witnessed this happen before. One of her friends was an amazing artist and a
very smart person, but did not enjoy paying attention in class. She wanted to
draw and write instead of taking notes in class. She did well still, but just
did not care about her classes. Finally, her teacher requested that my
daughter’s friend be tested for LEAP and she passed. After about a month of
being in LEAP, her attitude improved and the girl started to act better in
class. If not for LEAP, my daughter’s friend would not have been able to unlock
her full potential and improve on her study and academic skills.
“ Students with High Abilities/Giftedness
are present in large numbers in schools and many times they are not paid
attention to by their teacher or their family" (Freitas & Negrini,
2008: p. 282, Piske, F. H. R., Stoltz, T., & Machado, J. (2014)). Teachers
need to understand, that school is a place for thinking human beings to share
experiences, and moving forward with new insights. Students should value the
knowledge learned in their daily lives, help develop knowledge for future use.
Therefore, it is essential that both parties experience social and cultural
backgrounds in order to improve their learning/teaching. "The classroom is
the place where there is a meeting of thinking individuals who share ideas,
exchange experiences, tell stories, face challenges, break with the old things
and seek new experiences" (Cerqueira, 2006: p. 32). Things like these are
reasons that gifted education, the Learning Enrichment and Accelerated Program
(LEAP) should not get their funding cut.
This is neither the first nor the last
time that these classes fought against budget cuts. Many presidents including
Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have tried their best to kill
LEAP, suggesting that federal dollars be eliminated for state programs”
(Quizon, D., 2011).
Back when President George W. Bush was in
office, “less than one week after his State of the Union address to pay lip
service to improving educational opportunities for American students, the
release of a budget proposal included the largest cut in the Department of
Education’s history. The budget proposed the elimination Leveraging educational
Assistance Partnership program, which provides a federal match to states for
need-based grant and work-study assistance” (U.S. Newswire, 2006). President
Bush tried again in 2006 this time proposing to “slash the entire budget of the
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership program. The program received
$66-million in federal funds that year” (Brush, S., 2005).
While this is going on in Washington, the
gifted students were battling the same problem in Missouri. LEAP is one of the
many classes that are constantly in battle with Senators and Representatives of
Missouri not to get their funding cut for advanced classes, due to some members
voting against gifted education. Therefore, if funding were cut, children who
are not engaged and already know what is being taught will lose their only time
to learn new criteria, as well as improving socialization with other students
on the same intellectual level.
Even President Obama in a 2011 article proposed
to eliminate funding for the fiscal year. “Officials in the Education
Department say the program has out-lived its purpose. A detailed report on the
department’s student-aid budget for 2011 said federal assistance for state
need-based aid programs is no longer necessary because most states have their
own programs” (Quizon, D., 2011). There are a few such as Lee Andes, who feels
that while the program is a victim of its own success, it still has need in
some states. For instance, Arizona and Wyoming, the federal-state LEAP
partnership is the primary need-based student-aid program; in Georgia and South
Dakota, this is the only need-based program. Officials in these states are
worried the elimination of the federal program will leave some low-income students
with few or no programs to turn to at all.
Both Paul Turman, associate vice
president of academic affairs for the South Dakota Board of Regents, and April
L. Osborn, executive director of the Arizona Commission for Post-secondary
Education agree. Without the LEAP program funding students will be “hard
pressed” for help to fill the gap for those who do not get the grades to
qualify for merit-based aid and do not meet the income requirements for Pell
grants from the federal government.
“Cutting LEAP would be devastating in
Arizona a subset of LEAP that helps financially needy students who study math,
science, and technology-related fields, constitute about 51 percent of that
state’s need-based student aid. Cutting LEAP will have a bigger impact than
most people realize” (Quizon, D., 2011).
In conclusion, while both sides of the
argument have good reasons for wanting to cut funding/and not wanting funding
cut for the LEAP program. Being the mother of a “gifted” student in the
Waynesville district, seeing the divesting affect that the lack of teachers,
field trips to help these students explore their creative, curiosity, and
wonderment of achievements that others like themselves can accomplish is
frustrating when there is not enough funding for even the cost of gas in the
buses. Presidents have threatened to cut funding to these programs only to find
out in the end how wrong they would be to cut federal aid not just in Missouri,
but other states that have similar programs aimed at expanding “gifted”
programs and after-school programs. An example of an after school activity is
Lego League which offers students a chance to use problem-solving skills,
engineering, and creativity to solve world problems with other “gifted” and
robotics students from other districts and college campuses.
References
Brush, S. (2005). A low-profile student-aid program is
on the chopping block again.
The
Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(31), A20-A21.
Retrieved from
HISTORIC BUDGET
CUTS SHORTCHANGE AMERICAN STUDENTS. (2006, Feb.10). US
Fed News
Service, Including US State News
Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/470294097?accountid=4138
Gentry, M., & Miller, R. (2010, summer).
Developing talents among high-potential students
from
low-income families in an out-of-school enrichment program. Journal of
Advanced Academics, 21(4), 594+.
Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA241943577&v=2.1&u=40mwrlib&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=5d0a4ae522e6e992da59349501f5e329
Levengood, C. (2014). LEAP student for Waynesville
R-VI school district.
Piske, F. H.
R., Stoltz, T., & Machado, J. (2014). Creative educational practices for inclusion
of gifted
children. Creative Education, 5(10), 803-808.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1541891245?accountid=4138
Quizon, D. (2011). Ending U.S. Grant Program Would
Imperil States' Need-Based Student Aid.
The Chronicle
of Higher Education, 57(22). Retrieved from
Waynesville R-VI Leap Program Guide. (2014).
2 comments:
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Thank you for your comments. Hope you enjoyed it and the other postings.
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