Myth No. 2: Giftedness can easily be measured by intelligence tests and tests of achievement. Giftedness is difficult to measure. This is why schools and school districts try so many different ways to identify gifted students. Tests are often culturally biased and may reflect ethnicity, socioeconomic status, exposure and experiences rather than true giftedness. Other children may be gifted but are not good at taking tests. They may not score well on standardized tests but may be gifted, especially in creative and productive thinking.
While I believe that some children are easy to identify as gifted because they test well, there are those that do not and there are those who are twice exceptional and cannot do well on the most commonly used test, the CogAt. Some of the most difficult areas for me to ascertain if a child is gifted is in the arts, technology and/or leadership. I had a student who missed qualifying for gifted by one point in one area and three points in two areas, yet he was brilliant. This young man had an entrepreneurial spirit and had started his own business making over $30,000 a year profit in 7th grade. He could lead any group of students and had the uncanny ability to organize greatness. He was crushed when he did not qualify for gifted, because all of his peers were identified. As a gifted team, we made the decision to have him submit a portfolio of his leadership and business interests and we created a rubric to determine whether he should be placed in gifted classes. Luckily, all but one of our team mates thought this was a splendid answer for including these oftentimes overlooked areas of giftedness.
However, this one teammate ridiculed the process and believed that we were watering down our program by allowing students alternative pathways to gifted identification. Luckily the student was accepted into the gifted program and shined like we knew he would. He continued his business, and even expanded it during high school. By the time he graduated from high school, he had saved enough money to buy a home for cash and of course had a full ride scholarship to the University of his choice and has soared both academically and socially. For me this is the reason for gifted education: To support students in their academic and professional endeavors based on their ability. This was a win-win for the school and for the student. We did not lower our requirements for admittance, we expanded them with fidelity. Having multiple pathways to identification allows for non-traditional groups to be represented in our gifted education model.
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