SENGinar: Identifying Underrepresented Populations in Gifted Education using the Naglieri General Ability Tests

Description: 

It is well known that gifted education should be much more inclusive. Recently researchers have estimated that about 1,250,000 African American, Hispanic, and Native American students in K-12 public school today could have been identified for gifted programs but were not. Why not? We suggest that the identification process that is typically used puts too much emphasis on knowledge of the English language and academic achievement despite well-meaning efforts to achieve more diversity.  Even when a matrix of data is used, the language demands of some verbal and quantitative ability tests can be an obstacle for students with limited background knowledge and English language skills. The presenters offer a solution to this prejudiced approach.

Learner outcomes:

•How to detect test questions that demand knowing vs thinking

•How many students of color could have been but are not receiving gifted educational services?

•How traditional ability tests with verbal, nonverbal and quantitative content can be made more equitable.

•A simple way to differentiate between bias and equity.

How equitable identification can be achieved.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Dina M. Brulles, is the Director of Gifted Education at Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona where she has developed a continuum of gifted education programs, preschool through high school. She is also the Gifted Program Coordinator at Arizona State University. Dina currently serves on the NAGC Board of Directors as Governance Secretary and previously served as their School District Representative. Dina was a co-recipient of NAAGC’s inaugural 2014 Gifted Coordinator Award, the 2019 Book of the Year Award, and the Professional Development Network Award in 2013.

Dr. Kimberly Lansdowne is the founding Executive Director of the Herberger Young Scholars Academy, a secondary school for highly gifted students at Arizona State University.She received her doctorate at Arizona State University (ASU) in 2008 and has a lengthy career in teaching and administration at universities, colleges, public and private schools.

Jack A. Naglieri, Ph.D. is a Research Professor at the University of Virginia and Senior Research Scientist at the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. During his 45 years in the field of school psychology he focused on applied research and the development of psychological and educational tests.  He has published 45 tests and rating scales, and 300 research papers. Jack authored the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test and the Naglieri Tests of General Ability. He is also well known for his PASS neurocognitive theory as measured with the Cognitive Assessment System-2nd Edition and the instructional handouts the book Helping Children Learn-2nd Edition. He also authored the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale, Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory- Child and Adult, the Devereux Elementary Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) and the DESSA-mini. Dr. Naglieri has consistently emphasized the role tests play in accurate diagnosis, and equitable assessment.