With universal screening, the number of Hispanic students increased by 130 percent and the number of black students by 80 percent. During the same time frame, no significant changes in levels of gifted students identified were reported by other, comparable school districts in the state that continued to use traditional screening methods.īefore universal screening, "black and Hispanic students, free/reduced price lunch participants, English language learners, and girls were all systematically 'under-referred' to the gifted program," the researchers find. This surge occurred without any relaxation in eligibility standards. In 2006-07, after the program was implemented, the rate jumped to 5.5 percent. In the period 2004-05, prior to implementation of universal screening, 3.3 percent of all students were identified as gifted. If students scored above 130 – or above 115 for those classified as disadvantaged – they were referred to a district psychologist for free IQ testing. All second-graders were given a standardized test that assessed cognitive ability through questions composed of symbols and shapes. In 2005, the district introduced a universal screening program to supplement the more informal referral process. Blacks and Hispanics made up fewer than 30 percent of the students in the program, although they accounted for 60 percent of the district's students overall. Despite this effort to level the playing field, enrollment in the gifted program was skewed toward white students from higher-income families. However, to offset economic and linguistic disadvantages, a lower threshold of 116 applied to students who received subsidized lunches or were designated as English language learners. To qualify for gifted status, students generally had to score at least 130 on the IQ test. While the district offered free IQ testing, private psychologists did a thriving business administering tests to more affluent students who wanted to skip the queue or try again if their initial scores fell short. This pool was then winnowed based on IQ scores and evaluation for such traits as motivation, creativity, and adaptability. Until 2005, the district selected candidates for its elementary-level gifted and talented program from among first- and second-graders recommended by parents and teachers. In Can Universal Screening Increase the Representation of Low Income and Minority Students in Gifted Education? (NBER Working Paper 21519), David Card and Laura Giuliano explore the experience of a school district that they describe as "one of the largest and most diverse" in the nation. The gap between disadvantaged students and well-off students shrank when universal screening supplanted the traditional referral system.
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