Gifted Education After Brown v. Board of Education
Session Title
Schools and Education
College
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
History
Abstract
Though the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is often referenced as the case that established a racially equal education system in the United States, I demonstrate that this claim of equitability is false. In this paper, I document persistent struggles that gifted African American students face daily to receive services targeted for high-achieving students. By examining the experiences of Black schoolchildren in America, I contribute to existing research by clarifying a relationship between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and the racial inequalities that exist today. My research compiles quantitative analysis of national datasets as well as in-depth review of secondary sources. There are a number of unequitable situations that high-achieving Black students face; one problem derives from a lack of testing of Black students for gifted programs. Persistent evidence shows that Black students in America are not tested for gifted and talented programs at nearly the same rates as their white counterparts, leading to racial inequities in even the opportunity to be identified as an academically exceptional student. However, even when Black students are selected for gifted programming, a second problem arises when facilities and services for gifted children are often inaccessible to Black students living faraway. By promoting school accountability, racially representative reallocation of gifted services, diversity training, gifted education certification, and strengthening the Brown precedent, Black students will finally start to receive a quality education that will allow them to achieve at their full potential.
Start Date
15-4-2022 12:00 PM
Gifted Education After Brown v. Board of Education
Though the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is often referenced as the case that established a racially equal education system in the United States, I demonstrate that this claim of equitability is false. In this paper, I document persistent struggles that gifted African American students face daily to receive services targeted for high-achieving students. By examining the experiences of Black schoolchildren in America, I contribute to existing research by clarifying a relationship between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and the racial inequalities that exist today. My research compiles quantitative analysis of national datasets as well as in-depth review of secondary sources. There are a number of unequitable situations that high-achieving Black students face; one problem derives from a lack of testing of Black students for gifted programs. Persistent evidence shows that Black students in America are not tested for gifted and talented programs at nearly the same rates as their white counterparts, leading to racial inequities in even the opportunity to be identified as an academically exceptional student. However, even when Black students are selected for gifted programming, a second problem arises when facilities and services for gifted children are often inaccessible to Black students living faraway. By promoting school accountability, racially representative reallocation of gifted services, diversity training, gifted education certification, and strengthening the Brown precedent, Black students will finally start to receive a quality education that will allow them to achieve at their full potential.
