Shalisa Gee Literature Review 3

Identification and Assessment of the Gifted

Citation:
Baker, E. L. (1996). Introduction to theme issue on educational assessment.
Journal of Educational Research, 89, 194-196.
Clasen, D. R., Middleton, J. A, & Connell, T. J. (1994). Assessing artistic and
problem-solving performance in minority and nonminority students using a
nontraditional multidimensional approach. Gifted Child Quarterly,
38, 27-37.
Cummins, J. (1991). Institutionalized racism and the assessment of minority
children: A comparison of policies and programs in the United States and
Canada. In R. J.
Samuda, S. L. Kong, J. Cummins, J. Pascual-Leone, &J.Lewis. (Eds.),
Assessment and placement of minority students (pp. 97-107).
Kingston/Toronto: Intercultural Social
Sciences Publications.
Maker, C. J., Nielson, A. B., & Rogers, J. A. (1994). Giftedness, diversity, and
problem-solving. Teaching Exceptional Children, 27(1), 4-19.
Plucker, J. A., Callahan, C. M., & Tomchin, E. M. (1996). Wherefore art thou,
multiple intelligences? Alternative assessments for identifying talent in
ethnically diverse and low income students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 40, 8190.
Renzulli, J. S. (1979). What makes giftedness? Reexamining a definition. Phi
Delta Kappan, 60, 180-184.
Sarouphim, K. M. (1998). Use of the DISCOVER assessment for identification
purposes: Concurrent validity and gender issues. Manuscript submitted for
publication.
Annotation: This article talks about a performance based assessment
(Discover) that is designed to identify students from culturally diverse
populations. The process consist of five components: linguistic, logical
mathematical, and spatial intelligence. The article also goes into discussion
as it relates to the reliability and validity of the assessment. It promises to be
an alternative assessment for those underrepresented minority students. It
also states how educators must make sure that when using the Discover
assessment that they match it with the type of gifted program that student
will be place.
Vocabulary
Validity-provide confirmation
Discrete intelligences-fixed learning styles
Linguistic-relating to language
Logical-mathematical-To be able to calculate, quantify, consider propositions,
and perform complex mathematical or logical operations
Spatial-relating to space

Shalisa Gee Literature Review 3

Identification and Assessment of the Gifted

Interpersonal-of or relating to relationships or communication between

people
Intrapersonal-relating to oneself
Bodily-kinesthetic-are control of one's bodily motions and the capacity to
handle objects skillfully
Naturalist-sensitivity to the ecological environment
Existentialist-insight into the different meanings of life and one's existence
Quantitative Measures-measurement of data that is put into numbers
Qualitative Measures-collecting information that isnt numerical
Multiple Intelligences-the way in which individuals learn through various
styles
DISCOVER- Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities
Traditional Assessments-test which determines how much a student has
learned
Name Dropping
E.L Baker
C.J Maker
D.R. Clasen
J. Cummins
J.S. Renzulli
K.S. Sarouphim
J.A. Plucker
C.M Callahan
E.M. Tomchin
J.A. Middleton
A.B. Nielson
J.A. Rodgers
J. Lewis
J. Pascual-Leone
R.J. Samuda
Reflection
The problem of underrepresentation of minority students in programs for
the gifted and their overrepresentation in special education programs has
attracted the attention of researchers, educators, and policy makers (Baker,
1996; Clasen, Middleton, & Connell, 1994; Cummins, 1991; Maker, 1996;
Plucker, Callahan, & Tomchin, 1996). When I read this state I couldnt agree
more that most of the students even when I look at my school when
identifying populations majority of our population in our school would be
minority and also special Ed. I wonder why we cant find ways of looking at
the gifted exceptionalities of our students when we say that all students are
gifted. The article goes in to talk about how nationally when identifying
gifted students that traditional test are used. These test would include

Shalisa Gee Literature Review 3

Identification and Assessment of the Gifted

standardized test, scores or maybe even grades. According to Maker 1996,

and Renzuli 1979 the test dont take into account the motivation, effort, and
creativity. When using these types of test it really puts our underrepresented
students into a disadvantage. When we look at our students whom come
from low income homes there are many factors that affect students.
Environmental concerns, attendance, lack of motivation, and at home
support. When students come to school they arent motivated; however,
that doesnt mean that they arent gifted. We must take into consideration all
students from all populations and not what society may deem as normal.
According to Samuda 1991 most of the test used were based on white
middle class student which to me that would create great disparities and also
biases. In order to be fair as it relates to validity and fairness multiple
assessments procedures must be displays especially if someone is really
interested in identifying minority gifted learners.
The DISCOVER is an acronym that stands for Discovering Intellectual
Strengths and Capabilities through Observation while allowing for Varied
Ethnic Responses. In the process of this assessments students are placed
into groups and observer look at how they solve problems and the strategies
they use in order to solve problems. In order to avoid any bias the observers
rotate. The observer get together to solve the problems. I really think that
this way of observing students for identification especially minority groups
provides multi-facets of looking at the various ways of their gifted talents.
The results showed that the three accounts (DISCOVER)
Independent observer, and teachers) depicted similar results concerning the
participants' strengths and weaknesses in spatial, logical-mathematical, and
linguistic
Intelligences, suggesting that when intelligences were assessed through
specific activities, the DISCOVER assessment observers were
effective.(Sarouphim 1998). When we look at various assessment like
DISCOVER assessment it reveals the various learning styles as well as how
they use those styles to solve problems as well as what their weakness are.
Again I cant reiterate enough the importance of how individual learn with
different styles. Not only if they learn using different styles then its obvious
that they solve problems differently as well. Culture and Socio economic
status plays such a role when we look how we use these tools for
assessment.