Introduction
Demographics of Florida have recorded overwhelming changes in the recent years due to the increased population as well as enrichment of human race diversity. The city is identified with a large population of students in the available schools, who are inclusive of all human races.
The students’ achievements of set goals are widely determined by the extent of recognition by the Bureau of education, the low income gifted students not being an exception. Gifted children entail those individuals that have high potentials of achievements, though disadvantaged by the fact that they come from low income earning families.
The 2000 demographics table of recognition has been constructed in a way that makes rampant challenges identifiable (Brody, 2004). The discussion in this paper is aimed at investigating challenges associated with the identification, placement, or provision of appropriate instruction to low income gifted students.
Challenges to low income gifted students
A countless number of challenges are identified in regards to the identification, placement as well as provision of the essential instruction to those students that are gifted and coming from low income families in Florida. Inequality in representation is very evident from the recent 2000 demographics.
The fact that the city holds all types of races in the general population and the fact that the same rate should be viewed in school populations, there needs be equal treatment for all students. However, the largest numbers that are catered for in the placements to special programs are whites while very few numbers of other races are catered for.
The inequality challenge goes beyond the national level for it is rampantly extended to the district level (Brody, 2004). Additionally, there exists a disproportional representation of the students in regard to linguistic, cultural as well as the ethnic diversity.
The consideration is based on the racial lines and hence giving room to the aspect of tribalism to take preeminence in the operations of gifted students programs. In the process, the low-income gifted students who should be considered for special education are not catered for.
The issue of ethnicity is identified with persistence over the years and also the failure for the educational curriculum to offer ample instructions to those students that are talented in one way or the other. The long standing challenge has been that of the high percentage of minority students with special needs as compared to their enrolment to the gifted and talented students programs.
The immigrant’s students into Florida have very small numbers of those considered as compared to those of the white’s students. This problem is identified with a disproportionate representation in the schools. In response to this, the current research reports indicate that the future of Florida is bound to encompass large numbers of diverse racial lines, thus becoming a multiracial area.
This also accounts for a rise of the numbers of students of immigrants to higher levels that those of whites, making it a problem if this tribalism challenge continues thriving (Karnes and Johnsen, 2005). Moreover, there is the prevalence of favoritism challenge, which entails offering special consideration to some individuals more than the others are considered.
The demographic representation of the year 2000 indicate some parts of those that are white gifted students being given a priority over the rest, though they are racially similar. The counties, though in the same city do not use an identical criteria for the consideration of gifted low income students, and those in some areas benefit.
The major long-standing problem is even that having ghost students being in the special school programs, who take up the positions of the genuinely needy. This form of favoritism diverts the funds that are to help the gifted low income students into no noble utilization.
The extension of this challenge is also extended along racial lines in regard to the identification and placement of the gifted low income students into the appropriate programs. Furthermore, the fact that the challenges are long standing is an implication that no policies have been put into place to safeguard the gifted low income students to help them achieve their dreams by the prevailing government (Karnes and Johnsen, 2005).
The usefulness of the information in identifying this subgroup in a school
The information herein provided is crucial in the identification of such a sub-group in my school. The fact that no school in the world will comprise of students of a similar race helps release the importance regarding every person as a human creature regardless of their origin.
My school though does not emphasize on such programs will need to come up with the best strategies to identify such groups. The gifted students are quite innovative since are those people with an extra knowledge in regard to innovation but sometimes never get a chance to achieve their dreams.
The information is also valuable in the evaluation of how best a government, an institution or an education has been able to assist needy students. It is also important in addressing the issue of inequality in learning institutions as well as governmental realms. The change of placement and identification policies is only possible when appropriate environmental scanning has been performed to identify such challenges (Cline and Schwartz, 1999).
Conclusion
The placement, identification and meeting of instructional needs of gifted low income students in Florida have been overwhelmed by some rampant challenges in the recent years. The rampancy of inequality, favoritism as well as tribalism is known to have been long-standing over the years.
However, the identification of these challenges has a rationale of identifying such groups in my school as well as addressing them. However, more research should be conducted to come up with the sources of these rampant challenges associated with the identification, placement, or provision of appropriate instruction to low income gifted students
References
Brody, L. (2004). Grouping and acceleration practices in gifted education. NY: Corwin Press, 2004.
Cline, S. and Schwartz, D. (1999). Diverse populations of gifted children: meeting their needs in the regular classroom and beyond. NY: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Karnes, F. and Johnsen, S. (2005). Identifying gifted students: a step-by-step guide. Texas: Prufrock Press Inc.