Gifted Education: Is it Worth it?

By Katherine Varga

In 2010, the federal government allocated 12.6 billion dollars for special education students across the country. In contrast, also in 2010, congress passed the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act, which provided 7.5 million dollars for research on ethnically diverse, gifted students. There was no federal funding provided directly to school districts for gifted education and until today this still remains to be the case. Based on these facts alone, one can conclude gifted education is not a priority in our country.

With funding so scarce during these challenging economic times, the question must be asked, would special education for gifted students be worth the trouble and cost?  Should it be a priority?

In 1976, Tucson was a small, but exponentially growing community with approximately 300,000 people. Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), the largest district in Tucson, was losing student enrollment to outlying school districts and therefore money as well. During this time, state funding for schools also dropped dramatically, the cost of many educational materials doubled, utilities in the Tucson area rose by 50% and a budget override of 1.9 million dollars was rejected by public vote. In other words, in many ways, the surrounding economic environment was exceptionally difficult and not very different from what we are experiencing in Gilbert today.

As an attempt to maintain enrollment and target students’ individual needs better, TUSD developed four alternative education programs.  One of these was the Special Projects High School, housed on the campus of a typical high school, which offered AP classes and required high test scores or an I.Q. of 130 to be enrolled.  Over time, the administrators made it a point to provide a balanced and developmentally appropriate education, with excellent access to athletics, the arts and other quality extracurricular programs in addition to providing a phenomenal faculty, many of which held doctorate degrees in their respective fields. In the last 36 years, the school has changed campuses (from Tucson High to Rincon High), their name, their mascot (from the skunk to the penguin), and also their notoriety. University High School (UHS), now known as a public magnet school for gifted and talented students, was recently ranked by the 2012 U.S. World and News Report as the fourth highest performing high school in the country. In 2004, the number of UHS students passing the AP exams for United States History, Comparative Politics and the English Language was higher than any other high school in the world. It boasts some very notable graduates including former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. They report that 50-75% of their students receive at least one scholarship and nearly all attend college.

Sounds impressive, right?  Perhaps their gifted students are especially exceptional? Or not. Statistically speaking, Gilbert should have as high a percentage of highly gifted students as Tucson. Maybe University High recruited students from all white, economically advantaged households? Or not. The U.S. World and News Report recorded a minority population of 40% graduating from UHS last year. If these students had been spread out among all the typical high schools in the district, would they have performed as well?  Looking at the evidence, it is not difficult to assume probably not. Again, we can ask the question, does special education for gifted students make a difference?  Is it worth it?

As a student who attended UHS and as a special education employee currently working for Gilbert Public Schools, I have pondered this question myself. We strenuously labor to raise our struggling students to their highest potential, and yet generally neglect to academically target those students who have the most potential to innovate, lead and problem solve in the future. As part of my exploration, I wrote a few of my high school classmates for their feelings on the subject.  James Marsh, a fellow graduate of 1999, wrote the following about his experience attending UHS:

“I don’t know if I am typical of the typical gifted student, if such a thing could be said to exist at all. I was always a little quicker to grasp concepts and build off of them. Large stretches of time during normal instruction were spent reading fantasy or science fiction books in class while the other students toiled away at assignments I’d long since completed.

“I was socially awkward and did not relate with the other students on an intellectual or emotional basis most of the time. There were exceptions to the rule, but for the most part my interaction with the other students was from a studied distance both of us preferred, or as the butt of jokes and pranks. I admit I was arrogant in my intellectual capacity and unknowingly encouraged and rewarded such behavior. I incorrectly divided the world into the intellectual, secluded nerds and all of the “normal kids.”

“When I heard of University High School, I sought it out as a haven – and was not disappointed. Everyone was a fellow comrade in arms, suddenly faced with workloads that challenged our intellect and sometimes stamina. Were we all still teenagers with the accompanying adjustment periods and sometimes clashing personalities? Of course. But we were all equal.

“Everyone had a chance to shine in one way or another, and everyone was regarded with and expressed a certain amount of respect for one another. Each of us had earned our spot there and we knew it. I learned that high test scores were no indication of any demographic, including personalities and interests. There were those that still outstripped the curve, but I did not resent it. In fact, at times it gave me a little insight into how I must have appeared to others growing up. When I struggled, others extended to me help and I returned the favor in areas where I excelled. There were times when I excelled but I took no pride in it. Humility was being drummed into me in other areas.

“For the first time I knew what it was to feel ‘normal.’

“I can’t say that that was the experience everyone held, but for me the most important lessons I learned at UHS was that everyone had something to teach each other. I learned how to interact with peers and how by holding each other to higher standards everyone was sharpened.

“I learned it was ok to be me.”

Certainly the experience of one may not speak for all, but for this one, gifted education made a difference. We have to decide what we want for our children and what we are willing to offer.  Personally, as a community, I believe we can and must do better.