Implementation Description
Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy (Scholars Academy), located in Charlotte, serves highly gifted K-8 students. The school’s leaders are familiar with the troubling data associated with gifted students from historically marginalized populations. A 2021 Hunt Institute Report shows that black and hispanic students are underrepresented in gifted programs in 84% and 77% of NC’s Local Education Agencies (LEA), respectively, which exceeds the national average (Stephens, 2021). Furthermore, a Hechinger Report found that “high ability students from low-income backgrounds, as compared to their more advantaged peers, are twice as likely to drop out of school” which “triples the likelihood of incarceration later in life” (Rodov &Truong, 2014). In response to these realities, Scholars Academy developed a growth plan that focuses on reducing barriers for educational disadvantaged (ED) families to access school choice. This plan consisted of four major areas of focus: revamping the admissions process, implementing a weighted lottery, marketing to diverse communities, and offering transportation.
Improving the admissions process began with an update to the enrollment priorities as outlined in the school’s Admissions Policy and establishing priority status for economically disadvantaged students. In order to objectively ensure priority to ED students, the school implemented a weighted lottery during the 2021-22 school year. Students who qualify are entered into the lottery with priority and selected until those seats are full. Any ED student not selected at that time remains in the general lottery along with all other applicants. Since Scholars Academy is designed for highly gifted children, potential students must test at the 98th percentile or higher (which places them in the top 2%) on either a standardized IQ test or a group aptitude test. Those applicants who test at least three standard deviations above the mean on an accepted cognitive abilities test qualify automatically for the lottery. For those applicants testing two to three standard deviations above the mean, a school-based Admissions Team reviews completed applications, including nomination forms, together to determine qualified candidates. Identification is not based on a single measure, but rather on multiple indicators of giftedness. In order to ensure that economic status is not a barrier, the school offers the group aptitude testing for free to any family interested in enrolling their child(ren) at the school. Once a student qualifies based on their test scores, they are entered into the lottery.
The admissions process is only the first of several potential barriers that Scholars Academy chose to address. Transportation is a significant barrier for many families, so the school developed a plan to purchase buses and establish bus routes. Using NC ACCESS funds, the school purchased a second bus, but quickly recognized the need for a third. School leaders and their board agreed to purchase the third bus using funds from the school’s budget. All students are able to ride the bus at a reduced rate of $80/month during the 2021-22 school year, but qualifying students are able to ride at no cost.
While a clear, inclusive admissions process and availability of transportation increases the likelihood that economically disadvantaged families will consider Scholars Academy a viable option for their children, it is even more critical that they are aware of the school and the opportunities it offers their children. Therefore, Scholars Academy contracted with an expert to develop a marketing strategy to reach a diverse audience. The school used several outlets including social media, print advertisements, and radio commercials. They purchased ads in Spanish publications, such as Hola News and La Raza radio. They created advertisements in both English and Spanish to invite families to attend interest meetings, which were conducted monthly. Each session had approximately 75 guests.
Another significant way the school engages with the community is through Parent Support Groups as part of their Gifted Community Outreach. Monthly, from September through April, the school hosts sessions for anyone who is interested in learning more about gifted children and their education. Each session targets a specific topic, ranging from ‘Gifted Characteristics'' to ‘Perfectionism & the Gifted Child”. While these are not intended to be recruitment tools for the school, they do increase awareness in the community. Finally, the school held a Gifted Minds Conference in February for teachers. The conference was held on a CMS workday so local teachers would have an opportunity to attend at no cost. Both the in person and virtual sessions were successful. Over 100 people attended via Zoom, and all full day attendees were from Title 1 schools.
During the 2021-22 school year, Scholars Academy established a Parent/Community Advisory Council (PAC) which will work closely with the established Parent Support Group to continue offering these opportunities to the community. Additionally, the PAC will review school policies to ensure that the school is offering a fair and inclusive environment for all children.
Results
Two hundred prospective students participated in the free group testing, which was an increase of 50 more students than last year. School leaders attribute this thirty-three percent increase to the school’s recent marketing initiative.
The school’s transportation serves 150 of the school’s 385 students each day with an additional 50 students on the waiting list. As open seats become available on the bus, ED students are given priority.
Implementation of a weighted lottery began in March during the open enrollment period for the 2022-23 school year. The school is fully enrolled at 385 students with an additional 200 on the waitlist.
The overall demographic data has not changed significantly in one year as we have limited seats to offer. Our waitlist is around 200 students and our student retention rate is around 95%. We offered a total of 50 seats this year of which 24 of those were offered to siblings of current students. Of the remaining 26 seats offered, we enrolled 5 ED students. This is a small number, but a start.
Challenges
One of the greatest challenges when working with gifted students from diverse backgrounds is accurately identifying them. There are various levels of giftedness that are not always easy to identify by IQ scores alone (Sallin, 2020), and Scholars Academy works to utilize multiple pathways to identification. In the words of Dr. Jim Delisle, gifted educator and author, “giftedness is someone you are, not just something you do.”* Research has shown that the highly gifted mind not only learns differently, but experiences life differently as well. A highly gifted child may have intense emotional responses, unique sensory reactions, an affinity for global justice, and a greater sensitivity to the world around them. For these reasons, we rely not only on the results of an applicant's cognitive testing, but also on data gleaned from personal nomination forms and teacher questionnaires (Delisle, 2015).
Providing a welcome and comfortable environment for ED families in a gifted community can be a challenge as well. Some families may experience psychological barriers due to differences in socio-economic status.
Future Modifications
The marketing plan will be modified as needed based on feedback from all stakeholders.
As the school welcomes more ED families, teachers will receive additional training in working with students of poverty. This begins in the 2022-23 school year with a study of Ruby Payne’s, A Framework for Understanding Poverty.
Scholars Academy leadership and the PAC will collaborate to develop a formal Scholars Academy equity document that clearly articulates equity as a foundational principle of the school.
Critical Components
Getting Started
Parent engagement is essential in order to reach the community, because current families are the school's best ambassadors.
Ongoing Supports
School leaders have emphasized the importance of an effective, long-term marketing strategy focused on diverse communities.
Equity Connections
Although 25% of North Carolina’s students are African American, they represent “only 10 percent of the gifted group” (Khrais, 2015), and a similar gap exists in the Hispanic community. Gifted education experts attribute this disparity to several factors, including culturally ethnocentric standardized testing used for identification and implicit bias which may prevent teachers from recommending minority students as potential candidates for gifted programs. As Scholars Academy works to identify and educate students from historically marginalized populations, they address a significant need in gifted education, because parents “with economic, social, and cultural capital will seek specialized—often fee-based—enrichment programs outside of school” (Stephens, 20201), while students from educationally disadvantaged families are frequently unable to access these options and rely on the school to provide a quality, equitable program for their gifted child(ren.)
Research
1. Delisle, J. (2015, April 25) “100 Words of Wisdom: Jim Delisle. Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted”. https://www.sengifted.org/post/100-words-of-wisdom-jim-delisle
2. Khrais, R. (December 15, 2015). “In NC, Black, Latino Kids Less Likely To Be In Gifted Program”. NC Public Radio. Accessed June 22, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.wunc.org/education/2015-12-15/in-nc-black-latino-kids-less-likely-to-be-in-gifted-program
3. Stephens, K. (February, 2021). “Equity and Access in Gifted Education: An Examination Within North Carolina”. Hunt Institute. Accessed June 22,2022. Retrieved from https://hunt-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/HI-Duke-Brief-Stephens.pdf
4. Rodov, F; Truong, S. ( December, 2014). “Where is the outrage about the pipeline to prison for gifted students?”. The Hechinger Report. Accessed June 22,2022. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/outrage-pipeline-prison-gifted-students/
5. Sallin, J. (February 202). “High, Exceptional & Profound Giftedness”. Accessed June 24, 2022. Retrieved from https://giftedconsortium.com/high-exceptional-profound-giftedness/
6. United States Census Bureau. “Quick Facts North Carolina”. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NC/PST045219
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