Diversity

(or the
lack of )

in the
Classroo
m
The launching of
Sputnik in the late
1950s would serve
as an awakening
moment that
would forever
revolutionize the
attitude of the
educational
system in the
United States.
The launching led
to a monumental
moment in which
the focus was to
reevaluate the
system set in place
to educate our

How the needs of

culturally diverse
students can be
addressed:
Be culturally responsive
Work to understand, respect, and
meet the needs of your culturally
diverse students

Culturall
y Diverse
Culture is the essence
of who we are and how
we exist in the world
(Baldwin, 2002, p.140)

Create a culturally responsive curriculum

design and use culturally responsive
curriculum and materials or resources,
that build upon the important goals of
differentiating instruction for gifted
students with a clear focus on rigor and
relevance
Understand the music culture
The culture of hip hop has
become an important element of the
everyday culture of many of our young
African American students. For better or
worse, it has shaped the minds of many of
our African American students. Due to the
fact that hip hop plays such an important
role, it is suggested that parents, teachers,
and school counselors of African American
students achieve a richer understanding of
hip-hop culture and how its promotion is
relate to black students
STRENGTHS. OPPORTUNITIES. GIFTED.

General
Description
-Culturally

diverse studentsare
those being reared in any group that
differs significantly in values and

Diversity &
Inclusion
Culturally different
students need
instructors that feel an
obligation, sense of

Untraditional
Characteristics
--African Americans frequently lack
success, drop out of, or choose to not
participate in gifted education for
reasons ranging from low teacher
expectations, lack of motivation, fear
of separation from peers, perception
that gifted ed is the wrong place for
AA students (Henfield, Moore and
Wood, 2008, 434).
- African American and Hispanic
American students who have not
experienced high levels of cultural
assimilation into the mainstream

Special Needs
of Groups

- Alternate definitions of who is

gifted and tests that are not
culturally biased are important
to identifying gifted culturally
diverse students (Reis, p.3).

- Culturally diverse gifted

students need to be immersed
in a culturally responsive
learning environment where
their cultural differences are
acknowledged (not negatively)
and their skills allowed to
flourish (Ford, Moore, & Milner,
2005, p.11).
- African American students
must deal with the extra layer
of racial identity on top of their
giftedness. They have to sort
through acting white vs.
acting black. (Henfield, Moore,
and Wood, 2008, 440).
- Alternate definitions of who is
gifted and tests that are not
culturally biased are important
to identifying gifted culturally
diverse students (Reis, p.3).
-Culturally diverse gifted
students need to be immersed
in a culturally responsive