Addressing the Underrepresentation of Latino Bilingual Students in Gifted Programs

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 41
  In Roundtable Session: Quantitative Approaches to Address Long-Standing Issues in Bilingual Education

Abstract

The goal for this project was to address the underrepresentation of Latino bilingual students in Gifted and Talented Programs in schools. Although there is an array of factors that contribute to this underrepresentation, one dominant factor is the identification process. This project aimed to provide educators, parents, and other stakeholders with necessary information concerning the gifted characteristics unique to Latino bilingual students. One approach was to create a scale to assess the gifted characteristics for Latino bilingual students. This scale can then be used as a screening tool in the identification process. This study attempted to create a scale based on a validated assessment called the Hispanic Gifted Bilingual Screening Instrument (HGBSI).

Authors

• J. Joy Esquierdo, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

• Isela Almaguer, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley