Parents' Views of a Gifted and Talented Phase-Out Proposal: One School's Journey Toward Increased Equity

• In Event: Qualitative Studies of Gentrification, Race, Inequality, and School Choice

Abstract

The purpose of this case study is to document the evolution of a NYC school diversity committee's proposal to phase out a mostly White, self-contained gifted and talented (G&T) elementary program. Data included school documents, parent list serve emails, and interviews with 30 parents, one principal and five Gen Ed and G&T teachers to examine their perceptions of the proposal. Purposeful and snowball sampling was utilized to obtain a racially diverse group of parents who had children in the G&T program (n=10), Dual Language program (n=9), special education program (n=3), or General Education program (n=5) within the school. Three parents had two children enrolled in different programs (e.g. one child in G&T and one child in DL).

I applied the theory of aspirational class (Currid-Halkett, 2017) to this multiracial school with a segregated, predominantly White G&T program track, to examine the relationship between material goods (in this case G&T), parental status and views on the G&T phase out proposal. The aspirational class is the “new dominant cultural elite” which illuminates their position in society through “cultural signifiers” that portray their values and identities (p. 18). Applied to this case, the aspirational class are mostly White and high-income parents who choose G&T as a signal to others about their higher status positioning, as well as their beliefs about peer effects and future academic placements. I found that when that status/label is threatened, most become adamant “G&T-defenders” even as they simultaneously admit that the admissions process is unfair and their current children in the program will not be affected by the plan which is slated to go into effect in 2020. Their preferred solution to the G&T segregation is to offer test prep classes to close achievement gaps between Black and White students in the school, and to diversify the gifted program instead of eliminating it.

On the other side, as Currid-Halkett (2017) wrote, “This luxury of affluence and information can inspire very important social movements and pushback not just against conspicuous consumption, but also against the very means of production that transformed capital, consumption, and status in the first place” (p. 109). This is where the parents that are for the G&T-phase out fit into the scenario. As a group, which included some G&T parents, I found that they resist the philosophy of G&T and advocate for the school to become a community that is racially balanced within. As one G&T parent admitted, “the discourse around G&T is a lie”, referring to the fact that there is no separate gifted curriculum. These parents also believe that all students have unique gifts and talents, as one DL parent said “I know my child is special, not getting into G&T is not going to change my perception about her abilities”.
Ultimately, the current NYC public school system systematically segregates students into specialized programs at every grade level; therefore, this paper analyzes parent’s positions in one NYC school community that is working toward increased equity by phasing their G&T program out.

Author

• Allison Roda, Molloy College