Models+of+GATE+Identification

I will be investigating models of GATE Identification. Whether giftedness is measured by IQ or another method, at this moment I believe that most GATE testing is subjective and has a broad approach that fits students into a catagory rather than students being measured arbitrarily by the traits they are exhibiting.

__Beginning of Intelligence Tests __

Many scholars believe that mental testing began in examination form sometime around 605 AD in the country of China. This examination was called the Imperial Examination. It was designed to help select individuals to serve in the government. It was later modified by other countries and played a key role in determining who was intellectual enough to serve and help dominate society.

Modern mental testing began in the nineteenth century in the country of France. It was mainly used to help determine the difference between mental retardation and mental illness. The English then developed testing that measured intelligence based on non-verbal sensory-motor tests. At first it was popular but then was given up because it showed no relationship to school grades.

In 1905, French psychologist Alfred Binet along with others focused their efforts on verbal abilities. The focus was to identify mental retardation in school children and matched a child's mental age with his chronological age. In 1910, American psychologist, Henry Goddard's modifications of the French tests gave the Eugenics (a group of people that wanted to improve the genetic population of the U.S.) credibility in diagnosing mental retardation. Many American women, mostly African Americans were forcibly sterilized based on the results of these IQ tests. In 1916, American psychologist, Lewis Terman revised the Binet Scale and it became the most popular test in America for many years.

__What is GATE?__ The goal of many GATE programs is to provide high quality instruction, acceleration, and differentiated curriculum for students who are identified as having abilities and/or potential for high performance. The system for identifying gifted and talented students has been based on a broad range of research that has accumulated over the years on the characteristics of creative and productive individuals. This research tells us that highly productive people are characterized by three interlocking clusters of ability, these clusters being above average (though not necessarily superior) ability, task commitment, and creativity. The following description of behavioral manifestations of each cluster is a summary of the major concepts and conclusions resulting from the work of theorists and researchers who have examined these concepts:

//General ability// High levels of abstract thinking, verbal and numerical reasoning, spatial relations, memory, and word fluency. Adaptation to the shaping of novel situations encountered in the external environment. The automatization of information processing; rapid accurate, and selective retrieval of information.

//Specific Ability// The application of various combinations of the above general abilities to one or more specialized areas of knowledge or areas of human performance. The capacity for acquiring and making appropriate use of advanced amounts of formal knowledge, tacit knowledge, technique, logistics, and strategy in the pursuit of' particular problems or the manifestation of specialized areas of performance. The capacity to sort out relevant and irrelevant information associated with a particular problem or areas of study or performance.

//Task Commitment// The capacity for high levels of interest, enthusiasm, fascination, and involvement in a particular problem. area of study, or form of human expression. The capacity for perseverance. endurance. determination, hard work, and dedicated practice. Self-confidence. a strong ego and a belief in one's ability to carry out important work, freedom from inferiority feelings, drive to achieve. The ability to identify significant problems within specialized reason; the ability to tune in to major channels of communication and new developments within given fields. Setting high standards for one's work; maintaining an openness to self and external criticism; developing an aesthetic sense of taste, quality, and excellence about one's own work and the work of others.

//Creativity// Fluency, flexibility, and originality of thought Openness to experience; receptive to that which is new and different (even irrational) in thoughts, actions, and products of oneself and others. Curious, speculative, adventurous, and "mentally playful" willing to take risks in thought and action, even to the point of being uninhibited. Sensitive to detail, aesthetic characteristics of ideas and things; willing to act on and react to external stimulation and one's own ideas and feelings.

__GATE Identification__
Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Programs are designed to serve students who have special needs that might not be met in a regular educational setting. These students have special needs based on their high cognitive abilities, which often means that they need faster-paced instruction and higher level instruction. Multiple methods are used to accommodate these special needs, typically including differentiated instruction, pull-out programs, or GATE designated classes. In order to identify these special needs students, IQ and/or intellectual ability tests are used as the primary indicator. A secondary indicator is a district-approved achievement test. Many school districts use a group administered cognitive abilities test, the intellectual abilities test with a set point percentile of 95%. __Models of Identification__

//Raven Test//

This test is a non-verbal multiple choice test that measures the reasoning ability which is often referred to as general intelligence. The tests were originally developed by John Raven in 1936. In each test item, the student is asked to identify the missing element that completes a pattern. Many patterns are presented in the form of a 4x4, 3x3, or 2x2 matrix, giving the test its name.

//Dabrowski//'s Overexcitibilities

Dabrowski introduced the theory of psychic overexcitiablity which are constant overreactions to external and internal stimuli that was limited in certain dimensions. These catagories are psychomotor, sensual, imaginational, intellectual, and emotional. These areas of interaction expanded the areas that giftedness could be identified. They also lead to a better method of identification because it was not on one dimensional.

__Identification Process__

After much review about the identification process and whatever models are utilized many school district's have settled on the following process:

CST Advanced in Math CST Advanced in Language Arts OLSAT Assessment Report Card Grades Teacher Recommendation Principal Recommendation Psychologist Recommendation Parental Approval

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