The Academics vs. The Thinkers: Gifted or Special Ed?

"Perhaps the most innovative thinkers include not only the ones with the greatest intellectual talents, but also the ones who blend that intellect with perceptive dysfunctions that allow them to function beyond the norm."

                                     -Kiesa kay

Note

I am writing this brief, yet poignant piece, in honor of students with IEPs who are brilliant, yet completely overlooked. Your ability to spend all day being forced to confront your challenges, instead of sharing your gifts, should be an inspiration to all.  

During my tenure in education, I have learned that we identify about 15% of the population as "gifted". Interestingly enough, a roughly similar percentage are entitled to special education services. Through observation, I have concluded that these groups appear more alike than different. In the spirit of common core, I ask the following question:  Why?

Public education is driven by, and revered, for academic achievement. This includes a slew of skill based assessments which categorize students as above, at, or below benchmark.  Students scoring above the 90th percentile are often considered "gifted"; however, those falling below the 10th percentile are entitled to special education services. Per the RTI initiative, both groups are considered outliers.

In school, "gifted" is defined by achievement, not thinking. It is interesting to see how many gifted, and special education students, identify with the same peer groups.  Perhaps it is their shared outlier status, or more likely the quirks and challenges resulting from strong thinking skills.  Kids with strong conceptual knowledge, introspection, and curiosity, often have divergent interests relative to their classmates.

Unfortunately, educators tend to overlook the underachieving, assuming their academic failures correlate with a lack of intellectual prowess.  When these students are observed in non-traditional contexts such as art, music, theater, tech, or physical education their gifts are highlighted and celebrated.  These teachers often depict a student demonstrating well-developed leadership skills, high levels of participation, and a positive attitude.  In many instances, this description contradicts the litany of challenges espoused by content area teachers.  

It is with a heavy heart, I see great thinkers forever being overlooked in lieu of the academically talented. With the perpetuation of common core, and high stakes testing, academic rigor is here to stay.  RTI will continue to provide remediation for those who cannot conform to our "one size fits all" educational system; thus, great thinkers will continue to be judged by their limitations.