Chapter One An Introduction to the Topic of Cultural Diversity - NAGC

not match a list of mainstream characteristics (Maker & Schiever, 1989). An examination
of the traditional characteristics of giftedness that may or may not be exhibited by CLED
students indicates a need for a deeper understanding of student's culture by educators and
society in general (Ford & Harris, 1999). A lack of understanding of the culture of this
diverse group of students may provide one reason for the lower percentages of CLED
students identified as gifted as summarized in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1:
Percentages of CLED Students in Total U. S. School Population and
Identified Gifted
Year 1978 1980 1982 1984 1992
________________________________________________________________________
Latino
Total 6.8 9.0 8.6 13.2 13.7
GT 5.15 5.4 4.0 7.2 7.9
Over/under U U U U U
American-
Indian
Total .8 .7 .5 .8 1.0
GT .3 .3 .3 .3 .5
Over/under U U U U U
Asian-American
Total 1.4 2.2 2.6 3.7 4.0
GT 3.4 4.4 4.7 6.8 7.0
Over/under O O O O O
African-American
Total 15.7 20.1 25.8 24.5 21.1
GT 10.3 11.1 11.0 12.9 12.0
Over/under U U U U U
Ford, D. Y., & Harris, J .J. (1999) Multicultural and Gifted Education. Reprinted with Permission.
19