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

home and community environments and their impact on student achievement (Zorman,
1991).
The identification procedures used in the selection of students for gifted programs
is crucial to achieving equity (Gallagher, 2002). Frasier and others (1995) identified three
assumptions that can help to eliminate these barriers. First, CLED students who do not
meet the traditional criteria for identification could participate in programs to develop and
nurture their talents. Second, the demonstration of gifted behaviors in CLED students
may be affected by the socio-cultural context. Finally, there is a need for new paradigms
to guide identification the of CLED students’ gifts and talents, and these talents must be
embedded within their socio-cultural and economic context. Frasier and Passow (1994)
propose eight elements to improve gifted programs and services for traditionally underrepresented
students, including the need for new constructs of giftedness, attention to
cultural and contextual variability, more varied and authentic assessment, performance
identification practices, identification through learning opportunities, attention to both
absolute gifted traits and aptitudes, and different representations of gifted potential and
performance within social and cultural contexts (p. xvii).
Many more talented CLED students than are currently served in gifted and
talented programs have the potential to become creative producers in the future. Students
creatively produce when they tap into their interests and strengths to develop products
that address a real-world problem and/or audience. Several suggestions have been made
to improve the identification of gifts and talents in CLED students. There must be a
recognition of the students' performance potential, identification of students' interests and
their role on student motivation, exposure to a wide range of learning opportunities,
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