How to quantify equity and better advocate for oneself, were but two of the topics discussed during the second day of American University’s (AU) annual School of Education Summer Institute on Education Equity and Justice (SIEEJ).
This year, the three-day event – Jun. 28 to 30 – centered around the theme, “Leveling the Playing Field: Intersecting Race and Disabilities.”
Day two featured the likes of – among others – James Rutenbeck, director of the documentary, “A Reckoning in Boston”; Kafi Dixon, producer of “A Reckoning in Boston” and founder of Common Good Co-op; and Dr. Donna Y. Ford, distinguished professor in The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology.
In her keynote address, “Beyond Lip Service: What True Equity Looks Like in Gifted Education for Black and Hispanic Students,” Ford highlighted the unevenness in the number of students in U.S. public schools compared with how many of those students were in gifted and talented education (GATE) programs.
Black students make up 19% of U.S. public schools but just 10% of GATE, she said.
“When you take these percentages and give them numbers, you will see that over 250,000 Black students are not being identified as gifted each year,” Ford said. Similarly, Hispanic students comprised 26% of the student population but only 16% of GATE.
“So combined, we’re talking about half a million Black and Brown students not being identified as gifted,” Ford said. “And some of that is intentional, meaning explicit racism is taking place, and some of it is unintentional, meaning implicit racism is taking place.”
