Gifted Segregation vs. Integration

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Recently, a major debate between education boards nationwide has been receiving a lot of attention because of the impact it could potentially have on our current system of education. The debate centers around the issue of segregated versus integrated classrooms and whether or not separate classes for gifted students are necessary to be implement in schools across America. Typically, in integrated classrooms students who are classified as “gifted” will be working in and among the “average” students, meaning those who are receiving the proper level of education based on their abilities and maturity. Many parents and organizations have come forward against this classroom format, arguing that the gifted children are not able to reach their full potential when taught the curriculum designed for the average student. They believe these students should be separated from their peers and placed into gifted classes where they are taught in a way that allows the students to make the best of their abilities. However, a change like this requires an increase in staff, hours, and funding for schools nationwide and with education suffering large budget cuts across America, this request is seemingly impossible to grant. Completely separate classrooms are unlikely to be funded but gifted students can still receive the education they require with far less cost to the school by having one specialized gifted teacher per school that the children spend a portion of their day with to satisfy their need for mental stimulation that is beyond what they are getting in their current classrooms.
The main force behind the push for completely segregated classrooms are organizations like the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) whose main goal is...

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Curriculum. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Marsh, Herbert W. The Effects of Gifted and Talented Programs on Academic Self-Concept: The
Big Fish Strikes Again. American Educational Research Journal. No. 2. Vol. 32. N.p.: American Educational Research Association, 2009. JSTOR. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Renzulli, Joseph S. More Changes Needed to Expand Gifted Identification and Support. Rep. no.
8. Vol. 92. N.p.: Phi Delta Kappa International, 2011. JSTOR. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
“Teacher Training Makes a Difference.” NAGC. National Association for Gifted Children, 2008.
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"U.S. Department of Education." U.S. Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.
"View Your State's Policy on Gifted and Talented Education." View Your State's Policy on
Gifted and Talented Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

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