ERIC Number: EJ741660
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 8
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0016-9862
EISSN: N/A
Increasing Minority Children's Participation in Gifted Classes Using the NNAT: A Response to Lohman
Naglieri, Jack A.; Ford, Donna Y.
Gifted Child Quarterly, v49 n1 p29-36 Win 2005
In a previous article, we (Naglieri & Ford, 2003) provided evidence from a large-scale study that similar proportions of White, Black, and Hispanic children would be identified as gifted using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT; Naglieri, 1997). Lohman (2005) has taken issue with our conclusions and our methods. We provide several responses to his arguments and make five important points. First, we take the position that underrepresentation of minority children in classes for the gifted is a serious problem that must be remedied. Second, traditional measures of ability that include verbal and quantitative tests pose particular problems to less-advantaged children who may be intelligent, but lack verbal and math knowledge. Third, we argue that the CogAT verbal and quantitative tests of "ability" correlate higher with the ITBS "achievement" tests than the CogAT nonverbal tests of ability because of the similarity of skills needed to answer the items on both the ITBS and the CogAT. Fourth, we reject an emphasis on "academically gifted" children that excludes the identification of "intellectually gifted" children who happen to have poor academic skills. Fifth, we request that critics of the NNAT provide evidence of the magnitude of race and ethnic differences, as well as the likely effect on representation of minorities using whatever alternatives they propose.
Descriptors: Minority Group Children, Academically Gifted, Disproportionate Representation, Racial Differences, Achievement Tests, Mathematics Tests, Nonverbal Ability, Nonverbal Tests
National Association for Gifted Children. 1707 L Street NW Suite 550, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-785-4268; Fax: 202-785-4248; e-mail: nagc@nagc.org; Web site: http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=34&pb.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Iowa Tests of Basic Skills
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A