Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners

Designing and Implementing Programs in Specialized School Settings

Bronwyn MacFarlane

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000503432
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Specialized Schools for High-Ability Learners focuses on educational programming offered in nontraditional, publicly approved, and private settings, with important details about how to serve high-ability learners in specialized schools and deliver schoolwide educational change. Each chapter offers a differentiated resource for educators who are interested in designing and implementing programs in specialized school settings by providing a discussion of the critical components for inclusion in a carefully planned, coherent, and quality-minded K-12 curricular sequence. This book delivers a comprehensive discussion with recommendations for the learning experiences of high-talent students in specialized schools and alternatively approved educational programs. Through relevant research and practical applications, this compendium will help in developing high levels of talent among the next generation of competent critical thinkers.

PART I

Foundational Theories and Research Among Specialized Schools

CHAPTER 1

Charting a Specialized Course in Education

Public, Private, Magnet, and Charter Schools

Bronwyn MacFarlane

DOI: 10.4324/9781003238164-3

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.

—Albert Einstein

During the 2015–2016 school year, there were an estimated 90,400 K–12 public schools in the United States, including 83,500 traditional public and 6,900 public charter schools (Taie & Goldring, 2017). These schools served nearly 49.3 million students, with about 46.2 million in traditional public schools and another 3 million in public charter schools. The number of public charter schools increased from 4,480 to 6,900 between 2011 and 2016 (Bitterman, Gray, & Goldring, 2013). Among special education services provided, about 99% of public schools had at least one student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) due to special needs. Seventy-six percent of public schools provided instruction specifically designed to address the needs of English language learners or limited English proficient students. About 87% of public schools in the United States were regular schools, 6% were alternative or other schools, 4% were special program emphasis, 2% were special education, and 2% were career/technical/vocational schools (Taie & Goldring, 2017). Across this array of schools, approximately 3.3 million students were enrolled in K–12 gifted and talented programs during the 2013–2014 school year, according to the most recent available Office of Civil Rights national data (CRDC, n.d.; National Association for Gifted Children [NAGC] & The Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted [CSDPG], 2015).

Although the exact number of specialized schools varies, 15 states provide residential schools, and 23 states provide specialized summer academies, such as governor’s schools for advanced learners. Many of these schools have a specific content focus (e.g., mathematics, science, or the arts) or are designed to provide advanced learning experiences across many discipline areas. Specialty schools are not a new phenomenon in education but have been steadily increasing over time. Associations such as the National Conference of Governor’s Schools (NCoGS) and the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) provide opportunities for educators in these settings to create common understandings and to attempt to join forces for articulating shared practices. Web addresses to these organizations are provided at the conclusion of this chapter as resources for further reading. Although the chapters throughout this text provide extraordinary insight into and recommendations for the crucial components of specialized schools, this chapter details the foundational theories and research, which have influenced the purpose and practices offered in specialized school settings.

Rationale for Specialized Schools Among Public, Private, Magnet, and Charter Settings

Many countries adhere to a definition of giftedness that is fairly broad in respect to examining intellectual, academic, and artistic areas. In the United States, the federal definition of gifted and talented (Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1988) describes “children and youth who give evidence of high performance capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop such capabilities.”

The federal government and all 50 states have some form of legislation regarding gifted education, but gifted education programming is implemented in a variety of ways among individual states and local education agencies (LEAs; NAGC & CSDPG, 2015). Because talented students have already mastered 33% to 50% of the classroom materials taught prior to the school year, these students may spend the majority of a school day languishing in a general education classroom without curricular modifications or accommodations to meet their special needs for advancement (Westberg & Daoust, 2003). Specialized schools play an important role in charting a differentiated course for these learners and their education. Through acceleration and a vigorous program of study, students have the opportunity to experience a differentiated and challenging academic experience. With a focus on acceleration of content areas, many specialized schools provide enrichment and greater depth of learning with acceleration of instruction.

Specialized secondary schools are designed to meet the unique education needs of students (McBee & Fields, 2014; Roberts, 2013; Wilson, 2009) and may be established at the district or state level. Specialized schools, whether magnet, charter, public, or private, tend to provide specialized curriculum focusing on one academic area or a more general educational background with additional funding for expenses incurred with labs, arts, or technology. Many specialized schools are designed to educate students who meet a specific standard of performance, aptitude, or achievement. Admission methods vary among these schools, but among the state-sponsored specialized schools for high-talent areas, selective admissions expectations for the most academically talented students with SAT and ACT exam scores are as competitive as for college admissions. Other specialized schools typically have admission policies that target gifted, talented, or high-achieving students.

Magnet schools are free public elementary and secondary schools of choice that are operated at the school district level or among a consortium of districts. Magnet schools offer specialized courses, and most concentrate on a specific discipline, such as science and mathematics or fine arts. Not all magnet schools focus on gifted learners, but some do provide special services. Magnet schools emerged in the United States during the 1970s as a part of open schools initiatives. The theory behind magnet schools as voluntary desegregation methods was to create schools so distinctive, appealing, and magnetic that they would draw a diverse range of families from throughout the community and beyond. Early magnet schools were modeled on well-established specialty schools that offered advanced programs, such as the Bronx School of Science, Boston Latin School, and Lane Tech in Chicago (U.S. Department of Education [USDOE] & Office of Innovation and Improvement [OII], 2004). Magnets were the most successful initiative of the open schools movement, and by the end of the 1990s, nearly 1,400 magnet schools were in operation (USDOE & OII, 2004). Some magnet schools have used advertisements to attract students from outside neighborhoods, and admittance usually includes an entrance exam, interview, audition, or lottery.

Alternatively, charter schools are independent from traditional school district rules. Federal funds are available for charter schools to create new high-quality public charters, as well as to disseminate information about ones with a proven track record. Replication and expansion of successful charter schools may be supported by federal monies, as well as the funding of facilities and innovative collaborations. Charters enjoy greater autonomy meeting their goals, but must submit measures of success and demonstrate progress. Magnet schools are typically under the guidance of a school district, while charter schools are accountable to a state sponsor. There is not much research available to understand the outcomes in magnet or charter schools as related to talent development among students with gifts and talents (Wilson, 2009).

Specialized schools may be separately housed or developed as a “school within a school.” Some specialized schools focus on specific disciplines, like STEM or the arts (McBee & Fields, 2014; Olszewski-Kubilius, 2010; Roberts, 2013; Wilson, 2009), but regardless of the format, specialized schools must create comprehensive articulated programs and services to meet the needs of advanced learners. To support the development of students with gifts and talents, professional development is needed for teachers and counselors in all schools so that they may recognize and be responsive to the needs of highly capable learners. Drawing upon available resources and professional training in gifted education is important for teachers working with high-ability learners, and many universities “provide comprehensive services in training teachers, providing direct services to students through on-site and online programs during the academic year and in the summer, and outreach opportunities in the form of professional and program development for school districts” (VanTassel-Baska, 2018, p. 99).

Some specialized schools (e.g., in charter and private settings) do not require teacher certification, and instead focus on recruiting faculty with advanced content knowledge. Of the states that provide state-sponsored specialized schools, many are implemented with a university/college campus-based model, where many of teachers hold terminal degrees. For example, the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science is offered at the University of North Texas (see Chapter 13), and The Gatton Academy is on the campus of Western Kentucky University (see Chapter 8). Many offer enrichment opportunities, such as mentorships and research opportunities, while the most common student life activities offered among these school settings include academic clubs and intramural sports.

High-quality educational experiences have consistently been linked to positive learning outcomes. Best practices such as acceleration, ability grouping, and mentoring are able to come together in specialized schools. McBee and Fields (2014) noted that specialized schools may “increase the dose” by combining and delivering multiple effective interventions in one setting. Although many specialized schools share a goal of supporting creativity and creative thinking, there are varied approaches to this goal. In 2012, research sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation found that students with gifts and talents from low-income backgrounds were not achieving at equal levels with peers from more advantaged backgrounds (Wyner, Bridgeland, & DiIulio, 2012). Furthermore, in 2013, researchers identified a substantial academic achievement gap for these students in schools across all academic subjects (Plucker, Hardesty, & Burroughs, 2013). Specialized schools and magnet schools are one way to address the gap between gifted and talented education and public education. There is a paucity of literature, however, about specialized schools in the field of gifted education due to the lack of comparable control groups.

Foundational Theories and Research Among Specialized Schools

Practical implications for special schools may take a variety of forms and vary among topics related to residential versus commuter, high school versus primary, discipline-focused versus broad, and collegiate versus K–12 environment (Roberts, 2013). These schools apply many of the interventions known to improve gifted outcomes, and although there is limited research, the presumption is that none of them will undermine others. As McBee and Fields (2014) noted, “Schools are not distinct interventions whose efficacy is completely unknown but in actuality represent a vehicle for delivering a combined set of preexisting and well-understood interventions with a particular high dosage” (p. 624). Specialized schools may provide a delivery method for variations of interventions in use elsewhere. For example, students in specialized schools may encounter ability grouping more as a result of a selective admissions process and spend more time with intellectual peers. Numerous studies have found that acceleration and ability groups work well together. Subinterventions include ability grouping, acceleration, enrichment, and mentorships. Opportunities for apprenticeships to practicing scientists, engineers, or artists, and to participate in the authentic professional work of intellectual, scientific, and artistic disciplines are key advantages as intellectual peers. Mentorships/internships increase motivation and provide greater challenge (Olszewski-Kubilius, 2010). Contact with professional mentors may not only be inspiring but also may be more likely to occur within specialized schools.

Specialized schools can also support differentiated affective development through shared interests among learners. Social and emotional development studies have focused on understanding research questions related to harm, self-concept, and academic self-concept (Cross, Adams, Dixon, & Holland, 2004; Cross, Stewart, & Coleman, 2003; Delcourt, Cornell, & Goldberg, 2007; Jones, Fleming, Henderson, & Henderson, 2002; Makel, Lee, Olszewski-Kubilius, & Putallaz, 2012; Walker, & VanderPloeg, 2015). Few psychological differences have been identified between state school students and other students, based on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Qualitative research foc...