Gifted English Learners

Gifted English learners represent a diverse group within gifted education, as their backgrounds and needs vary widely. Some English learners arrive at our schools with strong educational foundations and substantial support from home. Others have some school experience and familiarity with the learning process. However, the most disadvantaged English learners arrive at school with minimal exposure to academic environments similar to the U.S.American public schools are tasked with accommodating all levels of English language learners and ensuring their annual progress. We have sheltered English learner (EL) classes, inclusion classes, and annual English proficiency tests to monitor their development. Yet, proficiency in English is only one aspect of their overall school experience.For example, when an English learner from the mountains of Guatemala joined my 7th grade homeroom last year, it was evident that we were starting from scratch on many fronts. Beyond academics, this student was also learning basic school routines such as opening a locker, entering a lunch pin, eating in a cafeteria, using an iPad, navigating seven different classes, and riding a school bus. This student represented one end of the spectrum of English learners, though I have encountered many students with similar challenges over the years.  English learners must navigate a U.S. educational system that may not fully understand their unique backgrounds and experiences and they are up against traditional methods for gifted identification that often rely on English proficiency. English learners are often overlooked for gifted identification because their language skills are underdeveloped. For gifted ELs—whether already identified or not—the challenge lies in balancing their advanced abilities with the need for ongoing language support. This can hinder their participation in class discussions, completion of writing-intensive assignments, and performance on formal assessments. The basic instruction of a sheltered EL classroom does not always include opportunity for application through higher order thinking activities. On the other hand, when gifted EL students are in advanced classes, educators might overlook their language development needs because their natural abilities appear to match those of their peers. While there is quite a bit of research showing that English learners are underrepresented in gifted programs across the country, educators, administrators and policy makers are all struggling to create a plan that ensures equitable identification across the English learner spectrum. Every spring during gifted identification season, I ask myself and my staff, how do we simultaneously identify our English learners who demonstrate advanced abilities when we are so used to thinking about English proficiency as a criteria for gifted identification? We go through characteristics of gifted EL students such as taking on leadership roles, persistence, independence, keen observation skills, tendencies to correct themselves and to be detail oriented, and their ability to adapt to new school settings and situations (Castellano, 2019). As Castellano (2019) notes, 73% of our English learners speak Spanish at home. At my school, 43% of the students are of Hispanic heritage, so we tend to focus more on our Spanish speaking community. However, our EL classes include over 20 home languages, including Arabic, Amharic, Mongolian, and others. Within our EL population, there is a wide range of educational backgrounds.Although we have skilled EL teachers, I have developed additional resources for all teachers at our school. This is because EL students are not only supported by EL teachers but also interact with other staff throughout the day. Only students who score below a 2 (out of 6) on the WIDA language assessment are placed in sheltered EL classes. Students who show even a modest ability to use English academically are integrated into general education classes with support from an EL co-teacher. While this model proves difficult for low-ability EL students, this approach can be particularly beneficial for potentially gifted EL students, as it allows them to engage with peers who model language use at a faster pace than what might be available in sheltered classes.