by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: October 06, 2007   Last Updated: May 24, 2009

In determining whether or not Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) programs are elitist, one must consider the facts that:

(1) GATE students consist primarily of students who show signs of excelling academically or creatively during early stages of their lives and more specifically during their first or second years of school. As these students tend to possess capabilities surpassing the abilities of their peers, they often become bored of "normal" schooling and demand more challenging work than non GATE students.

(2) GATE programs are conducted by educators privy to understand and address extraordinary abilities GATE students possess, and special certification is required of teachers in order to prove they can meet inquisitorial challenges these exceptional students are known to have.

(3) In order to challenge GATE student mental abilities, teachers subject these students to increased and enriched workloads students in non-GATE classes may not be prepared to endure. GATE students tend to look forward to these higher thinking challenges and the increased thought provoking assignments aid in preventing GATE students from becoming bored in classrooms.

In furtherance, anyone who has at least one GATE child or who has had a child tested for a GATE program knows children do not simply go to school one day and find out they have been placed in a GATE class. This is because students are not randomly selected to participate in GATE programs. In fact, the normal procedure for GATE program entry involves teachers recommending or parents requesting testing of potential gifted and or talented children.

Once recommendations have been submitted psychological scholars conduct gifted and talented tests during the end of a child's first or second year of school. (This procedure may vary depending what state a child lives in.) Once students are tested and tests are evaluated, parents receive notice as to whether or not their child qualifies for placement in a GATE classroom.

The purpose of GATE tests is to determine if those tested will benefit from GATE classroom placement. Educators understand some students need more challenging teaching criteria in order to remain stimulated and willing to participate in classroom instruction. They also understand, however, that it is not in the best interest of all children to participate in these types of classes. It is not the intention of educators to place students in classes that will lead them to struggle so much in they'll want

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