A long time ago in a place far away there was a young girl. She was gifted, loved to learn, and desired to achieve great things. However, she didn't know that she was "gifted" until a certain teacher showed her her passions and opened up doors that she had never before known. In the school that she went to, it was too late for her to join the "gifted" students. It was too late for her to be a part of the great learning and wonderful opportunities that these students had. Test scores were what determined the gifted, and she hadn't achieved gifted scores in time. After third grade the gifted were already segregated and they went off each day to learn at advanced levels. She couldn't go, she had hated school before third grade and had not shown her true colors, now she was hampered. It continued on through junior high as those students who were "gifted" went on to do advanced science, robot building, and math fairs in her face, after all they went places and did things that were great.

She grew up, survived, she hated school and worked hard to self educate, and by sophomore year was in a number of AP programs. However, her experience can definitely allow her to say that gifted and talented programs are often elitist programs.

It can also be said that they help gifted students. When a gifted student goes through regular schooling they often get bored. Boredom doesn't help the education process at all. So while gifted and talented programs may be elitist programs, the real questions are, is this a bad thing and when is it too much so?

It really depends on how it is determined that a student gets in. Additionally if the program is open to everyone who wants to try and do the extra and harder work, then this eliminates hard feelings as well as that elitist type mentality. These are all things for school systems to consider when starting an advanced placement program. When high school advance placement came around, everyone who was interested went to the auditorium and took tests, submitted work, and various tasks (according to subject) to enter into the class. It was known ahead of time that there would be homework over the summer for each student excepted. Twenty five kids got into Honors English, Honors History, and Honors Biology and yet there were about 200 that showed up for the testing. It would seem that with that much interest in a class known for giving extra work and being harder, that maybe it was a tad bit to elite.

Getting back on topic, most honors and advanced programs are elitist. Sometimes this is necessary to give those who are gifted a chance at enjoying school and reaching their full potential. Other times it leaves gifted children out and they struggle. There needs to be a balance, and a review of who is feeling left out and why. A program for the elite isn't bad, as long as no one gets hurt, or abandons learning because of it.

Learn more about this author, Danelle Karth.
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