What it means to teach gifted learners well

Re:What it means to teach gifted learners well by gnicholas on Wednesday January 19, 2022 @09:01PM (#30003368)

Our local school frequently mentions that their 50th percentile is at the level of the 75th percentile nationally, which indicates that a decent number of the students are in fact well above average.

That doesn't mean that the dilemma you mention wouldn't arise, but presumably there are objective tests that could be used to make determinations. It wouldn't be a panacea, but it would be better than ignoring advanced students like they're doing now.

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Re:What it means to teach gifted learners well by snowwrestler on Thursday January 20, 2022 @09:06AM (#30009048)

Schools adjust their curriculums for the measured state of their student bodies. This is a major reason why they test and measure at the school level.

So if the school’s student body as whole outperforms the national average, then that school’s curriculum is enriched to meet the students where they are. State standards are a floor, not a ceiling.

This is good for the kids but not easily visible to the parents the way that placement in a gifted program is. Unfortunately, for families interested in markers of achievement, sometimes they will be unsatisfied with anything short of that letter that their child has been placed in the gifted program.

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Re:What it means to teach gifted learners well by goldenchrome on Thursday January 20, 2022 @01:46AM (#30005609)

75th percentile is pretty mediocre when you realize how low the bar for the 50th percentile really is.

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Re:What it means to teach gifted learners well by barrkel on Thursday January 20, 2022 @08:26AM (#30008562)

Thing is, when the mean is pushed out, the tail is pushed out too.

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