Giftedness not always a gift

According to a Duke TIP study, 1 in 200 students identified as “gifted” in the US become high school dropouts. This statistic begs the question: Does being gifted really mean anything? This statistic might also be a good indicator that gifted programs don't work as well as we thought. Some people view gifted programs as necessary and helpful, while some think the cons outweigh the pros and that they need to be abolished. However, there are many problems with gifted programs, particularly in the elementary and middle school years, and these programs need to be done away with.

First and foremost, studies have shown that gifted kids grow up to be perfectionists who struggle with anxiety and their self-esteem whenever any obstacles to success are encountered. The Munich Longitudinal Giftedness Study was a study conducted from 1985 to 1989, with follow-ups that ended in 2010. The study examined what gifted programs look for, what type of kids get in, and the long-term effects of being in/labeled as a gifted kid. Another problem is that many gifted programs just use tests that involve memorization, so when kids get to middle and high school, the students have bad study habits because they lack the ability to apply, analyze, synthesize, and create information. Personally, I have awful study habits. I rarely study, and it's mostly because I don't know how because for far too long my coursework was easy so I got labeled “gifted” rather than be challenged or enriched. Another so-called gifted student at Airport High School, Campbell G., says, “It took me until this year to learn how to study.” If gifted programs are to continue, they still need to challenge and prepare students rather than making them feel special just because the work the are given is too easy.

Secondly, being separated from academically diverse peers creates bad social skills, snobbish behavior, and a sense of entitlement, among other things. Many people I have talked to that were in the same program as me had this view in their head that being “gifted” meant you were better than the others. It's not like any of us meant to be that way; it's just the way the teachers talked to us and how they told us we were special that did it. Many of the children in gifted programs also have bad social skills. A lot of us didn't get to interact with other students as much as those not in gifted classes because we were more focused on academics. This can lead to many problems throughout life.

Thirdly, kids who don't get accepted into the gifted programs may feel worse about themselves. The labeling is harmful to both children who were gifted and those who weren't. As previously stated, labeling a child as gifted can create feelings of superiority. Children who weren't labeled as gifted might feel dumb or like they aren't good enough, which leads to bad self esteem.

Now, I know many people feel differently about this topic. One could argue that gifted children might be left behind if not challenged in school, or that it's not fair for the smart kids because they need to be in advanced classes, or that being around kids who are below their academic level will bring them down too. They could also say that the non-gifted children will feel bad because they don't get as high grades as the gifted ones. To that I say: one, the smartest kids I know in advanced classes now weren't in gifted programs. I can name so many kids who work harder than the gifted kids and get really good grades compared to them; and two, kids in school are challenged enough as is, which is probably a contributing factor to why so many gifted kids drop out of High School.

Furthermore, everyone is gifted in their own way; providing opportunities for students gifted only in academics--rather than carpentry, computering, the performing arts, athletics, and even other areas--perpetuates the myth that the only path to becoming a productive and contributing member of society is through academics. This is so not true. I am reminded of the quote often attributed to Einstein, “If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking it is stupid.” In a way, this is what gifted programs are doing to students not identified as gifted.

We truly need to fix the gifted programs in America. Is there any evidence that they actually help us? Gifted kids reading this surely relate to everything listed. Please help our future children and teach them the life skills needed to get through school easily rather than labeling them as gifted and, essentially, ignoring them. We give so much attention to remediation--in fact, there are entire departments at schools devoted to SPED instruction--but maybe, just maybe, gifted children are the ones we are really leaving behind.