Parent advocacy for culturally diverse gifted students

2. Effective parenting related to diverse students emphasizes the reality that parents are the most important support system in the lives of culturally diverse gifted students, and that gifted program personnel value parental advocacy, and promote and support culturally relevant parenting skills and practices.

3. Promotion of learning among culturally diverse students speaks to parents' role in the process of helping culturally diverse gifted students at home and valuing their children's achievement.

4. Consistent volunteering from diverse parents undergirds a welcoming environment in the gifted program, where parental support and assistance for culturally diverse gifted students are sought.

5. Equity- and excellence-oriented school decision making and advocacy relates to parents being full partners in gifted program decisions that affect culturally diverse gifted children and their families; ideally, there is an interdependence between parents and educators where shared authority in decision-making will promote balanced quality programs, parental trust, public confidence, and mutual support of each other's efforts in helping culturally diverse gifted students succeed.

6. Effective collaborating within diverse community stresses utilization of resources within and beyond the community of culturally diverse students to strengthen their schools, families, and student learning.

Getting Parents Started in the Advocacy Process: Providing a Knowledge Base

To fully understand their role as advocates, culturally diverse families must be knowledgeable and informed. Secured or armed with data, families of culturally diverse students can better appreciate the magnitude of the issues surrounding equity and excellence in school settings and gifted and talented programs. At least three types of information are foundational for families of culturally diverse students as they seek to address and redress concerns: (a) identification barriers, (b) underachievement, and (c) core attributes of giftedness.

Awareness of Underrepresentation Among Culturally Diverse Gifted Students

One of the first steps for parent advocates is to understand inhibiting barriers to the identification of culturally diverse gifted students. The use of ineffective and inappropriate traditional definitions of giftedness and inhibiting identification policies and procedures is historically cited as one of the most egregious barriers (Castellano, 2003; Ford, 1996; Frasier et al., 1995; Frasier & Passow, 1994; Hilliard, 1987). Parents should be aware that federal policy outlined in the 1993 U.S. Department of Education report, National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent, argues against barriers posed by traditional approaches in gifted education. "Schools must eliminate barriers to participation of economically disadvantaged and minority students with outstanding talents," and "must develop strategies to serve students from under-represented groups" (U.S. Department of Education, 1993, p. 28). Along these lines, the 1993 federal definition of "gifted" has evolved to reflect current knowledge and thinking in the area of gifted education with a definition of "children with outstanding talent." This nontraditional definition offers parents of culturally diverse students some policy assurance to reduce barriers in the identification process. According to the federal definition