Use of SOMPA in Identification of Gifted African-American Children

Abstract

To increase the proportion of elementary minority students identified as gifted, the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPAj was employed with minority disadvantaged children in a large urban school district. A group of African-American students in second through fifth grades became eligible for gifted programming when their IQ scores were adjusted using SOMPA procedures. The performance of these SOMPA students on the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes and other measures did not differ from that of a group of African-American gifted students who were identified on the basis of traditional criteria. There were also no significant differences between the groups in Ross subtest scores seven months later. The SOMPA procedures used to identify these gifted students may provide an alternative method to increase the proportion of minority students in gifted programs; particularly in states that use IQ cut-off scores for placement decisions.

Straight talk about cognitive assessment and diversity.

“…Examples of this state of affairs are legion: Does one’s world view favor adjusting the test scores of a minority subgroup? If so, then the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment (SOMPA) is the instrument of choice (Matthew, Golin, Moore, & Baker, 1992). Does one feel that intelligence is much more “plastic” than what is reflected in minority performance on traditional tests?…”

Identifying Gifted Preschoolers in Turkey: The Reliability and Validity of the Turkish-Translated Version of the GRS-Preschool/Kindergarten Form

“…Identifying superior-intelligent children includes the process of collecting data on intelligence, creativity and achievement followed by making decisions about the cognitive capacities or potentials of children in line with those data (Sak, 2014). Identification has critical importance in providing educational opportunities for these children (Matthew, Golin, Moore & Baker, 1992). Early identification is a process which helps the gifted child interiorize a regular studying system by promoting to use the potential and conduces to enable the family and teachers to make arrangements to support the students to utilize their interests and abilities to a high level (Cutts & Moseley, 2004).…”