As Westfield hurries to produce STEM-prodigies each year, we cannot help but think that we are narrowing the very definition of intelligence.
The current Gifted and Talented Program promotes the belief that education is transactional: learning becomes less of a focus to seek personal improvement, but rather a prerequisite for attracting a financially successful career path. As we emphasize fields of measurable success, students are focused on quantitative skill building with only one right answer.
In this pursuit of “perfected education,” are we overlooking a huge portion of creative, unconventional thinkers? Are we failing to advance a larger segment of the Westfield collective youth?
Junior GT student Emma Blaustein believes that “a high IQ” does not determine the fields in which a student can excel. “Truth be told, I was accelerated in math, but wasn’t a math-oriented student,” Blaustein said. “I was a big history person. I never really got any opportunities beyond [regular classes] in history.”
Senior GT student Charlotte Cotroneo believes it is easy to feel alienated within the program depending on one’s academic interests and capabilities. “I’ve never been passionate about math. I’ve always found science interesting, but it’s never been my thing. You can feel like you’re not the right kind of person for the program if those aren’t your strongest areas,” Cotroneo said.
Once reaching the high school level, GT students are one grade level ahead in math and science, while they remain with their class in all other subjects. But should our talents simply be measured in computing derivatives and understanding complex cell structures? We suggest, instead, that Westfield Public Schools restructure the GT Program to become more diverse and grow with its students in various subject areas.
For starters, superior cognitive abilities cannot always be accurately determined from such a young age. Sophomore GT student Sonia Jansveld said, “When I took the GT test, I got in based on my logic and reasoning skills. The test involved puzzles mainly to assess spatial reasoning and logic.” Heightened cognitive abilities of reason can be associated with mathematical ability, but can more commonly predict potential for critical thinking and creativity that can be manifested in English and social studies classes later on.
The Bayonne Public School District requires that “students are monitored and re-evaluated annually to identify the need for enrichment services.” These benchmarkn tests are vital to the mental health and growth of GT students; frequent revaluations ensure that these students are not overworked by the program to a point where they can no longer keep up with its elevated curriculum.
Additionally, while math and science are two critical components of a child’s education, they should not overshadow other areas, such as the humanities. In order to recognize the achievements of more WHS students, the school district could propose a two-track system for GT high schoolers: Accelerated STEM and Accelerated Humanities.
By establishing an Accelerated Humanities track, gifted students who qualify for the program would have the opportunity to explore accelerated English and social studies classes throughout their high school career.
For students who feel as though they can better apply themselves in a non-STEM academic setting, this adjustment to the program will provide a challenging curriculum in a subject area in which they demonstrate genuine interest, without diminishing the idea of being “gifted.”
Educational diversification is just what Westfield is proud to have, and we believe that restruc- turing and refocusing the GT Program will better serve students and the world they will create.