{"id":2217233,"date":"2024-04-10T09:03:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-10T13:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-schools-nixing-gifted-program-in-favor-of-a-focus-on-equity\/"},"modified":"2024-04-10T09:06:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T13:06:39","slug":"seattle-schools-nixing-gifted-program-in-favor-of-a-focus-on-equity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-schools-nixing-gifted-program-in-favor-of-a-focus-on-equity\/","title":{"rendered":"Seattle schools are replacing the gifted program with a focus on equity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fseattle-schools-nixing-gifted-program-in-favor-of-a-focus-on-equity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2217233&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Seattle Public Schools are phasing out their gifted program in favor of a more inclusive and equitable one. The Highly Capable Cohorts \u2063program for advanced students is\u200b being replaced \u200dby\u2064 the Highly Capable\u200c School Neighborhood Model.\u200b The changes aim\u200b to address historical inequity by\u2063 providing differentiated learning tailored to individual\u2062 needs. \u2063The new model will be fully implemented by 2024-25. Seattle \u2062Public \u2062Schools are transitioning from their gifted program \u2062to \u2064the Highly Capable School Neighborhood Model for a more inclusive approach. \u200dThis change \u200dtargets historical inequity by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/google-to-start-deleting-inactive-gmail-accounts-in-new-cybersecurity-initiative-next-month\/\" title=\"Google to start deleting inactive Gmail accounts in new cybersecurity initiative next month\">offering personalized learning<\/a> \u200dto meet \u200cthe diverse needs of students. The full \u2063implementation\u2062 of \u2062this new model is projected by\u2063 the year 2024-25.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>(The Center Square)\u00a0\u2013 Seattle Public Schools continues getting rid of its gifted and talented program in favor of what administrators say is a more inclusive, equitable and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/6-middle-eastern-countries-demand-netflix-remove-offensive-content-targeting-children\/\" title=\"6 Middle Eastern Countries Demand Netflix Remove \u2018Offensive Content\u2019 Targeting Children\">culturally sensitive program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/seattle-public-schools-cites-equity-in-shutting-down-gifted-program-with-majority-white-and-asian-students\/\" title=\"Seattle Public Schools have closed a gifted program primarily attended by white and Asian students citing a focus on equity\">district began phasing<\/a> out its Highly Capable Cohorts program for advanced students in the 2021-22 school year and replacing it with a new program called the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seattleschools.org\/departments\/advanced-learning\/services-and-programs\/service-delivery\/\">Highly Capable School Neighborhood Model<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo address historical inequity,\u00a0SPS\u00a0has changed how we identify Advanced Learners and Highly Capable students,\u201d the district\u2019s website touting the new program states. \u201cAll teachers will provide teaching and learning that is delivered with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated to meet the needs of students within\u00a0their grade level. The approach includes three tiers of service for students depending on individual needs, delivered in a way that honors individual cultures and backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Plans call for the Highly Capable Cohorts program to be gone by the 2027-28 school year, with the new model available in every school by the 2024-25 school year.<\/p>\n<p>Liv Finne, director of the Center for Education at the Washington Policy Center think tank, doesn\u2019t think the change is a good idea.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor every child that wants to do more, these advanced programs were created because they are motivated in learning, and these programs have been very popular,\u201d she told The Center Square. \u201cNow we see Seattle Public Schools made a racist decision and decided there are too many children of certain races in these programs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finne was critical of the district\u2019s take on equality.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is such a disservice to the children who have succeeded, and now they are going to push some people down so everyone is equal, and that is such a bad approach,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m so dismayed by it. This is all done on the basis of inclusion for everyone, but what\u2019s actually happening is it\u2019s being used to justify destroying successful programs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finne noted that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/billsummary?BillNumber=5044&#038;Year=2021&#038;Initiative=false\">Senate Bill 5044<\/a><\/strong> was passed by the Legislature in 2021 and signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. SB 5044 adds diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism curricula to existing cultural competency training for school board directors, district staff and school staff.<\/p>\n<p>She pointed out that Seattle Public Schools changed its requirements for admission to gifted programs in recent years to include more students who didn\u2019t necessarily test well, but teachers\u2019 saw promise in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have tried to be inclusive, but I guess they\u2019ve given up and now in their attempt to be more inclusive, they\u2019ve decided they can\u2019t do it,\u201d Finne said. \u201cSo now they\u2019re going to close the program entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Center Square reached out to Seattle Public Schools for comment but did not receive a reply.<\/p>\n<p>The district\u2019s website gives assurances the new program is going to better than the one it\u2019s replacing: \u201cThe program is not going away, it\u2019s getting better.\u202fIt will be more inclusive, equitable, and culturally sensitive. In particular, students who have been historically excluded will now have the same opportunities for services as every other student and get the support and enrichment they need to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seattle Public Schools are phasing out the gifted program to introduce a more inclusive and equitable one. The Highly Capable Cohorts program for advanced students is being replaced with a culturally sensitive initiative starting in the 2021-22 school year. The shift aims to promote diversity and fairness in education<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3051,"featured_media":2217234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/classroom-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2217233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/classroom-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2217233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3051"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2217233"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2217233\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2217234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2217233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2217233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2217233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}