The questions below can be used to help school personnel assess the quality of gifted programs and the extent to which these programs embody principles of diversity and equity.

1. What is the school district's philosophy of gifted education and its definition of giftedness?
   • In what ways are the philosophy and definition inclusive? exclusive? To what extent are the strengths of racially and culturally diverse students represented in the definition?

   • Does the gifted education program accommodate the community's needs? Are students "retrofitted" to the program or does the program accommodate the needs of the students?

   • Are contemporary definitions of giftedness, which may be broader in scope, adopted and/or applied?

2. Are the students in the gifted program representative of the community's demographics?
   • Are students of diverse backgrounds equitably represented according to criteria such as race, ethnicity, language, gender and socioeconomic status?

   • Are there any disparities between the gifted program's demographics and the demographics of the school and the community? If so, what are they?

   • Is there evidence of increasing diversity among professionals and students in the gifted program?

3. Are there opportunities for continuing professional development in gifted and multicultural education?
   • Are faculty and other school personnel encouraged and given opportunities by administrators to participate in workshops, conferences, university courses, and so forth? Do administrators attend such professional development training? Do personnel seek or willingly take advantage of these opportunities?

   • Is there a commitment to multicultural education? If so, what are the indications? For instance, does a library exist for teachers and students that contains up-to-date multicultural resources (e.g., newsletters, journals, books)?

4. Are assessment practices equitable?
   • Are the measures used valid and reliable for the student population?

   • Are there racial, cultural or gender biases in the selection process? If so, what are they?

   • How are instruments administered (individually or in a group)?

   • Which instruments appear to be most effective at identifying the strengths of minority students?

   • Is a combination of qualitative and quantitative assessment practices used? If so, is one type given preference or higher weight than the other?

   • What are the primary purposes of assessment?

   • Are personnel trained to administer and interpret test results?

   • Are the instructions on the tests and the manner in which the tests are administered accommodated to the students' learning styles?

   • To what extent are student's home language, culture, and background represented or not represented in the test questions?

   • Are tests biased in favor of students from wealthier and more privileged backgrounds?

5. What, if any, mechanisms are in place to assess and address affective or noncognitive needs among students (i.e., social and emotional needs, environmental and risk factors)?
   • To what extent are support personnel and test administrators trained in gifted education?

   • To what extent are support personnel and test administrators trained in multicultural education?

   • How diverse is the professional staff (teachers, counselors, administrators) relative to race, ethnicity, language, gender, and socioeconomic status?

6. To what extent are families involved in the formal learning process?
   • In what ways are parents and families encouraged to become and remain involved?

   • How diverse are the parents and families involved?

   • Are extended family members encouraged to participate?

7. Is the curriculum multicultural?
   • Is multicultural content infused throughout the curriculum?

   • Is the content pluralistic (i.e., does it reflect diversity relative to race, ethnicity, language, gender, and other socio-demographic variables?

   • To what extent are learning style preferences and differences accommodated?

   • Are all students exposed to multicultural content, regardless of school or program demographics?

   • Does the curriculum provide genuine options for all students to understand pluralism?

   • Are students encouraged to seek greater understanding of multiculturalism and pluralism through reading, writing, additional courses, and so on?

8. What policies are in place to support multiculturalism and diversity?
   • Are there published policies regarding multiculturalism? What is their content?

   • If specific policies exist, to what degree are they observed in the school?

   • In what ways do policies and procedures about grouping, scheduling, and student assignments promote or inhibit interaction among white and minority students?

Source: Adapted from Donna Y. Ford's Reversing Underachievement Among Gifted Black Students: Promising Practices and Programs. New York: Teacher's College Press, 1996.