Educação: Teoria e Prática
On-line version ISSN 1981-8106
Abstract
RONDINI, Carina Alexandra and PEREIRA, Nielsen. Specialized services for the gifted in American public schools and contributions to the Brazilian context. Educ. Teoria Prática [online]. 2016, vol.26, n.53, pp.466-483. ISSN 1981-8106. https://doi.org/10.18675/1981-8106.vol26.n53.p466-483.
The focus of this study was services for high-ability students offered in a public school in Indiana, United States. The purpose was to describe the services and reflect on the extent to which these services or aspects of these services can be implemented in Brazilian schools. Participants included teachers working with Kindergarten through fourth-grade students, who were observed between January and April 2016. Five classes were observed, each for one week. Results indicate that the high-ability legislation in the state of Indiana is similar to the Brazilian counterpart and that the main differences exist in the implementation of laws, due to the lack of clear guidelines for the implementation of high-ability laws in Brazil. Additionally, in Brazil, the emphasis has been on enrichment, whereas in the American schools, the emphasis is on meeting the needs of high-ability students in the classroom through various types of grouping and teaching strategies, such as differentiation. This study was part of a larger study focusing on high-ability identification tools and curriculum models geared to high-ability students in public schools and university-based programs.
Keywords : Special Education Services; High Ability; Public Schools; United States; Brazil.