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State of the educational attention for students with highcapabilities in Spain.

 

The educational attention for students with high capabilities is a relatively new

topic in Spain. In recent years the term high capabilities have evolve, gaining a specific

consideration for this students in the school context, as well as more specific guidelines

regarding the identification and educational response for this students. This proces has

 been based on three main exes:

Firstly, the school legislation field. Currently, the “Organic Law of

Education” (LOE, 2006) recognize the existence of students that show high intellectualcapabilities among the students with special educational needs that requiere special

support. In this way the law recognize that the special characteristics of these students

ask for a specialized attention that meet their educational needs in a specific way.

According to this law general guidelines regarding the identification and educational

response are assumed and developed by each independent region of the country.

Regarding the identification of students with high capability, three areas of exploration

(diagnosis) are delimited: 1) the student; 2) the school context and 3) the social and

family context. All these data allow for a individual report where the type of high

capability is indicated as well as the type of educational provision required by the

student in order to meet his/her particular needs. Regarding the educational response,

different provisions exists and they aim for students to acquire the competencies

matched with their particular condition. Three levels are organized: 1) regular measures

(i.e. enrichment activities within the regular classroom oriented to foster the cognitive

 potential and aid some gaps); 2) specific measures (i.e. extracurricular seminars or

workshops which aim is to attend the specific interest, motivations and needs of

students with high intellectual capability); 3) Extraordinary measures (i.e.

flexibilization, which consist on accelerate the student one academic year). The

hierarchical use of these provisions is recommended; thus, until the measures in lower

levels have not expired, the use of the measures in the upper level is not recomented.

Secondly, the research field. A number of universities (University Autónoma

of Barcelona, University Complutense, University of Murcia, University of Navarra,

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7%, according to the Marland Report (19725), of the total population; the data regarding

the population of Spanish students with high capability is below of what is expected.

This gap between the real and the expected situation is due to many reasons.

First, professionals in education do not count with a specific training program about

high intellectual capability, which make it difficult for them to apply in the classroom

the available legislative and scientific guidelines. Secondly, do not exist unified criteria

for the identification, neither standardized instruments in the field of high ability,

which add doses of uncertainty in the identification process. Thirdly, false believes or

stereotypes about high ability in our country difficult the sensibilization toward these

students’ problems. For instance, it is wrongly thought that high ability equals a high

school performance, which limit the identification of the students. Fourthly, the amount

of students that received specific attention due to their high intellectual ability still

reduced. Schools usually address their efforts to attend other problems to the detriment

of students with high abilities, under the false conception that these students are able to

learn in their own, and do not need help. In addition, the little flexibility in the school

curriculum makes difficult the implementation of specific educational provisions for

students with high abilities.

In summary, we would like to highlight that Spain is a country with a good base

for high intellectual ability educational attention, but it still needing important doses of

willing to make them come true. The next years efforts should aim to promote an initial

as well as permanent training of educational professionals that allows to know the real

 problems related with high abilities; homogenize the identification procedures as well

as the educational response to create a national policy; and to organize scientifical and

 pedagogical meetings to share experiences in the field of high ability. ,

.

 

5 Marland, S. P., Jr. (1972). Education of the gifted and talented, Volume I: Report to the Congress of the

United States by the Commissioner of Education. Washington, DC: United States Government PrintingOffice.