Lack of access to gifted education is prevalent, yet preventable for Black and Hispanic students. Years of data from the Office for Civil Rights and national reports reveal that deficit thinking, prejudice, and discrimination must be at work, thus compromising the educational experiences of gifted students of color. In this article, the authors…

Gifted education consistently comes under scrutiny and criticism regarding the persistent and pervasive underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education. Their underrepresentation is one of the most significant problems facing schools, along with the achievement gap and special education overrepresentation. It cannot be…

In this article, the author summarizes a relatively recent report that has taken the road less traveled by focusing on the achievement gap among high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds (Wyner, Bridgeland, & DiIulio, 2007). Although the report does not focus on minority students directly or exclusively, these students nonetheless…

For almost two decades, the author has devoted her professional life to the field of gifted education, as have others. More than any time in her career, she finds herself reflecting even more so on the persistent or stubborn problem of underrepresentation among Black and Hispanic students in gifted education. Is this more frequent self-reflection…

The field of gifted education has faced criticism about the underrepresentation of African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) in its programs. This article proposes that efforts targeting both recruitment and retention barriers are essential to remedying this disparity.…

Students of color are often underrepresented in gifted education programs. While many educators have sought to reverse or redress this issue, little has changed over the years. In this article, it is proposed that teachers, particularly those working with elementary students, must pursue cultural competence in order to recognize the strengths and…

This study examined the effectiveness of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) in identifying gifted black and Hispanic students in a total population of 20,270 students (K-12). Analysis indicated that similar percentages of white (5.6%), black (5.1%), and Hispanic (4.4%) children earned an NNAT score in the 95th percentile rank. (Contains…