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This year, 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of Brownversus Board of Education(1954). Despite this amount of time since Black students were legally allowed to attend schools with White students, the goal(s) of this landmark court case have not been achieved. Schools are not desegregated in many states and districts. Even more segregated is gifted and talented education (GATE) in which Black students are underrepresented about approximately 55% (Office for Civil Rights’ Civil Rights Data, 2023); denied access exists more for this group more than any other. In this brief article, we juxtapose GATE with the tenets of Brown, and provide recommendations and resources for families and educators from various disciplines. We urge educators to turn from equality to equity in order to truly advocate for their Black students.

As we write this paper in late 2023, Advanced Placement (AP) Black history, psychology courses and the use of diverse literature written for children and young adults is being banned by many school districts across the United States. Educators are being threatened, sanctioned, reprimanded, and fired. Despite this, some teachers stand steadfast in their commitment to pedagogies that use authentic literature about and by diverse historians, authors, social activists, and researchers, to name a few. In this article, we discuss the importance of gifted and talented (GATE) being taught Black history and culture that centers diverse literature that recognizes, respects, and celebrates similarities and differences within and across cultures including ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic location, language, and religion, and physical, cognitive, and emotional ability. We do this within the frameworks of children’s literature as a site for decolonization and Bishop’s metaphor of “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” (Bishop, 1990). While acknowledging that many GATE students are avid readers, we maintain that all children benefit from education that includes diverse literature and share recommendations for change.

The article reports on the disproportionate disciplinary actions against Black elementary boys, exemplified by Kazaam's unjust suspension, reflecting broader racial biases in education. Topics include research findings on racism and anti-Blackness in school discipline, recommendations for addressing biases in teacher hiring and training, and the urgent need for equity-minded approaches to disrupt discriminatory practices and support Black students' educational experiences.

The article focuses on utilizing an ethical decision-making model to address academic outcomes for Black students, highlighting issues such as disciplinary disparities, underrepresentation, and misinterpretation of behavior. Topics include understanding student needs through non-verbal communication, implementing ethical decision-making processes, and advocating for policies supporting Black students' success.

The article emphasizes the need for creating intentional "homeplace" spaces in education to counter systemic harms affecting Black students, promoting their well-being, joy, and resistance. Topics include homeplace for Black girls, STEM identity development in Black males, school principals fostering student belonging, and the importance of educators of gifted and talented students being formally trained for homeplace.

The article focuses on the need to decolonize higher education syllabi to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment in response to ongoing racial and social awareness. It discusses movements essential for this decolonization process, including addressing colonialism's impact on syllabus structure, reevaluating reading materials, revising academic terminology, challenging knowledge construction, diversifying educational media, and institutional policies.

Black boys are overrepresented in special education (SPED) and underrepresented in gifted and talented education, Advanced Placement, and other opportunities for advanced learners. Conversely, they are overrepresented in SPED. In this article, we address the vicious cycle of deficit thinking and intelligence test inequities—the consequences and impact on Black males. The impact of high‐stakes testing and racial prejudice and discrimination is stark. We present an equity formula to guide readers in all roles in setting quantifiable equity goals. Recommendations are provided.

This article addresses first what students and professionals know and do not knowabout cultural competence and anti-racism. The authors then focus on dispositions (what students and professionals wantto know and do not wantto know), and then skills (e.g., strategies, techniques, resources). They suggest that being skilled in cultural differences depends extensively on the degree of information known or not known, along with the desire or will to learn (or not) about culture and cultural differences, and how to be anti-racist. They conclude by offering recommendations to school administrators in recruiting and retaining teachers and school counselors that reflect the student population within their schools.

The article discusses the importance of multicultural literature and Black History in education, particularly in light of recent challenges and threats to educators in this field. It emphasizes the concept of "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors" in literature, where students can see themselves reflected, gain insight into the lives of others, and explore different perspectives.

The article focuses on the urgent need to address mental health challenges faced by Black youth through systemic changes in K-12 education policies. Topics include the impact of zero-tolerance discipline policies that contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, the inadequacy of color-ambivalent mental health policies, and the proposed development of inclusive policies through collaborative efforts with Black youth and their communities.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present insights from the implementation of a dialogic social studies curriculum and its potential to support diverse learners. Policymakers and educators must attend to the learning needs of diverse/minoritized (Note: In this paper, the authors use minoritized and diverse interchangeably) students who have been marginalized in public education. A critical goal is to close racial, ethnic and socioeconomic achievement gaps by increasing, for example, students’ engagement with curriculum and instruction. In this paper, the authors bridge research on dialogic instruction and culturally relevant and responsive education with the goal of informing curricular design and instructional practice. Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual paper discusses the utility of dialogic instruction in improving learning outcomes for minoritized student populations. While some researchers have examined the positive effects of dialogic instruction on underperforming students (e.g. Murphy et al., 2009; Pillinger and Vardy, 2022), few scholars have examined dialogic instruction through a culturally relevant and responsive lens. The authors argue that the application of this critical lens may improve learning outcomes for diverse learners who have been marginalized in public education systems. Findings: The authors present illustrative vignettes and insights from a pilot study of a novel social studies curriculum. This curriculum applies a social justice lens by guiding students in the exploration of complex social issues that affect them. Given the diversity of their collaborating teachers’ classrooms (55% are racially minoritized students), the authors applied principles of culturally relevant and responsive education (e.g. Ford, 2010; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995) when designing and piloting the curriculum. Prior personal and professional experiences by the first author point to the potential of dialogic instruction to meaningfully support minoritized students’ learning. Originality/value: This paper builds on two bodies of literature – dialogic instruction and culturally relevant and responsive education – to identify how an innovative social studies curriculum may improve learning for diverse student populations. It calls for the advancement of a research agenda that applies a culturally relevant and responsive lens to inform instructional practice. The authors begin this discussion with two vignettes.

This article focuses on what school-based mental health counselors need to know to be anti-racist and culturally responsive for Black students, while recognizing that many of the presented theories and frameworks have implications for other minoritized gifted and talented (GATE) students/clients. The authors provide an overview of the most promising works for guiding counselors (and all educators) in their efforts to effect meaningful, equity-driven changes, to disrupt prejudice and discrimination, and to be advocates and allies for Black clients/students.

Abstract:Black students are casualties of two significant pandemics (i.e., racism and COVID-19), both wreaking havoc on their overall well-being—academically, mentally, socioemotionally, and psychologically. Moreover, the academic experiences of Black students are often fraught with denied access to P–12 schools’ most elite, privileged, and White programs—gifted and talented education (GATE), Advanced Placement (AP), dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB), and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) academies. In this article, the authors discuss the curriculum violence that persisted during COVID, with little signs of abating and offered specific recommendations for educators to proactively engage Black students, and advocate for their educational needs while being culturally responsive. The authors will explain how educators can be anti-racist allies and gate openers for Black students.

This article presents an overview of factors that contribute to the inequitable underrepresentation of girls of color in gifted and talented with an emphasis on Blacks since they are most frequently absent. After presenting this national context, the authors present Ford’s Female Achievement Model for Excellence as a gendered and racial culturally responsive resource for effectively addressing the intersectional needs and development of students who are female andgifted and talented.

The article discusses the role of educators as co-conspirators in decolonizing education for Black students, addressing challenges such as biased policies and underrepresentation in special education and gifted programs. Topics include the framework of allies, accomplices and co-conspirators; the status of Black students in preK-12 education; and recommendations for educators to challenge biases, seek professional development and center the voices of Black students and communities.

The authors provide a history of inequities in gifted education and recognize the academic, cultural, and psychosocial needs of gifted and talented Black and Hispanic students, who are in need of advanced programming. They conclude by describing 10 characteristics of culturally responsive, equity-minded allies.

The article discusses the concerns of Johnson couple regarding their third-grade son, Mason, who is struggling with racial identity and negative experiences related to race and education. Topics include the Johnsons' worry about Mason's racial identity, the importance of anti-racist and culturally responsive counseling, and the need for a paradigm shift in school counseling to support Black students effectively.

This article focuses on essential models and theories to help early childhood educators (ECE) in understanding and teaching non-White gifted and talented (GATE) students. The focus is on minoritized students who have been formally identified and those who should be identified (i.e., are underrepresented). These models and theories are crucial in the recruitment and retention process as well as preventing and reversing underachievement.

Many commonplace stories, including the authors and those they have heard, substantiate a critical and undeniable truth: marginalized and underrepresented students’ development through the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline is centered on race and gender and is impacted by (un)intentional and (in)formal interactions with other variables. A noticeable issue in STEM and gifted education is the poor presence of Black girls. We contend that for females, the disconnect between grades, class performance, and interest is all too familiar. This is true even if they are gifted, and especially for Black girls. This article is written with the resolve to address the underpinning complexity of contemporary challenges of underrepresentation of gifted Black girls in STEM, which are rooted in intersectional issues of race and sex discrimination. We address barriers and offer recommendations for change, mostly grounded in relevant theories.

Every study on teacher referral of students for GATE screening, identification, placement and services has found that teachers under-refer Black students (Ford, 2013). Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Students and Educators Benefit Culturally competent educators who are guided by CRP draw upon the social, affective, psychological, physical, academic and cognitive characteristics and skills of their students to develop culturally responsive ways to converse and engage with all of their students that are both mindful and intentional. Similarly, culturally competent educators who use CRP structure and design learning activities that are customized to students' strengths and interests (Ford, 2010). CRP creates a classroom environment of respect for students and a belief in their capability while creating opportunities for academic success. [Extracted from the article]

It is commonly accepted and expected that gifted students enjoy reading and other forms of creative modes of storytelling. A core principle from bibliotherapy is that students engage in reading when they identify with one or more characters, and challenges and interests like their own. The same principle applies to multicultural literature—when students of color see themselves mirrored in the book, they become more eager to read. This column focuses on the vital need for educators to use multicultural literature with gifted Black girls. Strategies and resources are provided for educators’ expansion of their pedagogical toolkit.

This Bill of Rights for Gifted Students of Color was envisioned with the singular goal of effecting change based on equity and cultural responsiveness. The eight sections focus on fundamental issues representing removing barriers. Gifted students of color must have their gifts and talents recognized, affirmed, and developed as districts endeavor to recruit and retain them in gifted education.

Black females are often placed in a difficult position of facing barriers in educational, vocational, and social settings that relegate them to second-class status when compared to issues facing Black males and those facing White females. Sharing race with one and gender with the other, the lived experiences of Black females is understudied and perhaps even discounted in the increasing racial injustices facing Black males and sexism facing White females. In this article, the authors address these neglects in the context of gifted education and Advanced Placement. We attend to what has been written about gifted and/ or high-achieving Black females regarding areas that have been neglected and needs more attention to ensure that this student group is more than a footnote in educational and social justice work.

Although there are federal protections for students with dis/abilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1975, Black students with and without dis/abilities continue to be suspended and expelled at rates that exceed their peers. Still, there is limited research on how Black girls and Black boys are disciplined across suspension types, and based on their identification for special education services. The purpose of this article is to examine the overrepresentation of Black girls and Black boys with and without dis/abilities and to determine, using a quantifiable percentage, how the overrepresentation of Black students for in-school and out-of-school suspension can be eradicated. We use data from the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection 2011–2012 to examine equity (justice and fairness) in disciplinary referrals using state-by-state and regional data. Using an equity formula, we analyzed national data to determine the magnitude of Black females’ and Black males’ overrepresentation in in-school and out-of-school suspensions for students with and without dis/abilities. This study indicates that Black females with dis/abilities had the highest rate of overrepresentation in the Midwest in in-school and out-of-school suspension. In comparison, Black males experienced a greater representation in in-school suspension. Regardless of geographic area Black girls and Black boys are continuously being overrepresented in disciplinary punishments. To end the over-representation of Black girls and Black boys in in-school and out-of-school suspensions, schools and policy makers must collaborate with communities of color, eliminate teacher implicit and explicit racial biases, and discontinue racially punitive school policies.

Abstract:Similar to W.E.B. Du Bois, we believe that access to educational opportunities is a fundamental right that should be provided to all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin. Too often, however, the educational experiences for Black students are significantly uneven in comparison to other demographic groups. These students commonly do not have access to advanced curricula, courses, programs, facilities, and teachers—important factors regarded as the hallmark for receiving a quality pre-K–12 education. To this end, the authors critically investigated the under-representation of Black students in gifted and talented programs in the United States. Using data from the 2015-16 Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, the authors discovered, again, negative gifted and talented trends among Black students, suggesting that racial discrimination and bias may significantly contribute to their low participation in such advanced academic programs. We link the findings to the court decisions of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas and McFadden v. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46. Recommendations for dismantling the under-representation or low representation of Black students in gifted and talented1 are offered.

The purpose of this study was to explore the differential effects of access to gifted education on the mathematics and science achievement of fourth-grade Black girls. This study utilized mean difference effect sizes to examine the magnitude of differences between groups. By convention, White girls were included as a comparison group. Girls receiving gifted instruction and girls not receiving gifted instruction were the populations of interest (N= 13,868). The mathematics results suggest that Black girls participating in gifted education statistically significantly outperform Black girls in the comparison group. The mean difference effect sizes for within-group differences were almost twice as large for Black girls compared with White girls. The science results indicate that Black girls receiving gifted instruction outperformed Black girls in the comparison group. White girls, regardless of access to gifted instruction, statistically significantly outperformed Black girls in science. These results inform the recommendations provided.

Early recognition and formal identification of gifted children are important in helping them learn during their primary years and preventing disengagement and negative attitudes toward school. This is especially the case for children from low-income, racially, linguistically, and culturally different backgrounds. In this article, we suggest some equity-based changes to ensure that all children have access to the rigorous academic environments they need and deserve.

Existing research on students with twice-exceptional abilities concentrates on strategies to improve the educational experiences of individuals who demonstrate the comorbid presence of a talent for high academic achievement (often considered a strength) and a disability (often considered a weakness). However, this body of work typically excludes the sociocultural context in which these abilities manifest and how the current deficit perspective of ability infringes upon an appropriate education for African-American students with twice-exceptional abilities. Using Hill Collins’ (2008) Interlocking Systems of Oppression as a framework, we expound on the discourse about twice-exceptional abilities specific to African-American students with a focus on African-American males. We present a case study about the impact deficit perspectives have on identifying and supporting twice-exceptional abilities in African-American students. Recommendations are made to improve the conditions in which twice-exceptional abilities among African-Americans are identified and supported in schools.

Every school district shares the pervasive issue of having males under-represented in the teaching profession. Likewise, most have a paucity of teachers who are African American. Combining both gender and race, only 1% of teachers are Black males. In the article, we rely on scholarship regarding the lack of diversity among teachers and among males in general education to draw implications to the field of gifted education, with specific attention to recruiting and retaining Black male teachers in gifted education. We present an overview of demographic data for students and teachers by race and gender, along with recommendations for recruiting and retaining greater percentages of Black male teachers in gifted education.

Abstract:This article examines the under-representation of Black students in gifted education, asserting that social inequalities (e.g., prejudice and discrimination) contribute to segregated gifted education programs. Under-representation trends are presented for gifted education, along with methods for calculating under-representation and then inequity goals. Philosophically, this article is grounded in disparate impact discourse, where outcome is more cogent than intent. Denying access to gifted education based on race is immoral and illegal. Pragmatically, under-representation is couched under the larger and more comprehensive achievement gaps and inequities in school settings with implications for de jure segregation. We discuss the under-representation of Black students in gifted education with Brown v. Board of Education as the legal foundation and then focus briefly on a recent court case in gifted education (McFadden v. Board of Education for Illinois School District U–46) for a contemporary point of discussion. Recommendations for desegregating gifted education for Black students regarding attitudes, instruments, and policies and procedures are provided.

The United States is considered the land of immigrants and cultural diversity, and our nation’s ever changing demographics attests to this. Yearly, our nation and schools become more racially and linguistically different. In what ways, we must ask, are schools welcoming and providing for students who come from different cultural backgrounds, especially Black and Hispanic students? The author contends that schools and educators must be culturally responsive; however, misperceptions hinder their appreciation of and respect for multicultural education and, thus, the adoption of culturally responsive practices is infrequent and/or met with reservations. Several (by no means all) misperceptions are share accompanied by counterarguments.

Gifted education has been criticized for the persistent underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students. Many explanations have been advanced, including teacher underreferral, test bias and unfairness, and discriminatory policies and procedures (e.g., criteria), to name a few. Themes permeating the aforementioned explanations have been low expectations for Hispanic and Black students, and inadequate preparation among educators and decision makers to be culturally responsive to their issues and needs. In this column, I propose that a great deal of the factors that contribute to and/or exacerbate underrepresentation rest in the painful reality of prejudice and that both intentional and unintentional prejudice must be considered and addressed for progress and equitable change(s) to occur. Two models of prejudice are presented that shed light on different types and degrees of prejudice, with implications for gifted education specifically. This discussion is followed by suggestions grounded in intergroup contact theory.

As the “land of opportunity” and arguably the greatest country in the world, the United States continues to change—culturally, racially, and linguistically. Reports abound regarding the changing demographics of the country and its schools. Over a 2-decade span (1989–2009), the percentage of “minority” students in public schools (referring to Hispanic American, African American, Asian American, and Native American students) increased from 32% to 45%. This trend is expected to continue, with these 4 groups soon becoming the numerical majority nationally, as is the case already in many school districts. With these changes come growing pains. Special education often receives attention, including debates and litigation, regarding disproportionality or overrepresentation, particularly among African American students (especially males). This albatross has plagued the field for decades. This article presents an overview of demographics in schools and special education, discusses overrepresentation, and provides suggestions for much-needed changes now and in the future. It is guided by the primary question: What does the future hold for Black, Hispanic, and English language learners in special education?

Abstract:This special issue includes seven articles concerning strategies for overcoming barriers in standardized testing as it pertains to African Americans. Most of the articles focus on the effects of testing in educational settings or on related educational experiences of test takers. Three of the articles focus on alternatives to standardized testing for students with special or exceptional needs (gifted college students or students with learning disabilities or emotional-behavior disorders). Two focus on historical and recent efforts to overcome the limiting effects of testing on employment opportunities for military personnel and potential teachers, respectively. The remaining two articles search for explanations for why policy mandates concerning testing have had such negative implications for the educational experiences of African Americans. Collectively, one message threads through the articles: testing innovation does not seem to have changed the nature of test usage, and African Americans of all ages in educational and vocational settings continue to be harmed by assessments. Debates about test bias and fairness are on-going, particularly in this era of high-stakes testing. At the same time, the testing industry continues to assert that newly created tests and revisions of old assessment tools are culturally sensitive. Why then do supposedly ‘unbiased tests remain unfair?

For more than a half century, concerns have existed about the persistent underrepresentation of African American students in gifted education and Advanced Placement classes. Various recommendations to reverse underrepresentation have been proposed, with the majority focusing on testing and assessment instruments. Nonetheless, progress has been inadequate as underrepresentation persists at high levels nationally, especially among Black males. Clearly, we must continue to find more effective tests and instruments, but we cannot stop there. In this article, we propose that, in the process of focusing on more effective ways to recruit and retain African American students, greater attention must be given to social and psychological factors, namely peer pressures and racial identity. Equally important, we must consider gender—the differential experiences of Black males and females. The discussion of these issues is followed by recommendations for change for educators.