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In this study, we utilized a case study approach to examine the perspectives of 20 school stakeholders regarding equitable ways they promote and broaden the participation of Black male students in a high school academy of engineering (AOE). Madison River Academy (pseudonym) is a comprehensive high school with an AOE embedded in it. The ethnic and racial backgrounds of students at Madison River Academy are 68.8% Black, 14.4% Latinx, 8.7% White, 4.3% Asian, and 3.4% Multiracial. Three themes emerged from our data analyses of the school stakeholder interviews, including the following: (a) a cultural mismatch: denoting the cultural disconnect between teachers and Black male students; (b) math as a gatekeeper: symbolizing mathematics as a barrier Black male participation in the AOE; and (c) promoting equitable access: representing strategies the school stakeholders discussed that could address the equity issues within the AOE. More specifically, within the promoting equitable access theme, two subthemes emerged: building vertical pathways from middle to high school and applying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pathways. We provide recommendations for addressing the equity issues within our case study and promoting higher levels of participation of Black male students in the AOE.

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.

Sternberg's transformational giftedness theory is visionary given its focus on GATE students being agents of change who use their gifts and talents in meaningful ways to address real issues. The theory merges seamlessly with several multicultural or culturally responsive theories and frameworks/models. We introduce the "culturally responsive transformational giftedness model" that adds multicultural consideration to Sternberg's theory, particularly for Black students. This article offers recommendations and presents the model to complement and enhance transformational GATE students and education (e.g., identification and assessment, social-emotional and psychological development, instruction/teaching, and curriculum) via a rigorous culturally responsive framework. Undergirding this model is the notion of "good trouble" which is needed to solve real issues and problems to bring about equitable social and cultural change.

Black male retention rates in college tend to be lower than they are for Asians, Whites, and Latino males as well as their gendered counterparts in college. Various factors play a role in the higher attrition rates of Black males in higher education. However, there are programmatic initiatives that can contribute to the academic and career success of these students. For example, living-learning communities are recognized as a high impact practice for student engagement. Moreover, these high impact practices, such as first experiences courses, study abroad, and undergraduate research, contribute to student matriculation and retention. Therefore, this article will detail how the authors contributed to creating the Jamii House, a residential learning community charged with improving the graduation rates of Black males at a research-intensive university in the northeastern U.S. [Discussion questions developed by Dan Pedersen and Zac Birch.]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the role of school stakeholders (e.g. advisory board members, school administrators, parents, teachers and school board members) at a 99% black academy in promoting the achievement and broadening participation of high school black students in engineering career pathways. Design/methodology/approach: The authors followed a qualitative case study design to explore the experiences of school stakeholders (e.g. students, district and school personnel and community partners) associated with the implementation of the career academy (Stake, 2006;Yin, 1994). Findings: The authors found that the school relied heavily on the support of the community in the form of an advisory board -- including university faculty and industry leaders -- to actively develop culturally responsive strategies (e.g. American College Test preparation, work-based learning opportunities) to ensure the success of black students interested in pursuing career pathways in engineering. Thus, school stakeholders in the academy of engineering served as authentic leaders who inspired academy students by serving as role models and setting examples through what they do as engineering professionals. It was quite evident that the joy and fulfillment that these authentic leaders gained from using their talents directly or indirectly inspired students in the academy to seek out and cultivate the talents they are good at and passionate about as well (Debebe, 2017). Moreover, the career academy provided environmental or sociocultural conditions that promoted the development of learners' gifts and talents (Plucker and Barab, 2005). Within that context, the goals of career academy school stakeholders were to support students in the discovery of what they are good at doing and to structure their educational experiences to cultivate their gifts into talents. Research limitations/implications: It is also important to acknowledge that this study is not generalizable to the one million career academy students across the nation. Yet, the authors believe researchers should continue to examine the career academy advisory board as a source of capital for engaging and preparing diverse learners for success post-high school. Further research is needed to investigate how advisory boards support students' in school and postsecondary outcomes, particularly for diverse students. Practical implications: The authors highlight promising practices for schools to implement in establishing a diverse talent pipeline. Social implications: On a theoretical level, the authors found important insights into the possibility of black students benefiting from a culturally responsive advisory board that provided social and cultural capital (e.g. aspirational, navigational and social) resources for their success. Originality/value: While prior researchers have studied the positive impact of teachers in career academies as a contributor to social capital for students (Lanford and Maruco, 2019) and what diverse students bring to the classroom as a form of capital Debebe(Yosso, 2005), research has not identified the role of the advisory board (in its efforts to connect the broader community) as a vehicle for equipping ethnically and racially diverse students who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with social capital. Within that sense, the authors believe the advisory board at Stanton Academy relied on what the authors term local community capital to provide resources and supports for black students' successful transition from high school into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related college and career pathways.

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 "and" gifted and talented.

In this article, we present an extensive overview of inequities in three areas of education: (1) gifted and talented education; (2) accelerated coursework; (3) and discipline. Intersectionality undergirds our focus on these three areas as they go together to paint a disturbing picture of the experiences of Black children in P-12 schools, as well as institutions of higher education. In addition to laying out the culturally assaultive problems, we provide recommendations and resources designed to develop anti-racist, culturally competent educators, along with an equitable education system where Black students are "seen" as capable, intelligent, good citizens, and humans who are understood and affirmed; thus, "All Eyez on Me" results in dynamic rather than deficit thinking among education professionals.

Diversifying the STEM workforce is a national concern. To address this concern, researchers, policymakers, and educators are working to increase STEM career interest and achievement in a more diverse population of learners. Black girls and young women represent a unique population of STEM learners that remain relatively untapped and largely under researched in current STEM education scholarship. Therefore, this study focuses on the relationship between the science dispositions of Black girls and advanced science course enrollment. The present study utilized a sample of Black female students (N = 1,810) that participated in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009/2012 (HSLS:09/12). To examine whether science dispositions are predictive of general enrollment in advanced science courses a canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was performed. The observed relationship between science dispositions and participation in advanced science of r = 0.389 and explains 15.13% of the variance. The majority of the predictive information for the science disposition construct was observed in science identity. Therefore, the development of science identity in Black girls should be the focus of educators and parents seeking to increase Black girls' participation in advanced science courses. Implications are provided for parents and educational stakeholders of Black girls.

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 share data on under-representation in the U.S., along with contributing factors and recommendations. They rail against both ignorance and indifference explanations, calling instead for accountability and deliberate efforts to desegregate gifted education with both excellence and equity as the driving force. We define equity as being fair, responsive, and impartial, especially for those who have the fewest resources and least advocacy, and who have experienced structural inequality due to historical exclusion. We hope readers will learn from the U.S. context and use that which is relevant for their nation's context.

Access to gifted and talented education (referral, identification, and classes) and advanced classes has been challenging for two student groups of color--Black and Hispanic students. More than 10 years of data from the Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection and numerous reports reveal that discrimination is in operation and gravely compromises access for these gifted students of color. In this article, the authors share data on the aforementioned groups' under-representation, along with desegregation and integration barriers. Our recommendations are guided by equity rather than equality. We call for accountability and deliberate efforts to desegregate and integrate gifted and talented education with excellence and equity fundamental for change. We also draw attention to the Culturally-Responsive Equity-Based Bill of Rights for Gifted Students of Color.

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.

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.

Gifted girls of color represent a potentially untapped resource for increasing and sustaining a diverse science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. Girls of color possess unique mathematics and science gifts and talents that can remain unrealized if not addressed before middle school. Culturally responsive STEM out-of-school-time (OST) activities can be an effective means to develop STEM capacity in gifted girls of color. The researchers present three considerations to support the implementation of STEM OST. First, they offer a rationale for culturally relevant STEM enrichment activities for gifted girls of color. Next, the researchers consider how culturally relevant STEM OST activities can help to close the achievement gap. Finally, they explain how professional mentorship opportunities within OST activities can help gifted girls of color navigate the STEM pipeline.

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. (Contains 1 table and 1 footnote.)

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 talented are offered.

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.

Black and Hispanic students are consistently underrepresented in gifted education. Several factors contribute to their low identification and lack of access to such programs and services. While teacher underreferral is a significant contributing factor, problematic also is testing and assessment, which is often administered by school psychologists. In this article, we touch on testing issues but devote more attention to key theories for school psychologists to consider when assessing, evaluating, collaborating, and making recommendations regarding Black and Hispanic students for gifted education.

This article addresses an ongoing problem in gifted education: How severe is under-representation among Black and Hispanic students in gifted education nationally and in school districts and buildings? The degree of severity that is accepted, tolerated, or rejected depends on whether one adopts an equality or equity philosophy and associated practices. The author offers 10 recommendations for equitable change regarding eliminating barriers to recruiting and retaining Black and Hispanic students in gifted education.

Black and Hispanic students are undeniably underidentified as gifted and underrepresented in gifted education. The underrepresentation of the two largest groups of "minority" students is long-standing, dating several decades, and is a serious area of contention. Most debates focus on the efficacy of traditional intelligence tests with verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal scales compared to intelligence tests that are nonverbal when identifying underserved gifted students. Test developers; researchers; federal, state, and local government officials; policymakers; administrators; and educators have debated different solutions to the problem of underrepresentation of minorities in gifted educational programs for decades. Controversies surrounding how to equitably identify these gifted students abound, and arguments are quite polemic and entrenched; nonetheless, in many instances gifted Hispanic and Black students are often disproportionally denied access to gifted education because of the methods and instruments used. In this article, we review a study by Giessman, Gambrell, and Stebbins regarding one Nonverbal Test of General Ability (NNAT2), which has been widely used for identification of gifted non-White students. We address concerns about conclusions raised by Giessman and coauthors and present cautions about the problems involved in reporting archival data.

Gifted education has faced numerous criticisms regarding the extensive and persistent underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students. In the April 2013 issue of "Gifted Child Today," this author wrote about prejudice and discrimination in gifted education, and argued that in the past and now, discrimination exists in gifted education due to the extensive and unreasonable nature of underrepresentation. Ford described the most recent court case where an Illinois school district (U-46, Elgin) was found to be guilty of intentional discrimination against Hispanic and Black students in their gifted programs. Ford advocates for all--not some--gifted students, and states that all must learn from this court case to proactively inform and support organizations created specifically on behalf of gifted students. Indeed, the court findings offered the gifted education field an unprecedented opportunity to underscore and act upon programming, policy, and testing approaches that are fair, nondiscriminatory, equitable, and hence support the success of all children with gifts and talents. School districts, state departments of education, and organizations in gifted education must live up to their promise and mission to advocate for all gifted students. A crucial part of this work consists of examining and eliminating all barriers that contribute to underrepresentation among Hispanic and Black students in gifted education. Efforts to desegregate gifted education must be proactive, intentional, and aggressive.

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.

This article examines the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic students in gifted education, proposing that social inequality, deficit thinking, and microaggressions contribute to the inequitable segregated programs. Underrepresentation trends are presented, along with methods for calculating underrepresentation and inequity. Underrepresentation is placed under the larger umbrella of achievement gaps and inequities in school settings with attention to de jure segregation. I argue that underrepresentation is beyond statistical chance and is a function of attitudes and beliefs grounded in deficit paradigms among those with power or social capital. Denying access to gifted education based on race is counterproductive and illegal and is discussed with "Brown v. Board of Education" as the legal background and a recent court case in gifted education ("McFadden v. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46"). Recommendations for desegregating gifted education are provided.

This article examines the under-representation of African American students in gifted education, with attention to how representation differs for Black males and females. We contend that social injustices (e.g., prejudice and discrimination) contribute to racially segregated gifted education classes (Ford, 2013b). For support, gifted under-representation trends are shared, accompanied by formulae for calculating under-representation and inequity associated with under-representation. Denying access to gifted education based on race is a violation of civil rights in education. We discuss the under-representation of Black males and females in gifted education with "Brown vs. Board of Education" (1954) as the legal foundation and then attend to a court case in gifted education ("McFadden vs. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46," 2013; 984 F.Supp.2d 882) for one contemporary point of discussion regarding gifted education segregation. Suggestions for desegregating gifted education are shared.

This article focuses on the achievement gap, with attention devoted to underachievement and low achievement among African American males in urban school contexts. More specifically, the article explains problems and issues facing or confronting these Black male students in urban education settings. A central part of this discussion is grounded in the achievement gap literature on Black students in general and implications for Black males in particular. Another fundamental aspect of this discussion is the need for urban educators to adopt a social justice or civil rights approach to their work, which means an equity-based and culturally responsive approach in philosophy and action. Suggestions for closing the achievement gap and otherwise improving the achievement of gifted, high-achieving, and high potential African American males are provided to urban education educators and families.

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? (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

An issue of much concern, and under much scrutiny and debate, is the persistent and extensive under-representation of African American students in gifted education. A number of efforts have been proposed and implemented to improve their recruitment and retention, but to little or no avail Progress has been slow or non-existent in many cases. In this article, we propose that several theories and conceptual frameworks can guide educators and decision makers in gaining a better understanding of under-representation. In understanding the barriers to recruitment and retention through the lens of theories and frameworks. we can develop solutions that work. Nine theories and frameworks are presented. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

In this article, the authors share concerns and considerations for researchers conducting cross-cultural research in gifted education. They contend that researchers should be mindful of the need to consider their own humanness--their beliefs, assumptions, attitudes, values, paradigms--and the limitations of their humanness when working with research participants from racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds, especially those backgrounds that differ from their own. Furthermore, the authors assert that research is culture bound and that it is very difficult to conduct research where circumstances, demographics, and context can be ignored, minimized, negated, or in any way trivialized. Examples are presented of racially, culturally, and linguistically responsive researchers. (Contains 1 footnote, 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Many studies have been conducted on the achievement gap, with most findings pointing to how school and family variables affect Black students' achievement. Another body of work focuses on how social variables (i.e., peers) impact Black students' achievement, including how accusations of "acting White" affect the performance of Black students and contribute to the achievement gap. The current descriptive and exploratory study extends this work by examining peer pressure among Black students identified as gifted (n = 166). As part of a larger study, gifted Black 5th through 12th graders were surveyed regarding their achievement-related attitudes and behaviors and perceptions of "acting White" and "acting Black." Many of the gifted Black students demonstrate an attitude-behavior discrepancy, face negative peer pressures, and attribute acting White to school achievement, intelligence, and positive school behaviors and attitudes; most attribute acting Black to negative school achievement, low intelligence, and poor behaviors and attitudes. Recommendations are provided. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables and 3 notes.)

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. Educators' deficit thinking about CLD students underlies both areas (recruitment and retention) and contributes to underrepresentation in significant, meaningful ways. The authors examine factors hindering the recruitment and retention of CLD students in gifted education, attending in particular to definitions and theories, testing, and referral issues, and offer recommendations for improving the representation of CLD students in gifted education. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

In virtually every school district nationally, Black students are underrepresented in gifted education programs, including advanced placement (AP) classes. This underrepresentation exists regardless of grade level and school type. Building on a previous publication, this article addresses a central question in gifted education: Why does underrepresentation among Black students persist in gifted education despite efforts to rectify the problem? The authors review factors affecting this stubborn and pervasive educational, social, and moral issue and outline recommendations for both the recruitment and retention of African American students in gifted education. The authors' major premise is that educators' deficit orientation about African American students has a direct and profound impact on these students' being able to gain admission to gifted programs. The authors contend that educators must move beyond a deficit orientation to that of dynamic thinking if underrepresentation is to be reduced; dynamic thinking recognizes the cultural assets--the strengths and promise--of African American students. Essentially, changing our thinking about differences among children from cultural backgrounds that are different from our own is one promising strategy for recruiting and retaining Black and other culturally diverse students in gifted education. (Contains 3 endnotes and 4 tables.)

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 potential of culturally diverse students in a variety of learning contexts. Ultimately, teachers' new (and expanded) insights about their students can result in more culturally diverse students participating in gifted education programs. (Contains 4 endnotes.)

This article expands the notion of culturally responsive learning environments by including Purkey and Novak's (1996) work on invitational learning. Their typology of four types of schools is described and applied to gifted education classrooms, along with associated characteristics of each. Specific attention is focused on implications for Black and Hispanic students. The author maintains that all classrooms must be culturally responsive, which will help with recruiting and retaining culturally different students in gifted education.

In public school systems all around the country, educators--teachers, counselors, and administrators--have made significant progress in identifying and recruiting diverse populations in gifted and enrichment programs. Despite the efforts, too many African American students and other students of color (e.g., Hispanic Americans and Native Americans) are not faring well in gifted education. The social and cultural obstacles (e.g., racial and ethnic prejudice, negative peer pressure, poor parental involvement, negative teacher and counselor expectations, etc.) that students of color, particularly African Americans, face in gifted education are well known. In order to improve African American student retention, it is clear that public school systems must do more. Recruitment is an important component for increasing the number of African American students in gifted education, but retention is equally important. Using multiple frameworks, this article examines the notion of retention and its many challenges and offers recommendations for improving the retention of African American students in gifted education. Putting the research to use: A litany of publications has focused on the persistent underrepresentation of African American students in gifted education programs. In response, school personnel (e.g., teachers, counselors, and administrators) have attempted to develop strategies to increase the representation of these students in gifted education programs. Efforts primarily target fining instruments and developing policies and procedures to recruit gifted African American students. Less often is there a focus on retaining diverse students in gifted programs once they have been recruited (that is, identified and placed). In this article, we extrapolate from the work of scholars and social scientists in higher education, many of whom bemoan the loss of diverse students who opt to withdraw from college, and draw implications for gifted education. Our thesis is that this underrepresentation problem will persist until educators more assertively focus on both the recruitment and retention of students of color. We argue, in other words, that recruitment is not enough to change the demographics of gifted education and otherwise increase access to these programs for African American students.

Educators, policy makers, and civic leaders are baffled and frustrated over the stubborn achievement gaps that exist between white students and students of color. On a consistent basis, African American students do not fair as well as white students on school-related measures such as proficiency examinations and standardized tests (e.g., Scholastic Aptitude Tests [SAT] and American College Testing [ACT]). Numerous theories have been offered to explain the "achievement gap." The explanations can be placed into the following categories: social factors, cultural factors, and psychological factors. The majority of research has focused on the achievement between white students and African American students. In this article, the authors discuss the need for educators to understand social, cultural, and psychological factors that affect achievement in students of color.

This article examines the root causes for the overrepresentation of African American students in special education classes and their under representation in gifted and talented programs in America's public schools. The article (a) provides a historic overview of the legal struggles for educational equity, (b) examines key issues surrounding the academic status of African American students, (c) discusses multicultural education as a remedy, and (d) recommends an appropriate course of action for educators and policy makers.

While it is recognized that self-concept and self-esteem affect the academic achievement of students, few publications have focused on the affective and psychological needs of students who are gifted and ethnically or culturally diverse. In this article, we extend the discussion of self-concept and achievement by focusing on how racial identity development affects the achievement of gifted African American students. We argue that few efforts, designed to improve gifted Black students' achievement and social-emotional well-being, will be successful until educators focus specifically on their racial identity. While we acknowledge that a focus on racial identity is necessary for all African American students, we are most concerned in this article with gifted Black students because so few have been identified as gifted. Along with describing racial identity development and issues facing gifted African American students, we offer solutions for change. (Contains 3 figures and 1 footnote.)

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 denied that racially segregated gifted education classes contribute to the national achievement gap. In this article, the author discusses solutions and recommendations for addressing this issue.

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 twt/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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of the denial of equal education opportunities to Black children is a long one, whether through racial segregation or overrepresentation in special education. No other group is as overreferred, overidentified, and overrepresented in special education as Black students, specifically Black males. The authors present an historical and legal overview of special education and critique in the 2015 report by Morgan, Farkas, Hillemeier, Mattison, Maczuga, Li, and Cook. Based on their analysis of limited criteria rather than comprehensive criteria, Morgan and colleagues claim that Blacks were not overrepresented in special education and that more should have been identified. This study created a swelter of discussion and debates that are not new but that the authors find to be biased, polemic, and deficit-oriented assertions. The potential impact of Morgan et al.'s work (arguments, findings, and conclusions) must be interrogated rather than discounted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the under-representation of African American students in gifted education, with attention to how representation differs for Black males and females. We contend that social injustices (e.g., prejudice and discrimination) contribute to racially segregated gifted education classes (Ford, 2013b). For support, gifted under-representation trends are shared, accompanied by formulae for calculating under-representation and inequity associated with under-representation. Denying access to gifted education based on race is a violation of civil rights in education. We discuss the under-representation of Black males and females in gifted education with Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) as the legal foundation and then attend to a court case in gifted education (McFadden vs. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46, 2013; 984 F.Supp.2d 882) for one contemporary point of discussion regarding gifted education segregation. Suggestions for desegregating gifted education are shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education. Topics cited include what segregated gifted programs do, the role of prejudice and discrimination in underrepresentation, and the ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Robert Gettlemen on July 11, 2013, holding that District U-46 intentionally discriminated against Hispanic students specific in their gifted placement. A table of the mission statements/goals of gifted advocacy organizations is shown.

This chapter examines underrepresentation among African American and Hispanic students in gifted education using the perfect storm analogy, arguing that social inequality, elitism, and colorblindness are three forces that contribute to the poor presence of these groups in gifted education. Underrepresentation trends are presented, along with methods for calculating underrepresentation and inequity. Underrepresentation is placed under the larger issues of achievement gaps, and inequitable school practices, specifically de jure segregation. Models and discussions of social inequality, elitism, and colorblindness are presented to explain that the magnitude of underrepresentation is beyond statistical chance and a function of decision makers' attitudes and beliefs grounded in deficit paradigms. The primary theses and admonitions are that gifted education underrepresentation is counterproductive in such a culturally different nation, and that desegregating gifted education is nonnegotiable. Suggestions for desegregating gifted education and eliminating inequities are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines prejudice and discrimination, as well as all type of microaggressions in the context of gifted education in the U.S. It explores the attitudinal barriers that hinder the access of African American and Hispanic students to gifted education. The three types of microaggressions include microassaults, microinsulats and microinvalidations.

An issue of much concern, and under much scrutiny and debate, is the persistent and extensive under-representation of African American students in gifted education. A number of efforts have been proposed and implemented to improve their recruitment and retention, but to little or no avail. Progress has been slow or non-existent in many cases. In this article, we propose that several theories and conceptual frameworks can guide educators and decision makers in gaining a better understanding of under-representation. In understanding the barriers to recruitment and retention through the lens of theories and frameworks, we can develop solutions that work Nine theories and frameworks are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on African American and their underrepresentation in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These students are the most underrepresented racial group of graduating high school seniors with 153,000 missing from AP classes. The article discusses this in terms of equity and excellence gaps, gifted education, and teacher referrals into advanced classes. The article also presents suggestions for increasing African American presence in AP classes through early educational intervention and talent development, advocacy, data collection, the improvement of family-school partnerships, and increased cultural competence.