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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.

Postsecondary readiness is critical to broadening opportunities for educational and career options beyond high school. However, Black males are often at a disadvantage to gaining access to postsecondary preparation and school counselors who can respond to their academic needs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and culturally responsive practices of school stakeholders (who are predominantly Black) from an academy of engineering (career academy). The authors used a case study approach to examine culturally responsive practices school personnel utilize to enhance the college and career readiness of Black males. Findings emphasize the role of culturally responsive practices (e.g., Black male role models from business and industry in the engineering field and school counselors), cultural matching, and the role of the advisory board in ensuring the success of Black male students. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research for Black males and school counselors are discussed.

Kazaam is a 5-year-old kindergarten Black male. He is a happy, energetic child. However, his teacher often has to tell him to sit down and stay on task to do [...]

The purpose of this research study was to examine the ways in which stakeholders at a low-income, predominantly African American STEAM academy implement initiatives that support the college and career readiness of their students. We found that a shift in leadership efforts to ensure that academy students were prepared to be both college and career ready provided equity and access to a quality and individualized curriculum through the implementation of career academies. As a result, stakeholders believed that students were more included, valued, and engaged in the school.

This article addresses first what students and professionals "know and do not know" about cultural competence and anti-racism. The authors then focus on dispositions (what students and professionals "want" to know and "do not want" to 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 purpose of the age-old course syllabus remains the same--a crucial document that sets the foundation for a course by providing students with essential information, outlining expectations, and serving as [...]

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.

As Black History Month comes to a close, we want to recognize Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who began what is now an historical yet monumental event. Woodson discussed how we [...]

The current context of education is riddled with anti-Blackness that continues to find systemic ways to harm Black children and adolescents, ranging from the persistent surveillance and pushout from educational [...]

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.

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.

As we write this paper, multicultural literature and Black History are under attack--led by Florida Gov. Ron De-Santis. Educators are being sanctioned and under threat of being fired. Nonetheless, some [...]

In a recent op-ed, we described the present challenges Black youth are facing regarding mental health. Sadly, these statistics continue to be alarming as rates remain high in comparison to [...]

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.

Many educators come to the profession because they have a passion and commitment to help students succeed. However, the complexities of education often get in the way of successfully advocating [...]

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.

The field of gifted education, historically and contemporarily, is not well-known for being equitable for underrepresented students, specifically, Black, Hispanic, Native American, among others. In this article, we present a short history of gifted education with attention to key historical figures who have significantly shaped the field; their influence continues to impact theories and measurement to this very day. We share our reservations, along with 10 assumptions that we believe need to be countered. Given the long history of tension in the field regarding issues of racism, ethnocentrism, and classism, we offer perspectives for moving forward proactively and equitably.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are proud parents of third grader, Mason. He has excelled in school, academic competitions (spelling bee), and sports (particularly tennis). He has been one of the [...]

This year, 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of Brown versus 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.