ABSTRACT
In chapter 1 of the present book, Richard Valencia discusses nine schooling conditions and six schooling outcomes experienced by many Chicano students in the nation’s public schools.1 In the current chapter, we elaborate on one of these outcomes: the underrepresentation of Chicano children and youths in programs for the gifted.2 Given that Chicanos and other Latinos comprise a substantial and rapidly growing proportion of the K-12 national public school enrollment, then why are so few Chicano/Latino students-compared to their White and Asian American counterpartsidentified and placed in gifted programs? This is one major question we address here. This chapter is organized around three sections. First, we trace the history of the underrepresentation of gifted Chicano students and other students of color (i.e., other Latinos; African Americans; American Indians). Second, we present historical and contemporary data that underscore the significant poor representation of students of color, including Chicanos, in gifted programs. Finally, we discuss best-case practices that have emerged from research findings that hold promise for improving the identification and placement of Chicanos in gifted instruction.
