ABSTRACT
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 brought a focus to the achievement gap that exists between minority and Caucasian students in the United States. In particular, the act highlighted the need to increase the number of African American students in gifted courses. Numerous factors, including external, internal, and institutional factors have been identified as contributing to the discrepancy in gifted program participation between African American students and their White and Asian peers. Because the factors underlying the underrepresentation and success of African American students in gifted programs are myriad and complex, there is no magic wand to wave or simple formula to follow that can rectify this quickly. Gifted programs designed with a carefully considered system of supports, inclusive environments, and curricular relevance and engagement such as those described in the recommendations below have the potential to increase the participation and success of African American students in advanced academic environments.
