ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the diversity of gifted Hispanic students is examined, the challenges of gaining access to gifted education will be presented through the perseverance model, and a discussion highlighting intelligence and high-achieving Latino students will be provided. Attempting to describe and discuss the wide range of concerns regarding gifted education for Hispanic students is both challenging and far reaching. The basic premise of the perseverance model is that the further away from mainstream America poor Hispanic students are, the more resiliency and perseverance they need to demonstrate in order to overcome the challenges of gaining access to gifted education programs. The perseverance model offers a clear explanation for why Hispanic students continue to be an underrepresented group in gifted education. Schooling itself is an intervention that pays dividends reflected in intel-ligence scores. At the organizational or institutional level, lip service often comes too easy for those in charge.
