ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an examination of the opportunities and barriers in gifted education facing students who live in rural areas. The author reviews the unique place-based components that must be considered when considering identification protocols and programming for students from rural settings: physical isolation, proximity of extended family, limited transportation options for specialized programs, lack of specialized training for teachers, and the intersection of poverty. The author also provides a picture of the rural milieu as a potential significant influence on the academic trajectory of these children. An examination of current practices is suggested, including a call for the development of more robust distance-learning options and regional programming, emphases on teacher and administrator professional learning, and a recognition of the ways that some federal Title funds can be used to support programming.
