ABSTRACT
Students from certain populations have been underidentified for gifted programs for many years, which leads to a greater disparity in the achievement gap. Low-income and ethnically diverse students have a long history of underrepresentation in gifted programs at schools. Underrepresented populations perform lower on these assessments than their more privileged classmates. Many teachers struggle to understand how giftedness manifests differently in low-income and ethnically diverse students. The use of universal screening and local norms is one recommended strategy to shrink the achievement gap between underrepresented students and their peers. Targeted professional learning that helps teachers understand the lives of diverse students is a crucial component of increasing equity and access to gifted programs. Gifted programs can also incorporate higher level thinking and problem solving opportunities for economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse students. Providing role models from underrepresented groups is an additional way to help diverse students feel welcome in gifted courses.
