The (Conference) Room Where It Happens: Explaining Disproportional Representation in Gifted and Talented Education

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Bibliographic Details
Title: The (Conference) Room Where It Happens: Explaining Disproportional Representation in Gifted and Talented Education
Language: English
Authors: Dante D. Dixson (ORCID 0000-0001-8211-4711), Scott J. Peters (ORCID 0000-0003-2459-3384), Jonathan A. Plucker (ORCID 0000-0002-5327-0851), Carolyn M. Callahan
Source: AERA Open. 2025 11(1).
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Disproportionate Representation, Gifted, Gifted Education, Race, Socioeconomic Status, African American Students, Hispanic American Students, Low Income Students, Ability Identification, Talent Identification, Screening Tests, Cognitive Tests
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Cognitive Abilities Test
ISSN: 2332-8584
Abstract: The current study leveraged comprehensive data from a large school district to better understand the degree to which disproportional representation in gifted education can be explained by mean assessment score differences across racial and socioeconomic (SES) groups. The findings indicate that after controlling for nonverbal ability, cognitive ability, math achievement, reading achievement, and teacher ratings of gifted behaviors, Black students, Hispanic students, and students from low-income backgrounds are 1.3x to 5.4x more likely to be identified for gifted services than their similarly scoring Asian American or higher-SES peers. These results were found despite Black, Hispanic, and low-income students still being underrepresented within the gifted student population. This study has important implications for understanding and improving the equitable delivery of advanced learning opportunities.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494933
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The current study leveraged comprehensive data from a large school district to better understand the degree to which disproportional representation in gifted education can be explained by mean assessment score differences across racial and socioeconomic (SES) groups. The findings indicate that after controlling for nonverbal ability, cognitive ability, math achievement, reading achievement, and teacher ratings of gifted behaviors, Black students, Hispanic students, and students from low-income backgrounds are 1.3x to 5.4x more likely to be identified for gifted services than their similarly scoring Asian American or higher-SES peers. These results were found despite Black, Hispanic, and low-income students still being underrepresented within the gifted student population. This study has important implications for understanding and improving the equitable delivery of advanced learning opportunities.
ISSN:2332-8584