In its various forms, acceleration continues to be an evidence-based and widely used service provided to gifted students but remains controversial and unsupported in legislation in most states. Case studies, current legislation, interviews with state directors of gifted education programs, and a deep dive into the 2018-2019 State of the States in…

This research aims to examine current practices in gifted and talented educator professional learning, as well as teacher attitudes, beliefs, and experiences towards gifted education in order to explore opportunities to further develop and improve professional learning structures. Through a qualitative methodology following the…

Culturally responsive instruction is recommended to mitigate disparities in the retention of racially and ethnically diverse students in gifted programs. However, the endorsement of colorblind racial ideology is associated with lower multicultural teaching competency and the adoption of deficit perspectives of students of color. The present study…

Research shows that when students have access to advanced coursework opportunities, they work harder and are more engaged in school, have fewer absences and suspensions and higher graduation rates. Unfortunately, many Black and Latino students and students from low-income backgrounds lack equitable access to advanced coursework opportunities, such…

For nearly two decades, the state of Texas mandated gifted education services and provided funding to public school districts. One policy that was unique to the state was a mandatory minimum spending requirement. This research examines how mandatory minimum spending floors influenced spending in public school districts within the state and how…

The emotional intensities of gifted students affect not only their learning, but the way they live and see the world. This article examines the Theory of Positive Disintegration of Dabrowski (1964, 1972) to explore the inner world of the gifted. The five levels of development and five overexcitabilities of Dabrowski represent an abundance of…

Policy changes are an ever-present part of education. In 2019, legislators upended over two decades of gifted education policy in Texas with the removal of direct funding for gifted education. In its wake, the removal of funding shook educator morale and created uncertainty as to the future of gifted education in the state. In this article, we…

This study employs critical content analysis to investigate school districts' identification process of gifted Emergent Bilinguals (EBLs) in North Texas. Despite the diverse population and significant presence of EBLs in Texas, this group is notably underrepresented in gifted programs. In order to uncover the inequities for gifted EBLs, this study…

Self-assessments utilizing designated, objective standards are critical in program evaluation. Although 2013-2014 Texas policy mandated districts self-assess their gifted programs using the community and student engagement performance rating system, little is known about how districts determined their self-assessment ratings. Following gifted…

Every school has students who possess exceptional abilities; who can be considered gifted and talented. Students with special gifts and talents come from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds (Cohen, 1990). Yet as the number of Hispanic English language learners increases across the country, the number identified as gifted remains the same…

This report presents Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examination participation and performance results in Texas public schools for the 2022-23 school year. Data are provided by student characteristics, including race/ethnicity; gender; and economic, at-risk, dyslexia, Emergent bilingual student/English learner, foster…

The article aims to provide relevant data that speaks to current campus needs in a time of pandemic-affected era transitional learning in PK-12 public education. As current educational leaders seek to address the academic and behavioral needs of students, the findings from this research study taken during COVID-19 protocols express three areas of…

This report presents Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examination participation and performance results in Texas public schools for the 2021-22 school year. Data are provided by student characteristics, including race/ethnicity; gender; and economic, at-risk, dyslexia, Emergent bilingual student/English learner, foster…

In the United States, gifted students spend most of their day in the general education setting. Gifted students need specific support structures and differentiated learning opportunities to thrive academically. In general, teachers do not feel prepared to meet the needs of gifted learners and most teaching programs encompass limited content…

Policy and funding influence equitable education for students who are gifted. The concept of equity is examined through variations in policy and in funding at the state, district, and local levels. Challenges and barriers to equity in policy and funding include policy structures, where policy provides guidance without accountability measures, or…