Three ways to achieve a more equitable representation of culturally and linguistically different students in GT programs

Abstract

The underrepresentation of minority children in programs for the gifted has been a public issue for many years, but has achieved no resolution. Given recent court decisions against affirmative action in admissions decisions, it should be clear that to attract, select, and retain culturally or linguistically different (CLD) students, GT programs must respond to the political and social contexts in which gifted and talented programs operate. A new approach is proposed, that an increase in the number of minority teachers in GT programs will lead to an increase of qualified CLD students who are selected and complete the GT curriculum. Further, evaluation data from effective programs that document the success of these innovative admissions and curricular efforts will be required to persuade districts that have resisted making accommodations for CLD‐GT students to change. Ways to recruit and prepare teachers who can authentically represent the diverse cultures within a district's GT program are discussed, as are multicultural and bilingual options for GT programs.