121819 Twice Gifted
Special Education Collection

Gifted Education: Opening the Gates

Gifted-education programs were created as a way to help the brightest students develop their full academic potential and keep them engaged in school. In practice, though, these programs often “miss” students, especially those in lower-income communities, students of color, English-language learners, and students who have disabilities that mask their giftedness. Read on to learn how schools screen students for advanced academic programs and how they might cast a wider net.

Fifth grader Zachary is among the growing number of students identified as “twice exceptional” in Sacramento, Calif.
Fifth grader Zachary is among the growing number of students identified as “twice exceptional” in Sacramento, Calif.
Sarahbeth Maney for Education Week
Special Education 'Twice Exceptional' Students Miss Out on Gifted Classes
Students who both have disabilities and are gifted are often overlooked when it comes to screening for gifted education. A California district found that it could buck the trend by casting a wider net for gifted students.
Alex Harwin, November 25, 2019
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7 min read
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Special Education From Our Research Center Even Gifted Educators Say Their Classes Don't Reach All Who Need Them
Students of color, low-income students, and English-language learners are underrepresented in gifted classes, according to a survey.
Corey Mitchell, November 25, 2019
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5 min read
After reading the book, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” gifted education teacher Tiffani Morrison asks kindergarten students at Wheeler Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., to draw “what they would want to have fall from the sky if they could choose anything.”
After reading the book, “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” gifted education teacher Tiffani Morrison asks kindergarten students at Wheeler Elementary School in Louisville, Ky., to draw “what they would want to have fall from the sky if they could choose anything.”
Jared Hamilton for Education Week
Special Education Pointillism in 1st Grade? Teachers Use Unfamiliar Lessons to Mine for Giftedness
Some districts are using new “response lessons” to identify the talented students that traditional assessments miss.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 25, 2019
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6 min read
Special Education How Do Schools Find Gifted Students? Some Survey Results
Eight charts from a nationwide survey of nearly 800 gifted-education teachers and administrators show how schools are identifying students for gifted services and where the screening falls short.
November 25, 2019

Coverage of the experiences of low-income, high-achieving students is supported in part by a grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, at www.jkcf.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.