Inequities in Enrollment in Gifted Education: A Statewide Application of the 20% Equity Allowance Formula

• In Event: Underrepresented Groups in Gifted Education

Abstract

Inequitable access to gifted education for all student groups has been widely recognized. Two recent federal district court decisions defined the lower limits of equitable participation using a twenty-percent rule. In Texas, gifted education is mandated but each district is given latitude, within vaguely defined guidelines, to set identification policy. The authors applied the twenty-percent rule to demographics of gifted education in school districts in Texas and used Bayesian regression with district characteristics to investigate contributing factors of inequity. Only 124 of 997 (12.4%) districts met the twenty-percent rule for equity in all groups. Of all district attributes included, percent teachers by race/ethnicity had the greatest associations with inequity.

Authors

• Kristen Lamb, University of North Texas

• Peter Boedeker, Baylor College of Medicine

• Todd Kettler, University of North Texas