Mapping the Future Field of Gifted Education for Racial Equity Reform: Examining Divergent Perspectives of Leading Scholars in the Field

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Policy Influences on Exceptionality Education (Table 11)

Abstract

Achieving equity in gifted and talented (G/T) education has long been debated due to the persistent underrepresentation of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. Using a critical race and equity-focused school leadership lens, our qualitative study examined how 19 G/T scholars and policy advocates perceive the problems and possible solutions to inequities in the field. We conceptualized their positions on how to achieve racial equity in G/T programs falling along a continuum from Traditional-Mainstream to Critical-Transformative approaches. Given our findings, we argue that G/T scholars and policy advocates must move past narrow and outdated views that fixing the racial disproportionality problem will lead to greater G/T equity, and move towards a more expansive view that addresses the unequal G/T structures.

Authors

• Allison Roda, Molloy University

• Brittany Nicole Anderson, University of North Carolina - Charlotte