Expanding Gifted Identification to Capture Academically Advanced, Low-Income, or Other Disadvantaged Students: The Case of Arkansas. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tran, Bich Thi Ngoc; Wai, Jonathan; McKenzie, Sarah; Mills, Jonathan; Seaton, Dustin
• Other Names: Jolly Jennifer L. guest-editor.; Robins Jennifer H. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal for the education of the gifted. Volume 45:Number 1(2022)
• Page Start: 64
• Page End: 83
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: gifted education -- gifted identification -- disadvantaged high achievers -- policy research -- Arkansas; Gifted children -- Education -- United States -- Periodicals; 371.9505
• DOI: 10.1177/01623532211063936
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-3532

Abstract

We examined the state of Arkansas, empirically testing how focusing on high-achieving students using state tests might expand the pool of gifted identified students. From a broader sample of 173, 133 students, we compared the degree to which students who were academically talented in the top 5% on third-grade state literacy and math assessments were identified as gifted in Arkansas. Across five independent cohorts, we replicated the finding that roughly 30% of the students in the top 5% on both third-grade literacy and math were not identified as gifted. Logistic regression ( N = 3992) indicated that high-achieving students participating in the federal Free/Reduced Lunch program were 50% less likely to be identified. These findings suggest that using state math and literacy assessments as universal screening tools could improve gifted identification of high-achieving students, many from low-income or other disadvantaged backgrounds.