Author:
Peters Scott J.,Makel Matthew C.,Carter James S.
Abstract
Gifted and talented services have a long and tainted history. Since their inception, they have not served a student population that mirrored the racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic diversity of the nation as a whole. But this need not be the case. Contemporary approaches to gifted education can advance the goals of equity and school integration. In short, they can be a means through which schools serve a more diverse student population. This is possible by mandating access to gifted services in all schools, making sure all students are universally screened for eligibility, and using within-building comparisons to determine eligibility. Scott J. Peters, Matthew C. Makel, and James S. Carter III outline this perspective and explain why it would be effective at mitigating school segregation and popular among a broad range of constituencies.