Gifted Education

Abstract

This article looks at the issue of gifted and talented education from the perspective of public policy. It asserts that the underachievement of gifted children is a national concern, as these children may someday benefit society in ways that are disproportionate to their share of the population. Perhaps more importantly, it concludes that gifted education need not be inequitable. In fact, in the current state of the affairs of the United States, I find tremendous variation in the resources districts receive from the state that go toward gifted education. The state is particularly important as it has the power to reduce inequalities between districts that are the result of wealth and other factors. Rather than exacerbating inequality, a larger distribution of the gifted and talented resources serves to ensure gifted children in both poor and rich districts have an opportunity to maximize their potential.