What’s in a name? Rethinking “gifted” to promote equity and excellence

Abstract

The goal of gifted education is to serve the needs of individuals with high potential and advanced ability. However, the term “gifted” can create barriers in the minds of the public and policymakers, effectively framing these advanced learning opportunities as inequitable and inaccessible. Excellence gaps, or differences in advanced performance among student groups, provide clear indications that systemic changes need to be made in order to provide advanced learning opportunities to all students who need them. To refocus the collective efforts of scholars and stakeholders on promoting equity and excellence, research-based strategies for reducing excellence gaps (e.g., frontloading, universal screening) should be adopted. As best practices in the field shift, so too should terminology. Moving away from words that convey images of fixed abilities (e.g., gifted) and toward terms that acknowledge the dynamic, contextual nature of intelligence and talent is a good start. Suggestions for alternate terminology are discussed.