The lower percentage of Black and Hispanic students in Gifted and Talented (GT) programs is due to multiple causes, including failure to be nominated, the grade in which students first are nominated, the qualities that constitute the GT program, information considered during the screening process, and the use of national norms. These five issues are reviewed in this paper. The author concludes that GT programs are most likely to survive, even flourish, when they help support prevailing broader education efforts, including the promotion of achievement in light of the No Child Left Behind Act. Furthermore, effective GT programs develop policies and practices based on local conditions. The author contends that efforts are needed that focus more on achievement and less on intelligence, leadership and/or the performing and visual arts. Given a stronger emphasis on achievement, existing methods used to nominate and screen students for GT programs should be reviewed and may need to be revised. Additionally, the use of local norms is likely to better serve many districts.