Of the 2 million children suspended from school each year, a disproportionate number are minority youth who, although they make up only 5 percent of the school population, comprise 40 percent of all suspensions and expulsions. The United States Supreme Court has issued several rulings to protect students from arbitrary and capricious imposition of…

Examines barriers to the effective recognition and assistance of gifted Black American children, including inadequate definitions, theories, and identification procedures. Discusses rationales for reexamining and broadening definitions and theories of giftedness to make them more applicable to Blacks. Presents prescriptions for change and…

This article reviews factors affecting the persistent underrepresentation of black students in gifted education and offers suggestions for recruiting and retaining these students. It is argued that a deficit orientation held by educators hinders access to gifted programs for diverse students, and that too often educators interpret differences as…

Describes social, cultural, and psychological factors that can influence academic achievement of African-American students by gender and placement in gifted or nongifted academic programs. Results with 148 African-American fifth and sixth graders in an urban Ohio elementary school demonstrate more importance for academic program than for gender.…