Discovering Strengths

Strengths and Underrepresented Populations

According to Fish (2017) and Hawley (2013), "underrepresented gifted youth frequently do not receive accurate feedback about their talents and are less likely to be recognized for their advanced skills" (credit: Foley Nicpon, et.al., 2020, NAGC presentation "Strengths Identification for Underrepresented Students in Gifted Education").  Gifted education programs across Colorado, as is true across the nation, shows disproportionality in groups who are identified and receiving gifted education services with students in poverty, students of color, and English language learners having unequal access to gifted education.

A 2e learner in one of these three groups will have an even harder time having their strengths noticed and nurtured, yet "all students who are ready for accelerated learning should receive ability-congruent support, which is important for talent development, self-efficacy, and achievement (Hardesty, et. al., 2014).