The Center consists of a collaborative team of research methodologists, economists, and gifted education specialists from University of California (UC) Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, University of Connecticut, University of Iowa, and Michigan State.

About Our Work

Policymakers, educators, and parents want assurance that all of the nation’s gifted and talented students receive instruction that is sufficiently challenging and that will allow these students to reach their full potential.

Unfortunately, two crucial issues continue to plague gifted education: (1) Underrepresented populations continue to be under identified as gifted and underserved by programs for the gifted. (2) Research on best-practice interventions for gifted students and outcomes of gifted programs and services is sparse. Center researchers will complete three secondary studies and one randomized control trial (RCT) to provide stakeholders with tools to better recognize and harness untapped talent and increase our understanding of the outcomes of gifted services. These four studies are addressing the following questions:

• What are the academic outcomes of gifted education? Do they extend beyond academic achievement?
• What impact do teachers have on gifted students’ success?
• Can universal screening for acceleration be effectively implemented? Will universal screening, in combination with teacher training, increase the use of subject and grade acceleration?
• Can identification systems be simplified while expanding participation opportunities for underserved populations? What role does teacher nomination play in identification?