Giftedness occurs equally in all populations; however, research shows that gifted multilingual learners (MLs) are not represented equally in gifted programs (Siegle et al., 2016; Gubbins et al., 2018; Mun et al., 2020; Long et al., 2023). According to the National Education Association (NEA, 2020), MLs (students developing proficiency in multiple languages, including English), are the fastest-growing student group in the US. Despite the growing number of MLs, their representation in gifted programs continues to fall behind not only traditional populations of learners, but also behind all underserved populations, including twice-exceptional, rural, Hispanic, Native American, and Black students (Mun et al., 2020).
Leader Action Resource: Identifying Gifted Multilingual Learners (MLs)
In the gifted education space, much of the research highlights students’ socio-emotional needs, equitable identification practices, and classroom intervention strategies to support advanced learners. However, far less research exists that focuses on the secondary space, and even less on a student’s transition into secondary. Gifted-identified students still need and deserve advanced services in middle and high school. This resource includes guidance to help understand the gifted education landscape and what the research says about students’ unique instructional and socio-emotional needs as they transition into secondary. As a series of resources, these one-pagers provide research-driven key takeaways and specific action steps you can begin immediately to support students’ transition to secondary.
