Reducing Excellence Gaps: A Systematic Review of Research on Equity in Advanced Education

Abstract

Unequal access to advanced learning opportunities is among the most complex and controversial issues in American K–12 schools. Interventions that address policy, programming, and instruction can provide opportunities for students with advanced learning needs in school systems that prioritize minimum grade-level standards. Excellence gaps are differences in advanced performance among student subgroups that result from inequities in education and society. In this systematic review of the literature, the authors identified 80 empirical research studies on strategies for reducing excellence gaps published between 2010 and 2021 and identified themes related to the seven facets of the Excellence Gap Intervention Model (K–12 school accountability support, teacher professional learning, expanded advanced learning opportunities, universal screening with local norms, frontloading, flexible ability grouping, psychosocial interventions). This analysis revealed substantial evidence of intervention development over the past decade and suggests a revised approach to equitable, advanced education that begins with preparation (e.g., teacher professional learning, student frontloading) and is followed by placement, evaluation, and adjustment as students’ learning needs change.

Talent denied: Equity and excellence gaps in STEMM

“…This distinction takes into account both the point of origin of equity gaps and the causal contribution of the educational system, that is, whether it tolerates or does not tolerate externally generated equity gaps, or to what extent it (willfully) reinforces equity gaps in actiotopes. In fact, several researchers have implicitly expressed similar views without using the term talent denied 3,15,17,56 . However, our explicit use of the term talent denied should not obscure the fact that the four types of talent denied we proposed reflect a rather intuitive approach.…”

“…In fact, several researchers have implicitly expressed similar views without using the term talent denied. 3,15,17,56 However, our explicit use of the term talent denied should not obscure the fact that the four types of talent denied we proposed reflect a rather intuitive approach. In-depth conceptual analyses are still needed.…”

“…They encompass all manner of gaps in all STEMM fields across age groups, educational levels, and scale levels. The following list illustrates the prevalence, extreme diversity, and complexity of the subject: Kinds of gaps: excellence gap, 16,17 pay gap, 18,19 achievement gap, 20 confidence gap, 21,22 opportunity gap, 23,24 representation gap 25 STEMM‐fields: astronomy, 26,27 biology, 28,29 chemistry, 30,31 engineering, 32,33 geosciences, 34,35 computer science, 36 math, 37,38 medicine, 39,40 pharmacy, 41,42 physics 43,44 Age groups: early childhood, 45 childhood, 46,47 youth and adolescence, 48,49 adulthood 50,51 Educational levels: kindergarten, 52,53 elementary education, 23,54 secondary education, 55,56 higher education, 57,58 vocational education 59,60 Kinds of groups: ethnicity, 48,61 gender and sex, 62,63 immigrants, 64,65 migrants, 66,67 generational, 68,69 sexual orientation and gender identity, 70,71 countries, 72,73 special educational needs and disabilities, 45,71 twice exceptional 74 Scale levels: geography, 75,76 culture, 77,78 institutions and organizations, 79,80 schools, 56,81 groups, 61,82 family 83,84 …”

“…• Kinds of gaps: excellence gap, 16,17 pay gap, 18,19 achievement gap, 20 confidence gap, 21,22 opportunity gap, 23,24 representation gap 25 • STEMM-fields: astronomy, 26,27 biology, 28,29 chemistry, 30,31 engineering, 32,33 geosciences, 34,35 computer science, 36 math, 37,38 medicine, 39,40 pharmacy, 41,42 physics 43,44 • Age groups: early childhood, 45 childhood, 46,47 youth and adolescence, 48,49 adulthood 50,51 • Educational levels: kindergarten, 52,53 elementary education, 23,54 secondary education, 55,56 higher education, 57,58 vocational education 59,60 • Kinds of groups: ethnicity, 48,61 gender and sex,…”