Share this article Share this article GAINESVILLE, Fla., May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After years of criticism for their lack of diversity, programs for high achievers may not be adequately serving their Black and low-income students, a new study shows. "The potential benefits aren't equally distributed," said lead author and University of Florida College of Education professor Chris Jennings, who evaluated nationwide data from elementary schools in the study, published in the journal Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. "The conversation up to this point has been about access, but no one's really considering what the effects are for different subgroups." While achievement gains overall were modest — two percentage points in reading and just a third of that in math — low-income and Black gifted students on average saw no academic achievement gains. When the researchers looked at factors such as engagement, attendance, and whether a student leaves or stays in a school, they found little evidence to suggest gifted participation boosts those measures among any group.