Reconsidering General vis-à-vis Gifted Education: A Tentative Model of Equity and Excellence

Abstract

For many years in the United States and some modernized and industrialized countries, the concepts of equity and excellence have been either at odds or overlapped, especially with respect to gifted and general education. The main purposes of this paper are: First, to examine the concept of equity-versus-excellence in education from a novel perspective; and second, to reconsider the conventional concept of general vis-à-vis gifted education. This paper argues that providing for the needs of gifted students by giving them the opportunity to pursue excellence is itself consistent with promoting educational equity. The paper then suggests a tentative new model of equity and excellence within the current education system by providing ideas and insights from a fresh point of view. It concludes with recommendations for schools and teachers to optimize the opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds, including the gifted, to achieve excellence without forgoing equity.