Gifted Child Quarterly

The threshold hypothesis and the necessary-but-not-sufficient hypothesis represent popular views on the relationship between intelligence and creativity. However, most studies investigating these hypotheses used suboptimal or even inappropriate statistical methods, calling into question the robustness of the available evidence. The ability differentiation hypothesis presents a third theoretical view on the relationship, but ability differentiation studies including creativity measures are scarce. In this study, the relationship between fluid intelligence as a core element of intelligence and divergent thinking as an important indicator of creativity was investigated in two large samples of secondary school students in Germany (N = 1,328, M_age = 14.47; N = 524, M_age = 13.77). Four different statistical approaches were applied (i.e., test for heteroscedasticity, segmented regression analysis, local structural equation modeling, and necessary-but-not-sufficient condition analysis). The results did not support the threshold hypothesis or a nonlinear relationship as predicted by ability differentiation hypothesis and only partially supported the necessary-but-not-sufficient hypothesis.

Little information exists concerning underrepresented students’ talent development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This retrospective qualitative study investigated the talent development processes of five Black, seven Hispanic, and three Native American graduate students enrolled in STEM disciplines. All participants completed three individual, 1-hr interviews. Inductive thematic analysis revealed participants experienced challenges throughout their schooling, including chilly atmosphere in STEM disciplines, sense of loneliness, imposter syndrome, and pressure to prove themselves as capable. Despite these obstacles, participants benefited from academic rigor in STEM, gifted education programs, and extended support networks from families, friends, and mentors. Participants also developed a strong sense of responsibility for community service and social justice. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Debates over identification procedures for gifted and talented students dominate the field and serve as the topic of many of its internal and external debates. We believe this is due to a lack of commonly accepted criteria for how to evaluate identification procedures. In this article, we present the Cost, Alignment, Sensitivity, and Access (CASA) criteria, a framework to evaluate identification systems according to their cost, alignment to services, sensitivity, and access. We believe these criteria would facilitate more productive conversations over identification and continued growth and improvement for the field as a whole.

We analyzed a population-based cohort (N = 10,922) to investigate the onset and stability of racial and ethnic disparities in advanced (i.e., above the 90^th percentile) science and mathematics achievement during elementary school as well as the antecedent, opportunity, and propensity factors that explained these disparities. About 13% to 16% of White students versus 3% to 4% of Black or Hispanic students displayed advanced science or mathematics achievement during kindergarten. The antecedent factor of family socioeconomic status and the propensity factors of student science, mathematics, and reading achievement by kindergarten consistently explained whether students displayed advanced science or mathematics achievement during first, second, third, fourth, or fifth grade. These and additional factors substantially or fully explained initially observed disparities between Black or Hispanic and White students in advanced science or mathematics achievement during elementary school. Economic and educational policies designed to increase racial and ethnic representation in STEM course taking, degree completion, and workforce participation may need to begin by elementary school.