In this article, we reviewed how intelligence tests were developed and normed, with a careful eye to underserved groups. Based on state recommendations, five group-administered and five individually-administered tests were reviewed for demographics; invariance testing; validity and reliability reporting; and gifted identification suitability. We found only one test included Indigenous youth in their sample; only one test reported racial group means; only two provided internal consistency estimates for different subgroups; and only four reported group invariance testing. Therefore, we concluded that tests developed on samples that omit those to which results are applied, or tests that are developed without regard to how the test functions across different groups should not be used to make high stakes decisions about gifted identification.

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) was developed to more equitably identify students of color, as it advertises itself as a culture-fair measure. In this meta-analytic evaluation, we aimed to investigate (a) the generalizability of validity evidence of NNAT by checking its construct and criterion validity with other measures (Part I) and (b) whether NNAT truly meets its goal to identify more culturally diverse students (Part II). After reviewing 1,714 studies, a total of 29 studies met our criteria (59 effect sizes from 22 studies for Part I and 7 effect sizes from 7 studies for Part II). In Part I, we investigated empirical evidence of validity of NNAT in relationship with different types of measures (overall effect size of r was .44); The results revealed that the correlation between NNAT and the achievement test results was 0.68, followed by the intelligence measures similar to NNAT (e.g., Cognitive Abilities Test, Otis–Lennon School Ability Tests; r = .31) and other alternative measures often used to identify gifted students (e.g., teacher-rating scale; r = .20). The moderator analysis results showed high correlations between NNAT and other measures when Naglieri is an author of the study. In Part II, although NNAT identified more students of color compared with other nonverbal tests (overall effect size of risk ratio was 0.42), findings revealed that students of color remain underrepresented in gifted programs and services.

Underrepresentation of students from low-income families and/or certain ethnic groups has been a persistent worldwide problem in the field of gifted education. Because teachers frequently serve as gatekeepers for students’ participation in gifted programming, their roles in the identification process are critical. In this study, 55 elementary school teachers in South Korea completed a teacher-rating scale (HOPE Scale; Peters & Gentry, 2012a) for all students ( n = 1,157) in their classrooms, including their evaluation of each students’ reading and mathematics talents. Their ratings and talent evaluations were then compared to students’ reading and mathematics achievement scores to determine whether teachers’ ratings promoted more equitable identification of students from underrepresented groups. In addition, we explored the effects of combining various cut-off scores for each assessment for the identification of students from low-income and/or culturally diverse families.

Exceptionally talented refugee students are often underrepresented in allocating to gifted programs because of inadequate identification methods in Arab countries. This study investigates the Arabic version of the Having Opportunities Promotes Excellence (HOPE) Scale for identifying gifted refugee students. Students ( n = 13,598) from refugee camp schools in Jordan were surveyed in the 2020/2021 academic year. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers ( n = 423) completed the translated Arabic version of the HOPE Scale, measuring 11 items on the academic and social construct of giftedness. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated an excellent fit; however, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results revealed that the scale needed more invariance across groups. The results suggest that although the HOPE Scale-Arabic version has sufficient validation evidence, careful consideration is required when applying it to different subgroups of refugee students. Constructs of cultural relevance may need to be added to better assess the item’s validity.

The underrepresentation of students from low-income families and of culturally diverse students is a longstanding and pervasive problem in the field of gifted education. Teachers play an important role in equitably identifying and serving students in gifted education; therefore, the Having Opportunities Promotes Excellence (HOPE) Scale was used in this study with a sample of Korean elementary school teachers (n = 55) and their students (n = 1,157). Confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results suggested the HOPE Scale shows equivalence of model form, factor loading, and factor variances across different income and ethnic groups. A follow-up interview with teachers (n = 6) revealed they acknowledged the importance of using the HOPE Scale as an additional method for identifying gifted students; however, they indicated less confidence about rating gifted students’ social characteristics compared with academic components in the HOPE Scale.