Journal of Advanced Academics

We propose biliteracy as a domain-specific talent which can be nurtured in schools. Biliterate (in contrast to bilingual) individuals speak, read, and write in two or more languages. Using a mixed methods design, we investigated academic resilience, school belonging, and the perceived impact of bilingualism in samples of Hispanic biliterate students living in the USA. Quantitative survey data from 30 students with family origins in Latin America were collected online. Results from one-way ANOVAs indicated that students reporting participation in gifted education services attained higher levels of academic resilience and school belonging than their counterparts who did not. Students born in Spanish-speaking countries reported lower levels of academic resilience and school belonging compared to U.S.-born students. An inductive approach to coding the qualitative data from interviews with nine talented students resulted in three broad themes: Bilingualism, Academic Resilience, and Opinions About School. Implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy is recommended.

This study examines factors influencing continuity of high academic performance among low socioeconomic status (SES) students in Mexico's upper secondary education, compared to high-SES peers. Using mathematics scores from the ENLACE test (2012–2015, N = 16,622; 3,247 low SES and 13,375 high SES), we apply multivariate logistic regression to assess how personal, school, and instructional variables affect the odds of sustaining top-quartile achievement. Results show that being male, resilient, perseverant, having academic aspirations, and receiving scholarships are associated with odds of continuity. In contrast, attending evening schools or disadvantaged institutions is associated with odds of decline. Only 22% of low-SES students sustained top performance, compared to 31.4% of high-SES peers. To guide interventions, we calculate Population Attributable Risk (PAR). Findings highlight the central role of the school subsystem and lower secondary type, followed by aspirations, resilience, perseverance, and teacher knowledge. Combining odds ratios with PAR supports equity-oriented interventions.

Gifted children in Paraguay rarely find educational environments that support advanced learning needs and emotional well-being. The first extracurricular program in Paraguay designed for gifted students is grounded in inquiry-based learning (IBL). This study examines families’ perspectives on gifted children's creativity and psychosocial development in relation to participation in the IBL program. A convergent mixed-methods design integrated data from parent focus groups and child interviews with assessments of divergent thinking and creative self-concept. Participants included 13 children (aged 5–9) and nine parents. Main parent themes encompassed cognitive activation and curiosity, identity and voice, sense of belonging, and parental empowerment. Quantitative data showed a wide range of divergent thinking scores and a strong creative self-concept. Complementing findings suggest that when Paraguayan gifted children are placed in a context of exploration and collaboration, their creativity and well-being flourish. The IBL program offers a model for meaningful enrichment in under-resourced contexts.

Latine scholars navigating graduate school often face unique challenges shaped by cultural differences, institutional barriers, and a hidden curriculum. For first-generation Latine graduate students, relying on complex formal and informal support networks is necessary to cross the borders of academia. Narrative accounts of how Latine students do so are missing from prior research. We leverage Gloria Anzaldúa's concept of la frontera as a generative lens to understand how we, Latine students, navigate institutions of higher education. We explored how Latine students navigate institutional and personal borders, through culturally grounded strategies and mentorship. In this praxis article, we used plática, a dialogue-based conversation rooted in Latine cultural traditions, to discuss identity, community, and academic survival. Our findings highlight the invisible struggles gifted Latine students face and underscore the need for academic spaces to recognize and support their multidimensional experiences. Incorporating Latine knowledge systems into academic institutions can help support student success.

Latino students face long-standing inequities in gifted education, from underidentification to exclusionary classroom environments. In addition, the voices of their families, who often shoulder the burden of advocacy, remain largely unheard. Through a testimonio centered on a Latina mother's experience navigating New York City's gifted and talented program, this praxis article illustrates how structural inequities shape access and retention. The first author, a Nuyorican practitioner and friend of the parent, reflects on her positionality as both insider and outsider—culturally connected yet professionally adjacent—to interrogate how systems demand resilience from families they routinely exclude. The article highlights how a lack of information interferes with parents’ ability to advocate for their children, while racial microaggressions in the classroom undermine students’ sense of belonging. Recommendations include improving transparency on the part of local educational agencies (LEAs), establishing alignment between schools and LEAs, and ongoing professional development.

This study presents a collective of auto-testimonios authored by multilingual, multicultural, and multiply marginalized (M4) individuals who self-identify or were identified as gifted, twice/thrice-exceptional, and/or Spanish-first-language speakers. Framed by Gifted Critical Race Theory, Latino/a/x/é Critical Race Theory, and Anzaldúa’s Borderlands, the inquiry centers the voices of M⁴ individuals navigating gifted education through systemic exclusion, cultural mismatch, and linguistic resistance. Co-authors engage in collaborative truth-making, rejecting traditional researcher/participant binaries. Translanguaging is intentionally embraced, affirming Spanish as an equal academic language. Auto-testimonios serve as both data and praxis, illuminating the emotional labor of navigating elite educational spaces and the resilience required to persist. Findings urge reimagining gifted education through justice-centered, culturally sustaining frameworks and call for shifts in policy, practice, and research to better serve M4 learners.

This praxis article investigated how podcasting can enhance engagement, motivation, and meaningful experiences among Latiné elementary students who exhibit gifted potential but remain underserved by traditional identification methods. Conducted in a diverse urban school in the southeastern United States, the four-week project involved four fourth- and fifth-grade students in creating personal podcast episodes, allowing them to explore identity, interests, and storytelling through technology. Data from surveys, observations, and student work suggest that podcasting supports equitable access to advanced learning opportunities by fostering creativity, challenge, and belongingness. The project used holistic identification strategies and emphasized culturally relevant, student-driven learning. Findings revealed increased affective engagement and academic confidence, leading to the identification of three of the four students for gifted services. Results highlight podcasting's value for addressing opportunity and excellence gaps in gifted education. The findings underscore the importance of inclusive instructional approaches that amplify student voice and reveal potential not captured by conventional assessments.