Many high-achieving, low-income students—sometimes called “HALO” students—fall off the education track and never reach the doors of top colleges and universities. Despite the enormous potential these students show in the early grades, they often lack access to advanced classes and other accelerated learning opportunities. This results in a tragic loss of promise, while also leaving our best colleges and—later—our most promising occupations bereft of socioeconomic diversity and looking less like the nation writ large.
At the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, we’ve long been troubled by this “leaky pipeline” from K–12 to higher education. In a recent study conducted in Ohio, we found that HALO students are 44 percent less likely to receive gifted services—such as accelerated coursework or enrichment—during middle or high school. We’re pleased to partner with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading on a webinar to explore our findings in Ohio and discuss national trends that either exacerbate or help patch this leaky pipeline.
Join us to learn about the policies and practices that school systems and communities can implement to help ensure that these highly capable students end up with the education that maximizes their potential.
Panelists: Brenda Berg • Aaron Churchill • Aaron Daffern • Stéphane Lavertu • Jonathan Plucker • David Taylor
Moderator: Michael J. Petrilli
