The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which polic
y makers have shifted the burden of educating gifted children from pub
lic schools to families. A second objective was to determine the resul
t of this externalization on different socioeconomic segments of the p
opulation and to explore policy options for equalizing opportunities w
here discrepancies exist. Analyses of state-level spending trends and
trends in numbers of students served in public schools were performed.
In addition, analyses of the growth rates of major private providers
of services for the gifted were performed The results of the analyses
were used to construct simulations of policy options including wealth-
equalized, talent-based scholarships distributed according to (a) dist
rict wealth and (b) family income. The authors then assessed the costs
and relative effectiveness of each option.