Students at risk: The gifted underachiever

Gifted underachievers historically have been a neglected population. A part‐time pilot program to meet the needs of such students successfully demonstrated increased self‐esteem, satisfaction in school, and acceptable school behavior among identified students. Gains in academic achievement in reading and language were extraordinary; gains in mathematics were acceptable, but less remarkable. It appeared results were not due to Pygmalion or Hawthorne effects, were not teacher specific, and could help students return successfully both to the mainstream and to gifted programs. Simultaneously, newly identified students were integrated into the existing class.