Dr. Hertzog is also the director of the Robinson Center at UW, home of one of the original early college programs for radically-accelerated gifted youth in the USA.
It may also provide some perspective if one understands that the backstory to early childhood gifted ID is that CLD and SES minorities are grossly underrepresented, so that trainings such as the one cited above are focused on casting the net wide enough to capture those whose gifts have not had the same supportive early environment.
If the slots are filled early with those with all the advantages, then some who need the services at least as urgently may be excluded.
Note: I am in favor of early ID, when warranted, but conscious of the risks of inequity.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, aeh! I completely understand and am also concerned with the issue of missed students. What confuses me is the flip to "no one can be identified as gifted before third grade." It's so unfortunate that the system is largely designed to have a specific number of slots, versus making spots for ALL children who should be getting faster-paced, differentiated education at their levels.
