America's "talent underclass"  

The 2010 report Mind the (Other) Gap identified large gaps in academic achievement at the top end of the ability distribution in the U.S. (i.e., among the most able students). A new report has now been published in response to subsequent research, and its authors conclude that there is growing evidence of a permanent "talent underclass" in the U.S. 

Using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), they examined performance at grades 4 and 8. They found that the "excellence gaps" among different racial groups, high- and low-socioeconomic status, different levels of English language proficiency, and gender groups have widened.

The problem is particularly pronounced in math. Between 1996 and 2011, the percentage of White students, more-affluent students, and English-language speakers scoring at the advanced level in math increased substantially while the performance of other groups remained relatively stable. In reading, the gap changed little (but remained). 

Recommendations in the report include considering the impact new policies will have on the highest-achieving students, looking at the size of excellence gaps when test results are released, including the performance of advanced students in state accountability systems, acknowledging the role of poverty in widening excellence gaps, and accelerating research in this area.