Education’s Balancing Act: Are Resources Fairly Split Between Struggling and Gifted Students?

Last updated: March 14, 2025

The Parental Tug-of-War: When School Resources Don’t Match Your Child’s Needs

You notice your gifted daughter bringing home the same math worksheets she mastered months ago, her enthusiasm for learning visibly dimming with each passing week. Or perhaps your son, who struggles with reading, isn’t getting the specialized help you know he needs despite your repeated requests for additional support. As a parent, few things are more frustrating than watching your child’s educational needs go unmet while school resources seem directed elsewhere. You wonder: Is the system designed to help all children reach their potential, or are some left behind while others are held back? This dilemma reflects a broader challenge in education today—how schools balance finite resources between students who need extra help and those ready for more advanced challenges.

In the complex world of education, one of the most challenging dilemmas is how to fairly distribute limited resources between students who struggle and those who excel. This balancing act has profound implications for children across the academic spectrum and their parents who want the best for them.

The Current State of School Resource Allocation

Despite increased overall spending on education—with public schools now spending an average of $17,280 per student annually (Education Walkthrough, 2024)—significant inequities persist in how these funds are distributed. The Education Law Center’s 2024 “Making the Grade” report reveals a troubling pattern: many states have implemented policies that potentially undermine funding equity, particularly as federal COVID relief funds approach their expiration.

These funding disparities don’t affect all students equally. According to School Finance Data (2024), “African American students are twice as likely as white students to be in districts with funding below estimated adequate levels, and 3.5 times more likely to be in ‘chronically underfunded’ districts.” This creates a situation where schools serving students with the greatest needs often have the fewest resources to address those needs.

The temporary lifeline of COVID-19 relief funding—an unprecedented $276 billion investment through the Education Stabilization Fund—has helped mitigate learning losses, but K-12 Dive notes that “while the $189.5 billion provided through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief program helped post-COVID learning recovery, there is still much to do to close gaps.” With these funds set to expire in September 2024, schools face a potential funding cliff that could exacerbate existing challenges.

How Resources Are Distributed Across Student Performance Levels

Support for Students Who Need Extra Help

Federal policies like No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) have increasingly focused resources on supporting struggling students and underperforming schools. This approach stems from the recognition that students from disadvantaged backgrounds often enter school already behind their peers and require additional support to catch up.

However, implementation of these well-intentioned policies has been inconsistent. The Wallace Foundation notes that “despite decades of standards-based reforms, states continue to struggle with finding ways to turn around low-performing schools and districts.” A report by Education Week revealed that “fewer than half of district plans for improving the bottom 5 percent of schools in each state meet bare minimum federal requirements, even though they received their state’s seal of approval.”

Resources for High-Achieving Students

At the same time, research indicates that funding for gifted education has not kept pace with general education funding increases. According to a study in SAGE Journals examining 35 years of state funding in gifted education, while there has been “an increasing trend in GATE [Gifted and Talented Education] funding,” these increases were “relatively modest when adjusted to 2021 real dollars.” Furthermore, “the increase in real dollar values of general education funding for K–12 from state allocation outpaced the increases in GATE funding for the same jurisdictions and period.”

This funding disparity occurs despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of programs for high-achieving students. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute argues that “we have ample evidence that a number of education programs targeted at advanced students significantly improve their learning outcomes.” They identify two primary benefits: helping “maximize the potential of participating students” and supporting “America’s economic, scientific, and technological prowess in an increasingly competitive global market.”

Interestingly, research from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that properly implemented advanced programs can particularly benefit high-achieving minority students: “participation in a fourth-grade GHA [gifted high-achiever] class had a significant positive impact on the test scores of high-achieving black and Hispanic students, who gained 0.5 standard deviation units in fourth grade reading and math scores.”

Is your child's school playing favorites? New research reveals how education resources are split between struggling and gifted students—and what parents can do about it. Tweet Now Follow Learning Success

The False Dichotomy Between Equity and Excellence

Much of the debate around resource allocation stems from competing definitions of educational equity. According to research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, conceptions of educational inequity vary widely, with some viewing it as structural while others “locate the fundamental problem in the perceived deficits of families and communities or in teachers’ unions and teacher seniority.”

National Affairs highlights the political dimensions of this debate, noting that “conservatives can be forgiven for wanting to dismiss ‘educational equity’ out of hand” given its association with controversial DEI initiatives. However, they argue that educational equity often aligns with “what most on the right would call ‘equality of opportunity'” when viewed as “doing right by children often shortchanged by schools — especially low-income students and students of color.”

The truth is that the perceived tension between supporting struggling students and challenging high-achievers may be a false dichotomy. Systems that effectively support all students require adequate funding, well-prepared teachers, and balanced approaches that recognize diverse student needs.

Learning from Finland’s Balanced Approach

Finland’s education system offers valuable insights into how schools can balance support for struggling students with opportunities for high-achievers. According to research published on ResearchGate, key factors contributing to Finland’s success include:

Economic support: “The prosperous economy provides sufficient financial support for Finnish education, allowing the government to invest more in the construction of educational infrastructure, the upgrading of teaching equipment, teacher training and student financial aid.”

Equity-focused policies: “The Finnish government’s policies lay the foundation for high-performing, equal, and inclusive education. This includes providing free early school, basic and secondary education, as well as providing necessary support and resources for students with special needs. All children have equal access to education.”

Highly educated teachers: “The Finnish education system has been able to be highly regarded globally, in large part due to highly educated teaching personnel. The high standard of educational background and professional training ensure that Finnish teachers can provide high-quality teaching.”

Finland’s “special education for all” approach ensures that students across the performance spectrum receive appropriate support, regardless of whether they’re struggling or excelling. This comprehensive support system, combined with highly qualified teachers and equitable access to education, creates a foundation for both equity and excellence.

The Classroom Reality: Teacher Perspectives

Teachers are on the front lines of resource allocation decisions, and they report significant challenges. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 77% of teachers say their job is frequently stressful, 68% say it’s overwhelming, and 70% say their school is understaffed. Perhaps most concerning, 52% say they would not advise a young person starting out today to become a teacher.

When asked about problems affecting their students, teachers identified several key issues:

Poverty (53% say this is a major problem at their school)

Chronic absenteeism (49%)

Anxiety and depression (48%)

These non-academic factors create significant barriers to learning that must be addressed alongside academic needs. Effective resource allocation must consider not only academic interventions but also the quality of relationships and assessment approaches that support student learning.

Author Quote "

Like a garden with plants that have different needs for sunlight and water, a well-designed educational system can nurture growth across the entire spectrum of student abilities.

What This Means for Parents

Parents of Children Who Need Extra Help

For parents of children who struggle academically, the current educational landscape presents both challenges and opportunities:

Know your child’s rights: Federal laws like ESSA require schools to identify and support struggling students. Familiarize yourself with these requirements and advocate for your child to receive appropriate interventions.

Understand available resources: Schools receive funding specifically designated for supporting struggling students. Ask about Response to Intervention (RTI) programs, reading specialists, and other support services your child might benefit from.

Look beyond academics: As teacher surveys indicate, non-academic factors like poverty, attendance, and mental health significantly impact student performance. Address these foundational needs to support your child’s academic success.

Partner with teachers: Research from the American Psychological Association confirms that “students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher levels of achievement.” Foster a collaborative relationship with your child’s teachers to create a united front.

Focus on growth mindset: The research around neuroplasticity and growth mindset teaches us that intelligence isn’t fixed. Help your child understand that their brain can grow stronger with effort and that struggles are opportunities for growth.

Parents of High-Achieving Children

For parents of children who excel academically, the situation requires a different approach:

Advocate for appropriate challenges: Research from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute confirms that interventions like acceleration and ability grouping significantly improve outcomes for high-achieving students. Don’t hesitate to request these options if your child is ready.

Supplement when necessary: If school resources for high-achievers are limited, consider supplementary programs like summer enrichment, online courses, or community-based learning opportunities.

Focus on depth, not just acceleration: Rather than simply pushing for more advanced material, encourage your child to explore topics in greater depth. This builds critical thinking skills and fosters a love of learning.

Consider the whole child: High achievement often comes with perfectionism and pressure. Pay attention to your child’s social-emotional development and help them maintain a healthy balance.

Join with other parents: Advocate at the school, district, and state level for balanced resource allocation that supports excellence alongside equity. The research suggests that this isn’t a zero-sum game—with proper approaches, all students can thrive.

Key Takeaways:

Funding Inequities Persist: Despite increased education spending, schools serving students with the greatest needs often have the fewest resources, creating a system where a child's zip code can determine educational opportunity.

Both Struggling and Gifted Students Need Support: Research shows targeted interventions benefit all performance levels—acceleration helps high-achievers while comprehensive support systems benefit struggling students, but current funding models often prioritize one group over the other.

The Finnish Model Demonstrates Balance Is Possible: Finland's "special education for all" approach, highly educated teachers, and equitable resource distribution show that supporting both struggling and high-achieving students simultaneously isn't just theoretical—it's being successfully implemented elsewhere.

Moving Forward: A Balanced Approach

The path forward requires both adequate resources and strategic allocation of those resources to meet diverse student needs. As the National Center on Education and the Economy notes, Finland continues to evolve its system, with goals including “raising overall academic attainment, better supporting students and teacher well-being, and creating new pathways for lifelong learning.”

By addressing fundamental funding inequities, investing in teacher quality, implementing evidence-based interventions across the performance spectrum, and addressing non-academic barriers to learning, schools can create environments where all students—regardless of their current performance level—have opportunities to thrive.

For parents navigating this complex landscape, the key is to understand that supporting struggling students and challenging high-achievers aren’t mutually exclusive goals. Like a garden with plants that have different needs for sunlight and water, a well-designed educational system can nurture growth across the entire spectrum of student abilities. This balanced approach isn’t just possible—it’s essential for building an education system that truly serves all children.

Author Quote "

The perceived tension between supporting struggling students and challenging high-achievers may be a false dichotomy. Systems that effectively support all students require adequate funding, well-prepared teachers, and balanced approaches that recognize diverse student needs.

Parents as Advocates: Championing Every Child’s Potential

As parents, we are more than just caregivers—we are our children’s first teachers and most important advocates. The resource allocation challenges in our education system won’t be solved overnight, but they won’t be solved at all without our voices and involvement. Whether your child needs additional support or greater challenge, the research is clear: parent engagement matters. Attend school board meetings, join parent committees, form alliances with teachers, and most importantly, never stop believing in your child’s capacity to grow.

The brain’s remarkable neuroplasticity means that every child—regardless of current performance level—has untapped potential waiting to be developed. Our educational system may struggle with balance, but parents don’t have that luxury. We must fight for a system where resources flow to all students who need them, where “equity” and “excellence” are complementary rather than competing goals, and where every child receives what they need to thrive. The Finnish model didn’t emerge overnight—it evolved through persistent advocacy and clear priorities. As American parents, we, too, can demand an educational system worthy of our children’s potential. Because when it comes to our children’s futures, accepting the status quo is simply not an option.