I was lucky to test into the gifted program in high school in the mid-late 80s in poor rural US nowhere, it worked exactly like that - kids demonstrate ability

I was lucky to test into the gifted program in high school in the mid-late 80s in poor rural US nowhere, it worked exactly like that - kids demonstrate ability to get selected (not race/status), as the resources were very slim. It allowed me to use/learn the TRS-80/3 and Apple ][e and make a career in tech - there is absolute value in these programs for the kids as an anecdotal story from one of them decades later. ;)