Education Commons^™

The Landscape Of Advanced Coursework Participation: Understanding Disparities And Intersectionality, Chin-Chih Chen, Chris Parthemos, David Naff, Erica Ross, Virginia Palencia, Beth Fowler, Andrea Herndon, Beverly Fludd-Flanagan

MERC Publications

This population-based study explored students' participation in advanced coursework in elementary schools (gifted/talented programs), middle schools (Algebra I+), and high schools (Advanced Placement) to address enrollment equity. The study identified demographic disparities and the intersectionality of multiple identities to achieve two research aims: 1) to explore how advanced course-taking varies by student demographics, and 2) to understand how disparities in advanced course-taking vary by student demographics and intersectional identities. The findings indicate that disparities in advanced course-taking are related to students’ race, ethnicity, disability status, English learner (EL) status, socioeconomic status, as well as the intersection of these variables. The …

Factors Contributing To Barriers To Equity In Gifted And Talented Identification, Adam Grant Lamparske

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing barriers to equity in the identification and servicing of gifted students in a small mid-western suburban school district. A mixed method approach guided by constructivist philosophy was used to conduct this research. An inductive Grounded Theory was the methodological approach. This study sought to gather the perception of school district stakeholders to identify potential barriers that exist for specific subgroups of students to being identified for gifted and talented services. The research questions for this Problem of Practice were as follows: (1) How do teachers and parents in School District …

The Relationship Between Gifted Selection Criteria And Student Performance On Fifth-Grade Science Achievement, Teresa Vega Cereijo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education policymakers have struggled for decades to provide equal opportunities for all students. Persistent disparities exist between subgroups of students, based on factors such as race, disability, ethnicity, and socio-economic status (SES), which leads to over-representation of minority students in special education and their under-representation in gifted education. Efforts to ensure equity in school districts in identification and support of minority and low SES students have been lagging. Failing to reach students’ potential and educating them with appropriately challenging curriculum is a disservice not only to them, but also to our nation. Although gifted programs were developed with the intent …

Making The Invisible Visible: Redefining Giftedness To Include Ell Students’ Community Cultural Wealth And Funds Of Knowledge, Molly I. Pargas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study used improvement science methods to investigate a problem of practice surrounding the underrepresentation of ELL students in GT programming. This research addressed how teachers define giftedness using their underlying knowledge frameworks. The researcher conducted empathy interviews with parents of ELL students and a team of teachers to determine what the underlying issues are regarding the underrepresentation of ELL students in GT. The parent empathy interviews were coded using the combined conceptual framework of community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) and funds of knowledge (Moll et al, 1992). Through this process the types of capital and funds of knowledge were …

A Phenomenological Collective Case Study Of Mexican American Gifted Dropouts In South Texas, Albert Irlas

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the shared experiences of formally identified gifted Mexican American students that decided to drop out of high school in the south Texas region. The researcher utilized a phenomenological collective case study approach that investigated the influences that led gifted learners to drop out of high school via a series of semi-structured interviews that collected and analyzed the shared narrative data (Creswell, 2013; Degand, 2015; Seidman, 2014). Prevailing studies have found that Mexican American gifted learners are more likely to live in economically depressed communities, more likely to suffer from linguistic and cultural …

Standardizing Multi Cognitive Abilities Test Of Gifted College Students (Gcat), Yusra Aboud

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

This study aimed to standardize and develop the multiple cognitive abilities tests of the gifted students in the university and to study its psychometric characteristics. To achieve the goal, the test was applied to a sample of 714 students; (male =264) and (female= 450); they were drawn from some theoretical and applied colleges, age ranged between 18-25 years. The results showed that the test had a strong factor analysis structure, with all items under the component factors; the test showed high consistency coefficients ranging from (0.69 to 0.89). The results also showed that the test achieved high correlation coefficients with …

I Don’T Always Know What It Means For A Child To Be Gifted, Laura I. Hemond

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership Research Projects

Gifted education, or more specifically the gifted label, needs clarification. Labeling students as gifted leads to preconceived beliefs and ideas about students and their overall abilities. The purpose of this study was to acquire insight into how gifted students are perceived in order to better understand and meet the needs of gifted students. Through a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with teachers and administrators regarding their perceptions surrounding the characteristics, identification process, and needs of gifted students. Results yielded consistencies and discrepancies in the perception of gifted education, ranging from student behaviors, identification of students, and perceived understanding of the …

Unpacking "Giftedness": Research And Strategies For Promoting Racial And Socioeconomic Equity, David B. Naff, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Amy Jefferson, Michael Schad, Morgan Saxby, Kathryn Haines, Zoey Lu

MERC Publications

Giftedness as a construct continues to be contested in academia, in the classroom and around kitchen tables. It means different things to different communities and, as a result, acquiring the "gifted" label looks different around the country. Once labeled, student giftedness produces different responses depending on state and district guidelines. A constant among the patchwork of defining, identifying and responding to student giftedness, though, is a serious racial and economic disparity in who is considered gifted and who is not. This report provides key takeaways from research literature on gifted and talented (GT) programs. It is organized according to five …

The Gifted Transition: A Phenomenological Case Study Examination Of Preparation Strategies Utilized By General Education Inclusion Teachers, Jawan Brown Alexander

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation

If the United States is going to remain globally relevant and competitive with other nations, educational leaders should consider investing in their brightest students. According to the National Association for Gifted Students (2018), education officials are not investing in gifted education at the same rate or to the same extent that they are financing other areas of special education. Public education policy provides special needs learners with required instructional support and accommodation through mandatory supplemental funding; however, gifted students on the other end of the special education spectrum, also requiring and benefiting from intervention and accommodation, do not receive the …

The Plight Of The Gifted Student: A Call To Action, Krista M. Shilvock

Empowering Research for Educators

With so many needs in today’s public education classroom, we cannot forget the needs of those who excel in the classroom, too. Gifted students face severe neglect in class due to the appearance of their competence and maturity. However, we quickly face losing the contributions of a major group of students as this neglect causes them to lose interest in their own education. As teachers, we must challenge ourselves to help gifted students reach their potential just as we attempt to do for all subgroups of students. A poll of 22 gifted students confirms these frustrations and needs of students. …

A Study Comparing Academic Achievement In Reading Of Gifted Students In Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Grouped Settings, Kimberly L. Grengs

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a quantitative study using archival data to focus on the achievement of students identified as gifted and talented in four schools in the Midwest in the same district. This study attempted to find if differences in student reading performance existed between 27 students identified as gifted that were placed in a homogeneous classroom compared to those placed in heterogeneous classrooms. The researcher used the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) data from 2010 to 2014 in reading growth scores. The independent variable is heterogeneous and homogenous grouping classification and the dependent variables are all continuous and consist of the …

Exploring The Multiple Dimensions Of Intelligence Identity In High-Achieving Students, Amy A. Holland

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the important elements reported by second-year undergraduates at Midwestern University (MU) as they renegotiated their intelligence identity of being the smart one. The five participants were members of the 2012-2013 first-year cohort of Jumpstart Business Community (JBC). Per inclusion in JBC, the students identified as high-achieving students and/or were classified as accelerated learners in high school. The reconceptualized model of multiple dimensions of identity from Abes, Jones, and McEwen (2007) informed this study in the examination of renegotiation of the intelligence identity.

The main research question of this study was what …

Gifted Students' Perceptions Of High School Transition, Beverley R. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of gifted middle school students who attended one of two middle school gifted service options as they transitioned into high school. Gifted middle school students from either a center-based gifted service option or a school-based gifted service option from middle schools in a suburban district in Central Virginia participated in the study. Participants who had completed three consecutive years within the gifted service option were purposively selected for the study. Students completed a pre-transition survey at the end of their eighth grade year and a post-transition survey early in their ninth grade year. The survey …

Imsa20: Bold Ideas, Two-Decade Report Of The Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy 1986-2006, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

Twenty years ago, Illinois citizens dared to design a bold future by asking this visionary question. One of the astonishing outcomes of their brave imaginations is the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy...

National Merit Finalists At The University Of Central Florida-Trends, Attrition, And Retention 1997-2005, Jill Norburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the trends, attrition and retention rates of National Merit Finalists at the University of Central Florida between the years of 1997 to 2005. This study was intended to provide information for higher education practitioners, faculty, and administrators to help them better understand the expectations and current trends of National Merit Finalists. The problem was to determine how to increase recruitment and retention while decreasing the attrition rates of these highly desirable students. The importance of this study includes identifying trends that may aid in future recruitment efforts for National Merit Finalists; finding …

2004-05 Annual Report, Igniting Talent And Leadership For Our State, Nation And World, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

In the mid 1980s, the state of Illinois, recognizing that the nation was on the verge of unprecedented technological advances and a sharply increased need for highly skilled leaders, founded the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy®. Twenty years later, the national demand for science and technology leaders has never been greater. The National Academies new report - Rising Above the Gathering Storm and the President's American Competitiveness Initiative address the growing concern that the U.S. is losing its competitive advantage as countries abroad invest heavily in the education and training of scientists and engineers. The report and the initiative call …

2003-04 Annual Report, Growing The Talent Our State And Nation Need, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

When the Illinois General Assembly founded the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in 1985, it wisely predicted how science and technology would profoundly shape the state, nation and world's economic and social well-being. Twenty years later, the nation's need to invest in science and technology education is more acute than ever. When releasing the report, Science & Engineering Indicators 2004, National Science Board Chair Warren M. Washington stated, "the United States is in a long-distance race to retain its essential global advantage in science & engineering human resources ...We must develop more fully our native talent."

2002-03 Annual Report, Imsa Works For Illinois, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy develops scientific and technical leaders who will improve economic and societal conditions facing Illinois and the world. It is for this reason that IMSA's models of teaching and learning foster the development of Illinois students as bold inquirers, ethical leaders and responsible stewards who must lead in the midst of rapidly changing conditions. So, too, the Academy's leadership was put to the test when the State's sagging economy led to unprecedented FY03 budget cuts and staff reductions. These circumstances prompted the men and women of IMSA to model the traits they strive to instill …

2001-02 Annual Report, Imsa Works For Illinois, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

This year is one of great challenges and opportunities for the IMSA community. Despite unprecedented budget cuts and staff reductions, our faculty and staff remain deeply committed to the Academy's convictions, mission and legislative charge to improve mathematics and science education for all Illinois children.

2000-01 Annual Report, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

This has been IMSA's work since we opened in 1986. Now, in our 15th Anniversary year, we are ready to further expand our statewide programming and to more proactively share what we have learned about what works in the field of mathematics, science and technology teaching and learning. The time is right, the needs are great, and the stakes for public education have never been higher.

1999-00 Annual Report, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

We are pleased to share with vou the 1999-00 annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. IMSA's 14th year was characterized by the continued evolution of our dynamic Business Plan, and the advancement ol our Strategic Initiatives.

1998-99 Annual Report, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

For far too long, too many educational environments have been schooling environments focused on teacher- delivered and student-received information rather than learning environments focused on teacher- facilitated and student-generated knowledge. This must change. Young people are capable of extraordinary achievements and significant contributions, and it is the responsibility of educators, parents, taxpayers, policymakers and the business community to provide learning environments that make this possible. With your continuing support, IMSA will work continuously, diligently and resolutely to model and help others become such a learning environment.

1997-98 Annual Report, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

We are pleased to share with you the 1997-98 annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. In this, we report some highlights of IMSA's 12^th year, including highlights of our residential educational program for IMSA students and our statewide service programs for Illinois teachers, other students, schools and policymakers.

1996-97 Annual Report, Building The Capacity Of Learners & Leaders, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

It is our pleasure to share with you the eleventh annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. As a unique learning enterprise, IMSA builds the capacity of students, teachers and policymakers to improve and transform mathematics and science teaching and learning.

The 1996-97 year was marked with many historic events...events that commemorated our past as well as events that charted our course for the next decade.

1995-96 Annual Report, The Power Of An Idea, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

In this First Decade Report, we demonstrate how the power of ideas uniquely explored, interpreted and embodied in practice at IMSA, has inspired and empowered others to be agents of change in the transformation of mathematics and science teaching and learning within their own communities. During the past ten years, we have extended and enriched ideas such as Discovery-Based Learning, Integrative Learning, Apprentice Investigation, Institutional and Program-Based Research, Technology Integration in the Curriculum and Collaborative Inquiry. The embodiment of these ideas in our practice and in the practice of our educational partners throughout Illinois and the nation, benefits students at …

1994-95 Annual Report, Research Innovative Teaching And Service, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

This 1994-95 Annual Report highlights a year of creative new initiatives and partnerships, both internal and external. Included are special events, action research, integrative teaching and learning across the curriculum, statewide recruitment, statewide service, state and private investment, and student achievement.

1993-94 Annual Report, TransForming Through Connections, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

It is our privilege to share with you the eighth annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. The 1993-94 year was a turning point for IMSA and our annual report helps to tell the story of our continued transformation from that of "school" to that of "educational laboratory/resource for the state of Illinois."

During 1993-94, the board of trustees officially approved a new strategic plan and mission statement declaring a bold commitment to the transformation of mathematics and science teaching and learning through connections. To answer that call, the Academy radically redesigned its internal organizational structure and as …

1992-93 Annual Report, Illinois' Investment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

As you read this report—the seventh annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy—we hope you will share our pride in the continuing growth and development of Academy programs and services, for much of this growth and development was made possible by your outstanding commitment and support.

The 1992-93 year introduced a new chapter in Academy history, one characterized by expanded partnership initiatives with schools, teachers and students throughout Illinois. As a laboratory for the advancement of teaching and learning in mathematics and science, the Academy embraced an even bolder mission in 1992-93—one of transformation. Transforming teaching and learning …

1991-92 Annual Report, Illinois' Investment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

On behalf of the board of trustees, faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni of this pioneering educational community, it is our privilege to share with you the sixth annual report of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. The 1991-92 year was indeed a remarkable one for the Academy; we are pleased to report some of the highlights.

Externally, programs for other school systems, teachers and students in Illinois continued to expand. IMSA's impact on the state included helping 23 Illinois school districts restructure their mathematics and science programs, awarding teachers IMPACT II grants to exchange innovative classroom programs, and sponsoring …

1990-91 Annual Report, Illinois' Investment, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Annual Reports

On June 11,1990, following a year of community discussions, extensive research and intensive planning, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy unveiled a revolutionary strategic plan for its future. The plan, which received unanimous support from the board of trustees, included strategies in ten areas: curriculum; assessment of student achievement; teaching; business, research and educational partnerships; recruitment and support of a diverse student population; private sector funding; marketing/communications; integration of academic and residential life; organizational structure; and personal and professional growth for faculty and staff.