Education Commons^™

Gifted Culturally Linguistically Diverse Learners: A School-Based Exploration, Robin M. Greene

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore educators’ perceptions of characteristics, needs, and practices relating to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners. The research questions guiding the study included the following: What are educators’ perceptions of the characteristics, needs, and practices related to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe their understanding of culturally responsive teaching as it relates to diverse gifted learners? What are school-based practices for gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners that support or hinder learning?

This study focused on an elementary school within Colorado. Seventeen …

A Description Of Early Access In Colorado, Ruthi Manning-Freeman

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Early access, as defined in Colorado statute, remains optional. There is a shortage of administrative units engaged in an early access process to admit gifted young learners ahead of neurotypical age peers. Only 21 school districts currently use their addendum as evidenced by the receipt of Colorado state funding. Indeed, “there exists a basic lack of awareness of the effectiveness of the intervention, the impact on the student’s social-emotional development, as well as concern for the lack of consistent procedures for making this decision” (Assouline, Colangelo, Van Tassel-Baska, & Lupinski-Shoplik, 2015, p. 54). In this retrospective mixed-methods study, the researcher …

Uncovering The Gifts In English Language Learners, Sheri J. Collier

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

This research study addresses the problem of practice of the underrepresentation of English language learners (ELL) in gifted and talented (GT) services. The literature provided several reasons for the underrepresentation of ELL students being identified as gifted. One reason cited in the literature was teachers’ lack of referrals or understanding the characteristics of ELL students who may be gifted (Barkan & Bernal, 1991; de Wet & Gubbins, 2011; Esquierdo & Arreguín-Anderson, 2012; Ford & Grantham, 2003; Harris, Rapp, Martínez, & Plucker, 2007). The literature also stated assessment play a major role in identification practices (Anguiano, 2003; Barkan & Bernal, 1991; …

Fandoms In The Lives Of Gifted Individuals With Imaginational Overexcitabilities, Jessica B. Delallo

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Fandoms are communities, either officially or unofficially organized, that are dedicated to the love of a particular person, team, fictional series or character (Barton & Lampley, 2014). According to the Belonging theory (Gailliot & Baumeister, 2006), people yearn for belonging because it provides them with a sense of identity, self-esteem and self-worth. Gifted individuals often have unique social-emotional characteristics, such as overexcitabilities (OE), which set them apart from their non-gifted, non-OE counterparts because they actually experience life in a very different way (Neihart et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the role of fandoms in the …

Exploring The Lives Of Gifted Women, Christine Ann Winterbrook

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Exploring the Lives of Gifted Women is a narrative collection that shares the lived experience of five diverse gifted women. These women were identified as gifted and talented through a formal psychological evaluation. They were served in gifted programming in elementary and secondary school. This qualitative narrative study revealed the lived personal experience of being a gifted female throughout the lifespan for these five diverse gifted women. The internal gifted characteristics and external influences that affect gifted women’s relationships, social and emotional health, achievement, and overall wellbeing were analyzed. The results of this study also examined the internal and external …

Collaborative Conversations With Parents And Caregivers Of Black Gifted Students, Rebecca A. Mckinney

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

This research study attempts to address the persistent problem of practice of inequitable identification and programming for culturally and linguistically diverse gifted learners. One of the possible root causes of this persistent problem is the lack of parent engagement from culturally and linguistically diverse parents and caregivers (Jolly & Matthews, 2012; Grantham, Frasier, Roberts & Bridges, 2005). This phenomenological study targets parent and caregiver engagement of African American or Black parents and caregivers through the collaborative development of parent education. Participants were parents or caregivers of African American or Black school age children in metro Denver who participated in four …

The Limitations On Colorado School Districts Adoption Of An Early Access Addendum Process, Lindsey Reinert

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Colorado House Bill 08-1021: Early Access is legislation that is an optional based policy for school districts in the state of Colorado to choose to implement. The basic parameters within this state legislation is identified highly gifted students defined as academically gifted, socially and emotionally mature, who are in the top 3% of the gifted peer group, motivated to learn, ready for advanced placement, and have exhausted the resources of preschool or home schooling. Colorado House Bill 08-1021: Early Access passed in 2008, but as of 2017 only 42% of school districts had a process registered with the state department …

Seeing The Unseen: An Educational Criticism Of A Gifted School, Kate A. Bachtel

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

There is systemic oppression of gifted children in many traditional school models resulting in disenfranchisement (Chu & Myers, 2015; Delisle, 2014). Yet, how can teachers be responsive to aspects of student development that they cannot see or do not understand? All students deserve instruction responsive to their unique strengths and needs, inclusive of gifted students. This study explores the aspirations and practices of a school designed to empower diverse gifted children. The selected school site is located in an urban area in the western United States and has been serving gifted students with a creative approach for more than 25 …

The Impacts Of Principals' Knowledge And Advocacy On Gifted Programming In Site-Based Districts, Colleen E. Urlik

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of elementary principals’ knowledge-base and advocacy on gifted and talented (GT) programming within their school in a site-based district. This study sought to understand principals’ knowledge-base, acquisition of knowledge, and advocacy behaviors in an effort to support principals in the future to better understand and support GT programming within their schools. The research questions which guided this study were: How does the knowledge-base of a principal impact gifted and talented programming within his or her school? How does the advocacy behaviors of a principal impact gifted and talented programming within …

Affective Learning Opportunities For Gifted Adolescents, Jessica Anne Howard

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The importance of teaching children and adolescents about affective content has recently become more of a priority in the realm of education, especially when working with gifted learners. The Colorado Department of Education requires that students on Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) write an annual academic and affective goal. The problem of practice guiding this research is the lack of services and support for gifted adolescents to achieve healthy affective development and to write affective goals. It appears that opportunities for students, especially secondary students, to learn about affective content are limited. This multiple case study examined factors contributing to gifted …