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CC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Dissertation
RACE, EQUITY, & GIFTEDNESS: GIFTED & TALENTED REFERRAL DECISION-MAKING AMONG PRIMARY GRADE TEACHERS
Washington State University
Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
05/2024
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007087
Abstract
Gifted and talented programs are a constant fixture within American public schools as most states require their schools to offer this programming across grade levels. As widespread as these gifted and talented programs are, there exists a nationwide equity issue when it comes to which students are more likely to be served in these programs.
One of the most common entry points into these programs remains teacher referrals. This qualitative case study examines the perceptions of primary education teachers in a large eastern Washington school district related to the district’s gifted and talented program and the role they play in making referral decisions. Through this study, I sought to understand the following research questions: (1) What factors do primary educators look for when referring students to gifted and talented services? (1a) How do primary educators describe an ideal gifted and talented student? (1b)In what ways do primary educators believe bias to impact the referral of gifted and talented students? (2) How do primary educators view current gifted and talented programs and referral procedures? (2a) How does a primary educators’ views on gifted and talented programs impact their gifted and talented referral decisions? (2b) What benefits or drawbacks do educators see in gifted and talented programs as a whole and at the primary grades? (3) How prepared do primary educators feel they are to accurately identify gifted and talented students?
Analysis of the interviews and artifacts collected from the district demonstrated several findings. Despite district and state definitions, there is no shared understanding of giftedness among educators, different behaviors are interpreted very differently depending on a child’s assigned teacher. The inconsistencies present in the national understanding of giftedness are even more amplified amongst those educators asked to make gifted identification decisions. The lack of a shared understanding of giftedness contributes, along with other influences like parental advocacy, to the ongoing reproduction of privilege awarded to our most advantaged students. This study offers implications for policy makers, educational leaders, and researchers and serves as a starting point for conversations on what role gifted and talented education should play in modern equity driven schools.
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Details
- Title
- RACE, EQUITY, & GIFTEDNESS
- Creators
- Braydon Dean Selby Smith
- Contributors
- Shannon Calderone (Chair)Katherine Rodela (Committee Member)Kathleen Cowin (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Educational Leadership, Sport Studies, and Educational/Counseling Psychology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 132
- Identifiers
- 99901154740701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation