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The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which the Norfolk Public Schools, Virginia, district elementary gifted grouping model was aligned with the National Association for Gifted Children Standards and its Local Plan for the Education of Gifted Students in regards to curriculum and instruction, as well as to provide data on classroom instruction techniques and the curriculum currently being used to provide gifted education services in the district.;The evaluation questions were (1) to what degree has the eighth recommendation of the 2005-06 evaluation study been implemented in the Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) district in regards to curriculum and instructional practices? (2) Are there differences between gifted resource teachers and cluster teachers in the use of differentiated instructional practices? (3) to what extent does the Local Educational Plan for the Education of the Gifted (LEA) for Norfolk Public Schools align with the Curriculum and Instructional NAGC standards?;Data were collected from gifted resource teachers and gifted cluster teachers via surveys and focus group interviews as well as an interview with the Director of the office of Gifted Education. Teachers also self-reported their use of differentiated strategies and their effective use on the COS-R scale.;Results indicated that differentiated is not being consistently used with gifted students and that the NPS LEA is not aligned with the NAGC Curriculum and Instruction standards. Teachers are more likely to use differentiated curriculum and instruction in reading and math than science, social studies or writing. Stakeholders report limited response to gifted students needs in classrooms. Cluster and resource teachers report the use of differentiated strategies as "somewhat effective." Cluster teachers report significantly more effective use of curriculum, planning, and delivery than resource teachers.;Implications for practice include: revision of the NPS Gifted Cluster model in regards to curriculum and instruction; monitor the progress of the revisions of differentiation practices; provide more support in order to effectively meet the needs of gifted students in classrooms; increase professional development focused on differentiated instruction and curriculum on gifted students' learning.

The problem of this study was to investigate the problems listed as bothersome and their frequency as identified by selected elementary teachers. Another objective was to analyze differences between teacher problems and selected social demographic variables. The background research was limited to a review of the literature related to the subject. It was determined that the relevance of professional problem solving as a competency could provide formative information to guide changes in undergraduate, graduate, preservice, and in-service education. A descriptive research design was followed by surveying a selected sample of teachers of grades 1-7 in the nine counties and two cities with independent school districts in Southwest Virginia. Three hundred fifteen teachers were randomly selected to participate in the study. Two hundred forty-six teachers responded, and the findings reflect their responses. The statistical analysis of the collected data indicated significant differences in 12 of the 21 hypotheses developed for the study. A significant relationship existed between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and the following clusters of problems: affiliation, control, parent relationships and home conditions, student success, and time. The predominately mentioned problems of teachers were problems dealing with time--having enough time to plan and implement good teaching and to complete related responsibilities. The second most frequently mentioned problems were problems dealing with student success. Conclusions of the study emphasized the fact that teachers can and will identify and share their school-related problems. Older and more experienced teachers were less bothered by problems than were the younger and less experienced teachers. Teachers in grades 3, 4, and 6 were more bothered by problems. No difference existed between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and the sex of the teachers. There was also no relationship between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and class size or the degree earned by the teacher. Teachers who indicated that they were less than very satisfied with teaching experienced more frequent problems and were much more bothered by those problems than were teachers who said that they were very satisfied with teaching. Seventy percent of the respondents were less than very satisfied with their undergraduate preparation program for teaching, and 60% of the respondents indicated that they were less than very satisfied with teaching.

The problem of this study was to investigate the problems listed as bothersome and their frequency as identified by selected elementary teachers. Another objective was to analyze differences between teacher problems and selected social demographic variables. The background research was limited to a review of the literature related to the subject. It was determined that the relevance of professional problem solving as a competency could provide formative information to guide changes in undergraduate, graduate, preservice, and in-service education. A descriptive research design was followed by surveying a selected sample of teachers of grades 1-7 in the nine counties and two cities with independent school districts in Southwest Virginia. Three hundred fifteen teachers were randomly selected to participate in the study. Two hundred forty-six teachers responded, and the findings reflect their responses. The statistical analysis of the collected data indicated significant differences in 12 of the 21 hypotheses developed for the study. A significant relationship existed between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and the following clusters of problems: affiliation, control, parent relationships and home conditions, student success, and time. The predominately mentioned problems of teachers were problems dealing with time--having enough time to plan and implement good teaching and to complete related responsibilities. The second most frequently mentioned problems were problems dealing with student success. Conclusions of the study emphasized the fact that teachers can and will identify and share their school-related problems. Older and more experienced teachers were less bothered by problems than were the younger and less experienced teachers. Teachers in grades 3, 4, and 6 were more bothered by problems. No difference existed between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and the sex of the teachers. There was also no relationship between the frequency and bothersomeness of problems and class size or the degree earned by the teacher. Teachers who indicated that they were less than very satisfied with teaching experienced more frequent problems and were much more bothered by those problems than were teachers who said that they were very satisfied with teaching. Seventy percent of the respondents were less than very satisfied with their undergraduate preparation program for teaching, and 60% of the respondents indicated that they were less than very satisfied with teaching.

The problem of this study was to determine if a difference existed between selected classroom teachers' attitudes toward mainstreaming. The Attitudes Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) was the instrument selected as appropriate for the study. Permission was obtained from Joan Berryman at the University of Georgia, Athens, to reproduce and administer the ATMS. A stratified random sample was conducted as representative of the total population of classroom teachers in North Carolina. A demographic data sheet and the ATMS were mailed to 280 classroom teachers. A 75% return was obtained. The data sheet asked for the sex, present level of teaching position, area of assignment, level of formal preparation, years experience, hours taken in special education, and whether or not the teacher served mainstreamed students. Nine null hypotheses were formulated to be tested at the .05 level of significance. The t-test was used to test for significant differences for hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9. The analysis of variance was used for hypotheses 4, 5, and 6 to determine if differences existed between attitudes and years of teaching experience. If a significant difference was revealed, the Newman-Keuls procedure was used to determine where specific differences lay. Three null hypotheses were rejected. Major findings revealed that female teachers had more positive attitudes than did male teachers. Teachers with 1-5 years of experience had more positive attitudes than did teachers with more than 10 years experience, and non-content area teachers had more positive attitudes than did content area teachers.

The problem was to determine whether selected psycholinguistic instructional aids were effective in remediating learning deficiencies among early elementary children (grades 1-3). Literature was reviewed to substantiate a need for the use of psycholinguistic instructional aids for remediation of learning deficiencies among early elementary children. Research surveyed included auditory perception skills, language skills, motor skills, and visual perception skills. Data were collected from test groups of students in grade levels one, two, and three. A stratified random sampling technique yielded a sample of thirty-six students, eighteen males and eighteen females. Each of the three grade level groups in the sample was divided randomly into two groups containing an equal number of males and females. These groups were labeled the experimental groups and the control groups. The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) was administered as a pretest to the sample. A series of reading lessons was taught for an instructional period of twenty-one sessions to both experimental and control groups. The experimental groups were provided thirty-minute sessions of prescribed psycholinguistic instructional aids following the presentation of each reading lesson. The control groups received "pseudo" treatment designed to control for the Hawthorne effect. The ITPA was re-administered as the posttest. No significant difference was found between the scores achieved on the ITPA for the experimental groups and the control groups for grade levels one, two, or three. There was no significant difference found between the scores for the composite experimental group and the composite control group. The 0.05 level of significance was applied in all cases using the statistical technique of analysis of covariance with the pretest as the covariate. The comparison of experimental groups and control groups found that: (1)The experimental groups for all grade levels showed higher increases than the control groups. (2)The composite experimental group showed an increase over the composite control group. The comparison of male and female control and experimental groups found that: (1)The male experimental groups showed an increase over the male control groups with the exception of the second grade level where the control group was slightly favored. (2)The female experimental groups showed an increase over the female control groups in all grade levels. (3)The female experimental groups, including the composite experimental group, showed a gain over the male experimental groups. The recommendations made as a result of the study were: (1)Additional studies should be conducted using larger samples and/or longer durations of time to determine whether selected psycholinguistic instructional aids were effective in remediating learning deficiencies. (2)Replication of the study should be made in other geographical areas using different research designs and methodologies in order to increase the ability to generalize the results. (3)Studies should be conducted with middle and upper elementary school children to determine whether psycholinguistic instructional aids were effective for the remediation of learning deficiencies at those grade levels. (4)Schools should use evaluation instruments such as the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities to assess students' psycholinguistic abilities and incorporate the findings into staff development programs and professional growth activities. (5)Studies should be conducted on the impact of psycholinguistic instruction on students' self-concepts. (6)Studies should be conducted to determine if paraprofessionals could enhance students' psycholinguistic performance.

The problem of this study was to determine if young gifted and talented students who participate in a special program of the fine arts score significantly higher on tests of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality than young gifted and talented students who do not participate in the program. For the study 102 students from kindergarten, first, second and third grades were selected. At the end of the study, ninety-seven students were posttested. Five students had moved from the school district. The students were selected for the program on the basis of teacher recommendations and on the basis of scores acquired on tests of intelligence, achievement, and creativity. Students selected for the program were additionally administered a personality pretest. Following participation in the fine arts program they were administered posttests in the four areas. The following questions were considered: (1) Does participation in a fine arts program significantly enhance the test scores of young gifted and talented students in the areas of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality? (2) Does participation in a fine arts program and in an additional home component of the program significantly enhance the test scores of young gifted and talented students in the areas of intelligence, language arts achievement, creativity, and personality? (3) Does the basis of selection for a special program for gifted and talented students significantly influence the test scores in the area by which the student was selected? The study revealed that gifted and talented students at certain grade levels who participated in a fine arts program for a minimum of one hour per week scored significantly higher on tests of intelligence and on tests of creativity than young gifted and talented students who did not participate in the program. The study also revealed that students selected for the program on the basis of creativity showed significant increases in test scores of intelligence when compared with students selected on the basis of intelligence or language arts achievement.

No description available.

No description available.