While research in gifted education has been conducted in specific curriculum areas such as language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and fine arts, there is a paucity of literature connecting gifted and world language education. While world languages historically were elective courses at the high school level, attracting college bound students, world language credit requirements for high school graduation or college admission have expanded, encouraging enrollment in Advanced Placement world language courses for a broader range of learners. Since Advanced Placement options are still the current face of gifted services at the secondary level, there is a need for differentiated pedagogy in AP classrooms for secondary gifted learners, a need often not addressed (Hertberg-Davis, Callahan, & Kyburg, 2006). In most states AP teachers are not required to be trained in gifted education instructional practices, and their perceptions toward gifted students are unknown. This survey research study collected data from Advanced Placement world language teachers regarding their perceptions of high ability world language students and self-assessed use of differentiated instructional approaches. Instrumentation included the Gagne and Nadeau (1991) scale of teacher perceptions toward gifted students, the William and Mary Classroom Observation Scale-Revised (VanTassel-Baska, Avery, Struck, Feng, Bracken, Drummond, & Stambaugh, 2005) which assessed teacher behaviors with respect to differentiation practices, and a researcher-created questionnaire which collected participant demographic data. In this descriptive study, findings indicated teachers held somewhat positive attitudes toward providing needs and support for gifted students and the social value of gifted persons in society. Teachers held ambivalent attitudes about the instructional practice of ability grouping, the rejection of gifted students by others, and the practice of actively advocating for gifted learners. Teachers reported somewhat negative attitudes toward the instructional practice of appropriate acceleration. Findings further revealed limited teacher use of differentiated strategies in the AP classroom, limited teacher training in gifted education pedagogy, yet a positive relationship between high and low student achievement and teachers' training background in gifted education. Implications for practice from this study focus on the need for gifted education training for Advanced Placement world language teachers on the characteristics of high ability students and differentiated instructional practices that are found to be effective for increased student achievement. Specifically, professional development is needed for teachers that address (1) differentiated curriculum for the gifted with an emphasis on remodeling AP curriculum to meet high ability student needs, and (2) the use of advanced instructional practices with specific information regarding effective delivery and classroom management techniques. Implications for research include the need for more studies on AP teachers' attitudes and practices in relation to gifted learners and a set of studies focusing on effective instructional practices for teaching world languages.

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The success of gifted learners and gifted programs in public schools depends upon principals who are well versed in the needs of gifted learners (Gallagher and Gallagher, 1994). Principal leadership in setting direction, developing people, and redesigning the organization influences teaching and student achievement in schools (Leithwood et al., 2004). Research indicated limited knowledge of the unique social-emotional and academic needs of the gifted learner contributing to underachievement and underrepresentation in gifted education (Lewis, et al., 2007; Reis and McCoach, 2000; Rimm, 2008; Siegle and McCoach 2003). The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify principal leadership practices that are effective in supporting gifted learners and gifted programs. Empirical data collection included three Delphi rounds, one open and two-structured principal leadership practices surveys, one included individual and panel ratings. Supervisors of gifted, principals, and university professors represented multiple regions across the Commonwealth of Virginia on the Delphi panel. By consensus, the Delphi panel identified 10 highly effective principal leadership practices, eight to support gifted learners and two for gifted programs. The highly effective principal leadership practices addressed social-emotional, curriculum, teacher differentiation, scheduling for staff collaboration, peer grouping, and selecting gifted cluster teachers. Implications for practice included teacher reluctance to differentiate, targeted professional development for principals and teachers of gifted students, professional learning community for teachers to analyze practices, and district and school opportunities in hiring, acceleration, and compacting curriculum (Urlik, 2017; Weber et al. 2003). Future research recommended studying implementation and impact of the 10 highly effective principal leadership practices in this study, gifted programs, and professional development in gifted education and principal and teacher preparation programs. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of this study was to identify principal leadership strategies that experts in the field of education thought were effective in supporting gifted learners and gifted programs. The experts included: school principals, supervisors of gifted programs, and university professors from three regions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The experts in the study were from: Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, and the Tidewater Region. All the experts had knowledge and experience working with gifted students and gifted programs. Essentially, it is important for school principals to provide instructional support to all groups of students which should include gifted learners (Gallagher and Gallagher, 1994). The research technique involved the Delphi Method which used three rounds of questionnaires to receive input from the panel of experts. Yousef (2007) determined that the Delphi Method provided an opportunity for a panel of experts to handle a complex problem without being in the same location. By consensus, the expert panel identified 10 highly effective principal leadership practices, eight to support gifted learners and two for gifted programs. The eight highly effective leadership practices included practices such as: principals providing feedback to teachers, principals ensuring gifted students get their social emotional needs met, principals modeling a good attitude toward gifted students and avoiding special treatment remembering that gifted students are very sensitive in nature. Additional highly effective principal leadership practices in support of gifted learners were to have principals ensure that teachers provide something different instructionally in the classroom for gifted learners such as being able to move at a faster pace through the curriculum, work independently and or work in small groups if appropriate. The two highly effective principal leadership practices in support of gifted programs determined that principals select teachers of gifted students with the same care as they would regular education and special education teachers. The second highly effective principal leadership practice meant principals should ensure gifted learners are receiving a different curriculum and students’ strengths and areas of growth are the focus.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine: the nature and extent of programs for the academically talented in Massachusetts, the attitudes of Massachusetts superintendents towards such programs, and the factors which affect the existence of such programs. PROCEDURE A study was made of the literature on programs for the gifted in the U.S. and of past state and national surveys of such programs. A survey form was developed and sent, under the auspices of the Massachusetts Department of Education, to all 244 superintendents in the Commonwealth. A 93% response was eventually elicited. The data were then coded and tabulated and scores derived which represented (1) each school district's degree of effort in behalf of gifted pupils; (2) each superintendent's level of acceptance of special programming for the gifted and of the various provisions subsumed under this concept; and (3) each community's level of acceptance, as perceived by the superintendent, of the concept of special programs for the gifted. Those items which lent themselves to statistical analysis were coded and punched onto IBM cards and entered into the disc memory of an IBM 7094 computer. A program for sorting and analyzing the data was written which included the derivation of partial correlation coefficient for those factors for which relationships were hypothesized. It was hypothesized that statistically significant relationships exist between the nature and extent of programs for the gifted and (1) superintendent attitude, (2) size of district, and (3) wealth of district. It was also hypothesized that programs for the gifted had not expanded in recent years principally because of a still crucial lack of helping funds for such programs. FINDINGS It was found that 14 states now give financial support to district programs for the gifted whereas Massachusetts, a relatively wealthy state, does not. It was found that 32% of the superintendents in Massachusetts are "strongly in favor" of programs for the gifted, 61% are "moderately in favor," 6% are "moderately opposed" and 1% are "strongly opposed." For elementary gifted pupils: 75% of the superintendents favor special classes; 90% favor "redeployment" into ability-grouped classes for reading and arithmetic; 87% support summer enrichment programs; and 81% want to improve their programs of enrichment in the regular class. The only provisions for elementary gifted pupils not favored by a majority of Massachusetts superintendents have to do with acceleration. At the secondary level: At least 95% favor: enrichment in connection with ability grouping, the development of differential curricula and special career seminars; 91% favor Advanced Placement Programs. For both elementary and secondary programs: 88% wish to improve identification procedures, 97% favor the use of special criteria for the selection of teachers of the gifted, and 95% favor special inservice programs for A.T. teachers. In contrast to superintendents' expressed wishes and attitudes, actual programs show that: Fewer than 25% of the districts claim to have systematic identification procedures; only 11% use any special criteria for selecting teachers for the A.T. and only 4% have inservice programs for these teachers; 25% of the districts indicate that they have special classes for the gifted and/or summer enrichment programs; 68% group by ability for reading and 56% for arithmetic. No pupils are accelerated, under any circumstances, in 83% of the districts. In approximately three-fourths of the districts, "enrichment in the regular class" is the principal provision for gifted elementary pupils, although research shows that this approach, without other program concomitants, usually results in "paper" rather than actual programs. At the high school level 87% of the schools practice ability grouping but only half indicate having differential curricula. Fewer than one-fourth of the districts have Advanced Placement Programs. In summary, Massachusetts superintendents report that 62% of the districts make no special provision for the gifted at the elementary level and 42% have no programs at the secondary level. The partial correlation studies revealed that statistically significant relationships exist between A.T. programs and district size and wealth. It was found that community attitude, as perceived by superintendents, also correlated positively with the extent of special programs for the gifted. On the other hand, no significant correlation was found between superintendent attitude and either the nature or extent of elementary or secondary programs for the gifted, whereas quite the opposite was hypothesized. Seventy per cent of the superintendents indicate lack of funds as the principal deterrent to the development of programs for the gifted in their districts. Ninety-eight per cent indicate that they would apply for funds to expand provisions for the gifted if such funds became available. However, inasmuch as superintendents generally regard other educational programs as having higher priority for the limited funds available, it appears that only categorical aid, from State or Federal sources, could lead to significant improvements in educational programming for gifted pupils in the public schools of Massachusetts. / 2999-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if the four assessments for entrance into an academic middle school gifted English program were accurately predicting success, as measured by students’ grades each nine-week grading period. Some students were dismissed from the program each year because they could not maintain the required minimum average of 80%. The four entrance assessments evaluated were the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT), STEP Writing test, and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills: Reading (ITBS). The sample consisted of 150 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students studied longitudinally over the span of four years from a suburban middle school in a large Texas school district. Using correlation, logistic regression, and generalized linear regression models, the results showed that all the students selected to participate in the middle school gifted English program were statistically capable of success, whether they successfully remained in the program or not. Additionally, the results indicated that the two achievement tests (ITBS Reading and STEP Writing test) better predicted which students were successful, whereas the aptitude tests (CogAT and NNAT) did not. The achievement tests were determined to be better predictors of students’ success, as measured by grades, in this rigorous academic middle school gifted English program. Other findings include (a) students’ grades increased over time in the program, (b) females were predicted to earn about two point higher grades than males, and (c) the individual student was a significant predictor of success based on entrance scores. Finally, several recommendations were made for future research. These possibilities include repeating this study using standard scores for data analysis rather than the percentile scores that were available for this investigation. An additional recommendation is to investigate a possible replacement for the STEP Writing test, as it has not been nationally normed in decades. Another possibility would be to evaluate the curriculum and teacher effectiveness within the district using the NAGC (2010b) Pre-K-Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards. A final potential study could implement specific interventions for use with students at-risk for underachievement to determine which strategies are most effective.

The needs of academically advanced/high-ability students may not be met in today's schools. When educational needs are not met, students may not reach full potential, may lose intrinsic motivation for learning, and may develop poor work and study habits. The rural school district involved in this study lacks a formal gifted and talented program. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences of 15 K-8 teachers in the identified school district via individual interviews. The National Association for Gifted Children's knowledge and skill standards in gifted and talented education served as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions explored teacher training for working with academically advanced students and the skills and knowledge teachers feel they require on this topic. Possible supports and barriers to the implementation of these skills and knowledge were also addressed. Data were analyzed using Moustakas's approach to Husserl's transcendental phenomenology. Three conclusions from the findings indicated that teachers have received very little to no preservice and inservice training on the topic; district teaming situations are a training strength; and regular, on-going training on the topic of academically advanced students is necessary. Recommendations include incorporating a scope and sequence to the curriculum for academically advanced students, implementing state/federal mandates for these students, and integrating this study's conceptual framework into teacher preservice programs and staff development. In addition to contributing to potential positive social change in the school district, the results may inform training practices in other districts, preservice programs, and state policy formation, all of which can impact learning and well-being of academically advanced/high-ability students.

Forty-seven gifted and non-gifted African American and Caucasian students in grades third through fifth were rated by their teachers on the Universal Academic, Cognitive, Creativity, and Emotion Screening Scale (UACCESS) (McCallum & Bracken, in press). Internal consistency was high with Chronbach’s alphas ranging from .97 to .99 and correlation coefficients for the six scales ranged from .42 to .92. Factorial MANOVA’s for each composite scale showed no significant score differences between African American and Caucasian students. There was a significant difference in scores based on placement, with higher scores in favor of gifted students on both the General Aptitude Composite (Wilk’s Lambda=. 70, F(3,41) = 5.87, p <. 01 and the Specific Academic Aptitude Composite (Wilk’s Lambda=. 73, F(3,41) = 5.03, p <. 01. There were no interaction effects for placement x race. A discriminant analysis using the six UACCESS scales resulted in 76.6% of participants being correctly classified as gifted or non-gifted. There were no score differences across gender. Based on the results of this study, the UACCESS shows some promise as an effective gifted screening instrument to supplement the referral/nomination process.

abstract: The State of Arizona mandates that students with superior intellect or abilities, or identified gifted students, receive appropriate gifted education and services in order to achieve at levels commensurate with their intellect and abilities. Additionally, the State of Arizona adopted the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards (AZCCRS) initiative. This investigation explores if, according to the perceptions of gifted educators, the AZCCRS support a gifted mathematic curriculum and pedagogy at the elementary level which is commensurate with academic abilities, potential, and intellect of these mathematically gifted students, what the relationships are between exemplary gifted curriculum and pedagogy and the AZCCRS, and exactly how the gifted education specialists charged with meeting the academic and intellectual needs and potential of their gifted students interpret, negotiate, and implement the AZCCRS. This study utilized a qualitative approach and a variety of instruments to gather data, including: profile questionnaires, semi-structured pre-interviews, reflective journals, three group discussion sessions, and semi-structured post interviews. The pre- and post interviews as well as the group discussion sessions were audiotape recorded and transcribed. A three stage coding process was utilized on the questionnaires, interviews, discussion sessions, and journal entries. The results and findings demonstrated that AZCCRS clearly support exemplary gifted mathematic curriculum and practices at the elementary level, that there are at least nine distinct relationships between the AZCCRS and gifted pedagogy, and that the gifted education specialists interpret, negotiate, and implement the AZCCRS uniquely in at least four distinct ways, in their mathematically gifted pullout classes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Curriculum and Instruction 2014

abstract: Working with participants in schools for highly gifted students, this study asked adolescents to create a digital story to address the prompt, "How has your life changed since coming to this school?" Participant interviews were conducted in an attempt to determine how gifted students view their educational experiences and how those experiences influence the current development of self-identity. Digital story creation and photo elicitation methods were chosen in an effort to remove researcher bias and allow participant voices to be heard more accurately. Parent and educator interviews were also conducted. Data analysis was completed using narrative construction methods. Findings include several themes among participant self-identity influences including how labels affect participant's view of themselves, perfectionism and competitive drive function in each gifted child, necessity of intellectual challenge, appropriate learning environment helps to create self-confidence and self-identity, and grades are more important than learning for knowledge. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2014