A survey addressing teacher referral of children with internalizing symptoms was developed and distributed to 883 first- through sixth-grade teachers in the state of Utah. The survey presented vignettes of children exhibiting symptoms of internalizing disorders. Respondents were asked if they would refer the child described in each vignette. The survey also asked respondents for information regarding the number of years they had been teaching, training they had received regarding children's mental health, the types of mental health services available within their schools, and their beliefs regarding types of services schools should provide. Four ANOV As were calculated in analyzing the potential factors influencing teachers' decisions to refer the children in the vignettes. Further, descriptive data were used in illustrating additional information provided by the survey regarding the referral of children with internalizing disorders. Among the factors considered, teacher training was found to be statistically significant. Number of years of experience, teacher beliefs, and number of services available did not reach statistical significance. The majority of teachers supported a variety of school-based mental health services.

Flickor har under lång tid varit marginaliserade inom forskningen kring den neuropsykiatriskafunktionsnedsättningen och tillika diagnosen ADHD vilket lett till att det vi idag vet om diagnosen oftaär könsspecifikt för pojkar. Då ADHD-symptomen hos flickor och pojkar ofta tar sig olika uttryck blirflickornas problematik svårare att identifiera. Konsekvenser av detta kan ses i att fler pojkar än flickorremitteras och utreds för ADHD och att många flickor som hade behövt stöd inte får det. Lärare står förmajoriteten av alla remitteringar till utredning av barn med förmodad ADHD och är ofta först ut attmisstänka en diagnos, varför det är viktigt att kunskapen om – och förståelsen för Flickor med ADHDväxer. Syftet med denna studie var att synliggöra flickor med ADHD genom att undersöka hur flickorssymptom på ADHD beskrivs inom forskningen, med vilka karakteristika diagnosen tar sig uttryck i enskolkontext samt vilken betydelse lärarens förståelse och förförståelse har för hur flickornauppmärksammas och bemöts. Genom en forskningsöversikt som integrerar befintlig forskning inomämnet söktes svaren på studiens två frågeställningar: Hur identifieras flickor med ADHD? samt Vilkaomgivande faktorer beskrivs som betydelsefulla för flickorna? Forskningen visade på en könsbias ilärares uppskattningar av elevers nedsättningar vilket resulterade i en remmiteringsbias. Forskningenvisade även på att flickors symptomyttringar var kontextuellt bundna och att flickorna utifrån desammanhang de vistas i därför kan uppfattas mer - eller mindre funktionsnedsatta, något som menaskunna bidra till underdiagnostiseringen av flickor med ADHD.

This study was designed to examine the relationship between teacher referral and the underrepresentation of CLD students in gifted education and to identify the factors that influenced teachers' decisions to refer CLD students to gifted services. Studies on the issue of disproportionality in gifted education in the United States have indicated teacher referrals can be a pivotal instrument in the identification of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) gifted students. However, previous research has shown teacher referrals of CLD students to gifted services may be influenced by the teacher's own explicit or implicit stereotypes or beliefs of their students' cultural or linguistic backgrounds. District level data from the 2021 school year were examined through a Pearson's correlation coefficient test and a survey was administered to teachers in three different grade levels to determine whether factors such as assessment scores, parent referral, student behavior, and teachers' prior experience with CLD predicted their decision to refer CLD students for gifted services. The survey included two open-ended questions that provided qualitative data on the traits that teachers most associated with giftedness in CLD students, as well as information on school division resources that teachers find to be most effective in supporting their referral of CLD students. The findings of this study revealed there was a relationship between teacher referral and the underrepresentation of CLD students in gifted education. No significant relationship was found between the factors listed in the survey and the teachers' decision to refer CLD students to gifted services. However, the frequency of teachers' responses to the Likert-scale questions in the survey indicated the teachers' strong consideration of assessment scores and prior experience with CLD students when recommending CLD students for gifted education. The implications of the study emphasized the need for structures that support the analysis of data on the role teachers play in the underrepresentation of CLD students in gifted education, the assessments used to identify gifted students, and the need for intentional professional development that equips teachers with the skills to recognized exceptionality in CLD students. / Doctor of Education / This study was designed to examine the relationship between teacher referral and the underrepresentation of CLD students in gifted education and to identify the factors that influenced teachers' decisions to refer CLD students to gifted services. The disproportionate representation of these students in gifted education has been considered one the most pressing current issues in educational equity. Studies on the underrepresentation of CLD students in gifted education have identified that teachers are the first step in the gifted screening process. However, previous research has shown teacher referrals of CLD students to gifted services may be influenced by the teacher's own explicit or implicit stereotypes or beliefs of their students' cultural or linguistic backgrounds. This study examined talented and gifted district level referral data from the 2021 school year. This data consisted of the number of referrals by teachers, parents, and administration to the gifted education program. A point biserial correlation was used to determine if a relationship existed between total teacher referrals and the ethnicity of the students in the reported data. A survey consisting of demographic questions, Likert scale questions, and two open-ended questions was administered to teachers in nine elementary schools to determine whether factors such as assessment scores, parent referral, student behavior, and teachers' prior experience with CLD predicted their decision to refer CLD students for gifted services. The survey included two open-ended questions that provided qualitative data on the traits that teachers most associated with giftedness in CLD students, as well as information on school division resources that teachers find to be most effective in supporting their referral of CLD students. The findings of this correlational study revealed there was a significant negative relationship between teacher referral and the representation of CLD students in gifted education, indicating that moving from the non-CLD student category to the CLD student category of student ethnicity, there was a medium decrease in total teacher referrals. No significant relationship was found between the factors listed in the survey and the teachers' decision to refer CLD students to gifted services. However, the frequency of teachers' responses to the Likert-scale questions in the survey indicated the teachers' strong consideration of assessment scores and prior experience with CLD students when recommending CLD students for gifted education. The implications of the study emphasized the need for structures that support the analysis of data on the identification instruments used in the gifted education process, the assessments used to identify CLD gifted students, and the need for targeted professional development that equips teachers with the skills to recognized exceptionality in CLD students.

This study examined the extent to which teachers’ levels of cultural competence is a factor in the nomination/referral process for gifted identification of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Specifically, this study compared the self-assessed perceptions of second and third grade elementary teachers’ cultural competence to the various factors included in the gifted referral process. A quasi-experimental quantitative study was used. However, this study superficially included some qualitative exploration due to the nature of the open-ended survey questions and secondary data set analysis. Quantitative data were collected via an adapted version of the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment for Teachers survey created by Lindsey, Robins, & Terrell (2009). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and correlation analysis were conducted. Results revealed that there were no significantly statistical differences in the relationship between teachers’ levels of cultural competence and nomination/referral patterns for gifted identification. Yet, the results also indicated that the district’s second and third grade teachers were generally high on the cultural competence continuum. An overwhelming majority of the teachers believed themselves to be culturally competent however, cultural competence sub-scale scores in institutionalizing cultural knowledge and interacting with CLD students were lower percentages when compared to the other sub-scale scores. In general, this study may have important practical implications for the ongoing process of becoming culturally competent, gifted education practices and policy, teacher preparation, and professional practice.