The purpose of this study has been to create guidelines for the development of a supplementary art program for "artistically gifted" children of intermediate grade level .

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Historically, the suppression of the academic development of gifted African American students, even those with a proven high IQ, resulted from the constraints of segregated learning environments and the generalized racist presumption of the inferiority of African Americans. The lack of federal policy regulating Gifted and Talented Education can be seen in the inconsistencies of every aspect of this work from identification to outcomes. Currently, over 3.3 million children are identified as gifted and talented in the United States. Yet the degree to which students are identified as mentally gifted and receive adequate programming varies dramatically from state to state, from one district to another, and based on race and socioeconomic status. Disparities in the availability and quality of Gifted and Talented Education programs along racial, socioeconomic, and geographic lines remain widespread. Though the misperception that Gifted and Talented students of any race need little support prevails, gifted students who do not have early and adequate access to gifted programming experience adverse effects. Within the historical context of the educational system and current landscape of Gifted and Talented Education, this research sought to answer three key questions. First, where and how do racial disparities manifest themselves in Gifted Education programs across the state of Pennsylvania? Second, what factors are contributing to or driving the underrepresentation of African American students in Gifted Education in Pennsylvania? Third, what strategies are being utilized at Pennsylvania state, district, and school levels to address racial disparities in Gifted and Talented Education and meet the needs of high-potential and high-performing African American students? To answer these questions, the researcher conducted a secondary data analysis of national, state, and district-level Gifted Education data; administered a survey and facilitated interviews with Pennsylvania school and district leaders; categorized participating schools based on best practices in the field of Gifted Education; and reviewed public artifacts including school district websites and annual Pennsylvania Gifted Education progress monitoring reports from 2017-2023. The overarching research themes suggested that disparities in Gifted Education exist throughout the state of Pennsylvania when compared with national data on gifted students overall and, to a heightened degree, gifted African American students. Person, place, and policy-based factors were assessed to be potentially driving and/or contributing to the underrepresentation of African American students in Gifted Education. While limited strategies surfaced that have already been used and documented to neutralize racial inequities effectively in Gifted Education, sound instructional and institutional practices were shared and strategies proposed for consideration. Key barriers to meeting students’ needs, the removal of which could potentially result in significant programmatic growth, were also revealed. In addition, the school and district leaders who participated in the study universally espoused a desire to learn more about Gifted Education, gifted students, and the inequities that impact gifted programming. / Educational Leadership

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The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the practices and attitudes of EFL teachers concerning the challenges and methods involved in teaching gifted students, specifically in regard to the two most prevalent approaches, enrichment and acceleration. Data for this qualitative study was collected through semi-structured interviews with five EFL teachers and the data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that teachers perceived lacking resources, difficulties identifying gifted students in their classes and poor attitudes from gifted students as their main challenges when teaching this group of students. The results also showed that the teachers were inclined to favor enrichment over acceleration, stating a fear for negative social effects and acceleration being messy as their reasons. The teachers in this study problematize and criticize the Swedish approach of inclusion while at the same time struggling to find an alternative. The results also showed that the teachers saw acceleration as a natural next step for when enrichment has failed. Given the limited research on linguistically gifted students, it was concluded that further investigation is needed to assess the current effectiveness of enrichment as a strategy in the EFL classroom.

The under-representation of racial minority students in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)programs has been an issue with little to no resolution (Ford, 2002). These under-represented racial minority groups are experiencing the obstacles of discrimination. Ogbu’s (1987) observation offers a framework distinguishing minorities: voluntary and involuntary. Researchers report on the under-representation of “involuntary” minority groups (McBee, 2006). Researchers have offered keys to opening the gates of GATE programs to bring about racial equity. Recruitment processes: alternative assessments and teacher referrals are available to identify minority GATE students (Elhoweris, Mutua, Alsheikh, & Holloway, 2005). Retention practices: racial diversity of gate teachers, culturally responsive pedagogy, culturally responsive curriculum, and a classroom culture of caring are available to support racial minority gate students once in the program (Delpit, 2006). This mixed-methods study is of one school’s GATE program, Multicultural Middle School (MMS). The study used descriptive statistics to analyze percentages of racial representation of MMS’s GATE students and GATE teachers. The study also used questionnaires, observations, and interviews to analyze MMS’s GATE teachers’ knowledge and practices in regards to the research-based recruitment processes and retention practices of underrepresented racial minorities. This study found that the voluntary racial minority group was over-represented and one of four involuntary racial groups was under-represented. This study also found that MMS’s GATE program had achieved racial equity in three of the four involuntary racial minority groups. At the time of this study, MMS’s GATE program was trending toward equity.

An anaerobic, cellulose decomposing bacterium was isolated in pure culture from the ingesta of a bovine rumen. The organia was a small, curved, Gram negative rod that occurred singly or in chains. The isolated bacterium was identified as a member of the genus Butyrivibrio because of its morphology and because of its production of certain volatile fatty acids in a rumen fluid-glucose medium fermentation. The characteristic fermentation waa the production of a large amount of butyric acid and some lactic acid or succinic acid, and the lack of production of propionic acid. It was found that when rumen fluid was omitted from the fermentation medium the production of butyric acid decreased markedly. The organism was found to have a relatively narrow pH tolerance for the initiation of growth, pH 6.3 to 7.2, with an optimum of pH 6.9 to 7.0. Growth stopped at about pH 6.4, and continued fermentation decreased the pH to 6.0. The organism was cultured continuously on a medium which vu chemically defined except that vitamin-free casein hydrolysate was included, when the hydrolysate was replaced by a mixture of pure L-isomers of amino acids similar in composition to the hydrolysate, good growth occurred. However, when each amino acid was supplied at a uniform weight concentration, much weaker growth was obtained. Evidence was obtained indicating that aadno acids were inhibitory, although the reason for the mild inhibition was not disclosed. The following amino acids were found to be critical nutrients, but in some cases their status, whether essential or stimulatory, was found to be dependent on the composition of the medium: - cysteine, histidine, isoleucine. methionine, lysine, tyrosine, asparagine and leucine. A medium containing only these amino acids supported only very weak growth. Aspartic acid was found to be mildly inhibitory to growth, and glutamic acid was found to reverse the inhibition. A mixture of the common purine and pyrimidine bases, and a mixture of volatile fatty acids, were each found to be inhibitory to growth. Biotin, folic acid, and pyridoxal were essential vitamins, but the other eight B-vitamins examined were found to be neither stimulatory nor essential. Carbon dioxide was found to be required in relatively high concentration in order for growth to start in a medium devoid of rumen fluid. Purines, pyrimidines, cobalamine, and Tween-80 in a mixture were found not to replace the carbon dioxide. Rumen fluid was found to contain material very stimulatory for growth of the Butyrivibrio. The stimulatory material was found to be possibly two compounds or types of compounds, one a peptide or peptide like substance, and the other an anionic substance which probably was polynucleotide-like. / Ed. D.

This qualitative investigation into differences between intellectually gifted sixth grade students and sixth grade students in regular education programs was conducted with two questions as the focus: 1. Are there differences other than IQ between these two groups of students on a selection of school-related variables? 2. Are there sixth grade students in the regular education program who exhibit the same profile on the selected variables as do the intellectually gifted sixth grade students? An analysis of forty variables held by each of the 129 students in three Gifted Center Classes and two regular education classes indicated differences exist between the two groups in some areas other than intelligence. Students in the Gifted Center obtained significantly higher scores on five of the six Biographical Inventory Form U subtests, which measured academic performance, creativity, artistic potential, leadership and educational orientation. The results of the subtest Vocational Maturity were not significant. Differences in performance were noted on the SRA Achievement Series with the gifted students achieving higher test scores than regular education students. Both groups, however, scored commensurate with measured abilities as indicated by the Educational Ability Score (EAS). Report card notations indicate that gifted students are more respectful of authority, more courteous, more respectful of property and exercise more self-control than students in regular education programs. On a Moreno sociogram, results were significant in only one category. Gifted students were more readily selected by peers as students preferred to study with than students in regular education programs. The discriminant analysis indicated that 100% of the intellectually gifted students were placed or identified properly. Six students or 10.5% of the population in the regular education program exhibited profiles similar to that of the intellectually gifted students. / Ed. D.