The focus of this research was to provide recent descriptive information about acceleration policies and practices in Florida elementary schools. District, school, and personal demographic variables were investigated to determine the extent to which they affected school-based acceleration options provided for students. Also, school district policies were examined to determine which types of research-based acceleration options were more frequently used and what procedures were in place to guide the decision-making process. Results from this study indicated that extant acceleration policies only included grade skipping and limited procedures for referral, screening and decision-making in the schools. The most common types of acceleration offered in Florida elementary schools were subject acceleration in the Language Arts and Mathematics provided outside of the regular classroom, continuous progress, and curriculum compacting. The most frequently selected reason for not accelerating a student listed by both school principals and district administrators of gifted education programs was concern over a student's social and emotional development. No relationship was found to exist between schools' or principals' personal demographic variables and types of acceleration offered in elementary schools. No relationship was found between elementary school principals' knowledge of gifted learners and the types of acceleration implemented in their schools.

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The purpose of this study was to identify which school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia have equitable representation of Culturally Linguistically Economically Diverse (CLED) students in gifted programs within their schools. Existing literature on CLED students was reviewed. Three years of data (school years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019) obtained from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) were analyzed to determine whether equitable representation exists within gifted education programs in each of the 132 Virginia school divisions. Furthermore, the researcher used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to acquire longitudinal gifted data from each school division 2016-2019. The Relative Difference Composition Index (RDCI), Equity Allowance Formula (EAF), and Representation Index (RI) formulas were used to determine, which schools have equitable representation within their gifted programs. This study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What school divisions have proportional representation of economically disadvantaged students? 2. What school divisions have proportional representation of Black or African American students? 3. What school divisions have a proportional representation of Hispanic or Latinx students? At the conclusion of the data collection process, the researcher examined (1) which school divisions have equitable representation of gifted students in their gifted programs in schools using the EAF, and (2) What schools have equitable representation utilizing the RI. The analysis revealed the majority of the school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia had equitable representation when the EAF was applied to the economically disadvantaged students. When the EAF was applied to the 2016-2019 school years data for the Black or African American students and Hispanic or Latinx students the range of 33%- 42% were proportionately represented. The English Language Learner students were not proportionately represented when the EAF was applied. When the RI formula was applied to the data, none of the school divisions had perfect proportion in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2016-2017, Halifax school division had a score of .86 which translates to proportionate representation when the EAF and RI formula were applied to the data. The findings of this study provide educational leaders with relevant research toward equitable representation for CLED students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VDOE and school leaders could offer professional development regarding equitable representation for teachers and staff that work with CLED students to resolve disproportionality. School divisions could benefit from the implementation of equity allowance goals to help reduce inequitable representation of CLED gifted students. / Doctor of Education / The underrepresentation of students with low incomes in gifted education is a persistent problem (Ford, 2013a; Hamilton, McCoach, Tutwiler, Siegle, Gubbins, Callahan, Brodersen, and Mun, 2018). In recent times, researchers have started to discuss educational access and outcomes for low socioeconomic students (Goings and Ford, 2018). According to VanTassel-Baska and Stambaugh (2018), there is a need to address economically disadvantaged for students who attend public schools in the United States. In particular, there are problems formally identifying economically disadvantaged students for gifted services (VanTassel-Baska and Stambaugh, 2018). Researchers seldom focus on gifted students that live in low-income households. The purpose of this study was to identify which school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia have equitable representation of Culturally Linguistically Economically Diverse (CLED) students in gifted programs within their schools. Existing literature on CLED students was reviewed. Three years of data (school years 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019) obtained from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) were analyzed to determine whether equitable representation exists within gifted education programs in each of the 132 Virginia school divisions. Furthermore, the researcher used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to acquire longitudinal gifted data from each school division 2016-2019. The RDCI, Ford Equity (EAF), and RI formulas were used to determine, which schools have equitable representation within their gifted programs. At the conclusion of the data collection process, the researcher examined (1) which school divisions have equitable representation of gifted students in their gifted programs in schools using the EAF, and (2) What schools have equitable representation utilizing the RI. The analysis will reveal which school divisions have equitable representation within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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.