Gifted Education Program Evaluation: A National Review

Abstract

The present study assessed the status of gifted program evaluation in public schools in the United States during the years 1982–1983. Questionnaires were completed by 192 personnel in randomly selected school districts having gifted programs. Results indicate that at least half the gifted programs in this study were not evaluated throughout the year and most who carried out gifted program evaluation were not trained evaluators. A second aspect of the study assessed the influence of various personnel on program components such as funding, personnel, curriculum, identification of the gifted, and student time spent in the gifted program. Findings in this regard indicate that students, outside evaluators, other teachers, and the school board of education had little influence on these components. Gifted student evaluation procedures were also assessed. Teacher observation and creative products were the measures reported most often. Within the limitations of this study, evaluation of gifted programs in states mandating gifted education was found to be less thorough than that in nonmandated states.