Specialists In Gifted Education Research Articles

A Pragmatic Analysis of How North Carolina School Districts Aim to Differentiate for Gifted High School Students

We conducted a document analysis study in response to a request from district-level gifted education specialists about additional services to support their gifted high school students. Given the fact that these students are diverse in many ways (e.g., readiness, interest areas, and backgrounds such as race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, and sexual orientation), it is important they have access to a continuum of differentiated services. Therefore, we applied a pragmatic lens to examine the 2019–2022 North Carolina gifted education plans from one region to identify how districts proposed they would serve gifted high school students. Our analysis yielded six topical themes and related services: (1) acceleration, advanced courses, and programs; (2) differentiation: curriculum, instruction, and assessments; (3) enrichment; (4) collaboration and advising; (5) social and emotional; and (6) learners from diverse groups. We conclude with practical suggestions for educators and recommendations for future research in this under investigated area.

Current status of gifted education in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of the study was to explain the current status of gifted education in Saudi Arabia based on the Educational and Learning Capital Model. The researchers used a mixed method design with two research questions: (a) what is the current status in Saudi Arabia to serve gifted students based on the Educational and Learning Capital Model? (b) what did gifted education specialists’ believe about gifted education in Saudi Arabia based on the Educational and Learning Capital Model? The authors used three resources to collect data to answer the question: official documents, raw data, and a survey. The researchers evaluated Saudi Arabia’s experience in gifted education and shed a light on the strengths and weaknesses of this experience. A number of recommendations had been proposed to enhance Saudi Arabia’s experience in the field of gifted education.

The Catch-A-Wave Theory of Adaptability: Core Competencies for Developing Gifted Behaviors in the Second Machine Age of Technology

In this article, I describe a series of Five Core Competencies that gifted education specialists should consider integrating into their teaching to respond to the many changes that are taking place in technology, work, and career preparation. Although the focus of this theory is on high- level jobs usually pursued by college graduates and advanced degree students, this work also has relevance for the general-education community because future employment at all levels will require various degrees of proficiency in the Core Competencies discussed below. Students who will pursue college degrees and professional level jobs will need to attain advanced levels of these skills, have the opportunity to explore a wide range of skills, and be able to learn them more rapidly. Students should be placed in learning situations that require the adaptability that is the theme of this article so that they will learn to apply the skills in ways that will lead to success in job-transformational situations. Leadership and advanced-level positions require high levels of both performance and flexibility in the competencies that will be discussed below. The Catch-A-Wave Theory of Adaptability will be introduced with the presentation of background information and a rationale for the theory. The theory itself along with the five Core Competencies included in the theory will follow and then be supplemented with a section that provides strategies and resources for developing those competencies.

Twice Exceptionality From a Practitioner’s Perspective

The new definition of twice exceptionality by the National Twice-Exceptional Community of Practice (2e CoP) is a tool that will facilitate communication and collaboration for practitioners in the regular classroom, gifted education specialists, administrators, and professors. In this article, the author shares his experiences in several of these roles and how the application and use of the definition hold great promise for addressing the varied needs of students with twice exceptionality.

Practitioners’ Conceptions of Academic Talent and Giftedness: Essential Factors in Deciding Classroom and School Composition

Experts have developed varying, and sometimes conflicting, conceptions of academic talent and giftedness. Classroom and school composition often are tied to these conceptions of academic talent and giftedness, and magnet and charter schools select certain students who best “fit” their particular conception of giftedness. Educators’ perceptions and attitudes regarding academic talent and giftedness thus impact what services are delivered to which students. Little is known about educators’ beliefs regarding conceptions of academic talent and giftedness. The current national study surveyed 900 public school educators, including regular classroom teachers, administrators, and gifted education specialists, regarding their definitions of academic talent and giftedness. The educators believed that all traditional and popular conceptions of academic talent and giftedness were valid, but they were less likely to support definitions involving talents in less-traditional areas. Educators accepted some of the more recently conceived, and more inclusive, conceptions of academic talent or giftedness. Such results are potentially valuable to school administrators, gifted education specialists, and regular classroom teachers who work with academically talented and gifted students, as well as to those who are concerned with the factors influencing school or classroom composition.

Identifying Gifted Students: Educator Beliefs regarding Various Policies, Processes, and Procedures

Issues regarding the identification of gifted students have perplexed the field almost since its inception. How one identifies gifted students has tremendous ramifications for a gifted education program's size, curriculum, instructional methods, and administration. Little is known, however, regarding educator beliefs regarding gifted identification methods. The current national study surveyed 900 public school educators regarding which identification methods they supported. The educators believed that standardized tests, portfolios of student work, and teacher nominations were valid means of identification but did not support parent or peer nominations. Statistically significant differences existed between administrators and gifted education specialists, on the one hand, and regular classroom teachers, on the other hand, regarding the usefulness of standardized test scores and teacher nominations as methods of identifying students for gifted programs. Such results are potentially valuable to school administrators, gifted education specialists, and regular classroom teachers who work with gifted students.

An Evaluation of the Catalyst Program: Consultation and Collaboration in Gifted Education

A recent evaluation of the Catalyst Program, a resource consultation and collaboration program in gifted education, was conducted in order to investigate the effects of student academic performance and teacher competencies, as well as the effectiveness of the consulting process applied to gifted education. In a two-year pilot program, general educators and gifted education specialists at 10 elementary schools in a large, urban school district consulted and collaborated with one another to provide differentiated educational experiences to gifted learners. Results indicate that the model was an effective service delivery strategy for providing differentiated education to gifted learners, had positive spill-over effects for the entire school, led to a redefined role of the gifted education specialist, and initiated an articulation of the nature of the consulting process when applied to gifted education.

Classroom Practices Used with Gifted Third and Fourth Grade Students

The Classroom Practices Survey was conducted by The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) to determine the extent to which gifted and talented students receive differentiated education in regular classrooms. Six samples of third and fourth grade teachers in public schools, private schools and schools with high concentrations of four types of ethnic minorities were randomly selected to participate in this research. The major finding of this study is that third and fourth grade classroom teachers make only minor modifications in the regular curriculum to meet the needs of gifted students. This result holds for all types of schools sampled. It also holds for classrooms in different parts of the country and for different types of communities. Implications of these findings for researchers and gifted education specialists are discussed.

The Effectiveness of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model on Selected Aspects of Elementary School Change

This study examined the effectiveness of a year long application of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model in eleven schools. Subjects consisted of 1,698 elementary grade students, 236 teachers, 120 parents, and 10 principals. Data analysis revealed positive changes in student and teacher attitudes. Student creative products were numerous and exceeded the norm of typical student creative output. Most notable among qualitative data analysis were: remarkably favorable changes in attitudes toward education of the gifted on the part of classroom teachers and the general student population, large increases in student centered enrichment activities and work on self-selected interests, greater cooperation between classroom teachers and gifted education specialists, and more favorable attitudes toward special programming on the part of parents.

Meeting the needs of the gifted throughout the school day: Techniques for curriculum compacting

The process of curriculum compacting, a procedure for modifying the regular curriculum to meet the needs of above average students, is described and illustrated with examples developed by classroom teachers. The roles of classroom teachers, administrators, and gifted education specialists in implementing compacting are explored, as well as the necessity for gifted education specialists to address the needs of the gifted, not just in special programming, but in the regular classroom.