The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of active community-building in a classroom with culturally linguistically economically diverse (CLED) gifted learners in a semirural school district who underachieve. The central research question was, How does actively building classroom community interact with CLED gifted learners who…

In the world of gifted education, educators must first find students who qualify for gifted services. Various stakeholders in public elementary education often nominate students for gifted identification and ultimately gifted programs. It is important to determine if stakeholders' conceptions of giftedness are the same or different, as conceptions…

This Dissertation in Practice (DIP) utilizes Action Research methods to answer the question of: What is the impact of utilizing an authentic study of an author's life and literary works to increase students' motivation to read in a third grade gifted and talented classroom? Through intentional questioning and inquiry, the following Chapters…

There is currently much conversation on the issue of the achievement gap as scholars, politicians, and educational leaders continue to grapple with educational inequity and underperformance of students in urban neighborhoods who are mostly Black and Latinx as compared with higher performing students, mostly white, in suburban neighborhoods. This…

Though a primary purpose of K-12 education in the United States is to prepare students to meet the economic demands of the country, there is currently a major shortage of workers to fill the open positions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This shortage is only expected to grow in the coming decade unless a…

The purpose of this study was to examine general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of curricula relevant for early childhood gifted students of color. The research questions that guided the study were the following: How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede academic success for gifted students of color?…

African American, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students are underrepresented and under-identified for gifted programs. The problem addressed in this study was the identification of gifted students of color and economically disadvantaged students were not proportionate to their representation in the student population in a Title I school…

How gifted students needs are addressed in elementary schools is different from school to school. They are a population of students who at times, are underserved and left to work independently. This is often because teachers do not have the foundational understanding of gifted pedagogy. The purpose of this study was to determine how three…

This study focuses on the use of American Invention Kits from the Smithsonian Institute in conjunction with a 3D printer. In conjunction with a large dataset from a study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), this innovative research focuses on the effect the digital fabrication curriculum unit has on gifted and talented students'…

The purpose of this collective case study was to examine the perceived developmental transitions of preadolescent, twice-exceptional students to understand both the supports and barriers from the perspective of parents, teachers, and psychologists. The case for this study, located in a western U.S. state, was a private school educating…

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders among children and adolescents. In addition, anxiety is strongly connected to academic performance, poor social functioning, and specific learning disabilities. The current study aimed to explore anxiety in new first-fourth grade students identified with learning difference(s) after 1…

The educational system in Saudi Arabia has been developing since the establishment of the Directorate of Knowledge (currently the Ministry of Education) in 1925. Although the teacher preparation programs in Saudi Arabia have been developed under the Ministry of Education, general education teacher preparation programs in the country do not require…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive case study was to examine seven educators and their perceptions of the diverse needs of students who are gifted and talented. The study focused on educators' perceptions, practices, and challenges in regard to addressing the needs of students who are gifted and talented at one public elementary school…

The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine the relationship among student achievement factors, gifted and talented status and post-secondary readiness. The study included a review of archived data obtained from a large district in the southeastern region of Texas consisting of a purposeful sample of AP students' who took an…

This study looked at teacher and administrator perceptions of the high-stakes policy environment on the influence of teaching gifted and talented students through the lens of systems theory. The national accountability standard of NCLB created a previously unmatched standard of accountability for student performance through high-stakes testing.…