Culturally Relevant District Reform Efforts in Gifted Education

• In Event: Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: Identification of and Teacher Beliefs About Gifted Students

Abstract

In this qualitative case study, researchers sought to understand the complexities of a district-wide cultural proficiency goal and to explore how and in what ways this may have affected the policies and practices of identifying and servicing students of color in gifted and accelerated academic programs. Data included nine interviews and 18 focus groups with district leaders, principals, teachers, and parents across the district and from eight purposefully sampled elementary, middle and high school campuses. District gifted identification practices were also observed. Data analysis using a culturally relevant leadership (CRL) framework (Horsford, Crosland, & Gunn, 2011) revealed three major findings that emphasized the importance of district advocacy, vertical/lateral communication, and conceptions of giftedness.

Authors

• Miriam Deborah Ezzani, University of North Texas

• Rachel U Mun, University of North Texas