Small Towns, Big Shifts: Place-Conscious Professional Learning to Identify and Serve Underrepresented Rural Gifted Students

• In Event: Supporting Diverse Gifted Learner Needs

Abstract

While nearly one-fifth of all public-school enrollment, 40.7% of rural schools lack any gifted programming (Showalter et al., 2023). The research question, “ How did multi-year professional learning impact educator perceptions and practice to support the increased identification of and service to traditionally under-represented rural gifted students?” was explored through Narrative-Enhanced Mixed Methods, with data collected from 1,071 rural educators in six different rural sites over four years. Participants reported changes in attitudes about under-represented gifted and talented students, greater recognition of disparities in identification, an enhanced understanding of ways students demonstrate giftedness, and an increased collaboration to identify and serve students. The study models interdisciplinary pedagogical approaches that rural educators can apply, positively influencing gifted identification and programming.

Author

• Norma L. Hafenstein, University of Denver