Running head: IDENTIFICATION OF GIFTED MINORITY …



Addressing the Identification of the Gifted Minority Student.

Charles Alex Alvarez

Valdosta State University

Addressing the Identification of the Gifted Minority Student

Educational equity has remained an issue of concern for minority students (Valenzuela, Copeland, Huaqing, & Park, 2006). Minority youth represent a disproportionately large number of students served under special education, yet they comprise a disproportionately small number of students identified as gifted. White students consistently outnumber all other subgroups in gifted identification in the United States (Ford, 1998). Possible explanations for this trend include a lack of uniform definition for the gifted student, lack of teacher training for gifted identification, and lack of a sound gifted referral process.

Review of the Literature

Identifying possible remedies for the underrepresentation of minorities in gifted programs has remained an issue as the gap between identified gifted White students and minority students remains disproportionately large. Ford (1998) noted the reason why recruiting and retaining minority students in gifted programs is unclear. As United States (U.S.) schools have become more diverse, one is left to wonder if the trend of underrepresentation will continue or if educational institutions will work further towards ensuring educational equity and equality for minorities.

Multicultural education. The next 40 years is expected to bring increased diversity and population size. Schools in the U.S. are expected to reflect this increase as our nation grows older. Minority groups that are already on the rise are expected to experience continued growth while the percentage of White students, once comprising 79 % of total school enrollment in 1970, is expected to continue to decrease (Nieto & Bode, 2008). Nieto and Bode (2008) stated, “These statistics have vastly changed: In 2003, 60 percent of students in the U.S. were White, 18 percent were Hispanic, 16 percent were African American and four percent were Asian and other races” ( p.20 ). Interestingly, due to de facto segregation, many schools are showing little to no diversity.

As diversity in the U.S. population continues to increase, so has segregation in many U.S. school systems (Nieto & Bode, 2008). This occurrence has led to further segregation in gifted populations at various schools within a school district. The trend in the large urban school system where this research study was conducted involves more affluent areas containing higher percentages of White and Asian students when compared to less affluent areas. The number of gifted students is higher at these schools versus schools in other areas of the county with higher percentages of minority students. As an example, the high school that served as the research site for this study had an 83% minority student body of 2,200 total students. Less than one percent of the student body at the research site had been identified as gifted. McBee (2006) revealed that this trend was common in Georgia through a descriptive analysis of data from the Georgia Department of Education in 2004. McBee (2006) revealed that White and Asian students accounted for 79% of all identified gifted students attending Georgia elementary schools (N = 705,074). This disproportionate percentage yielded cause for concern about the minority populations in Georgia and other states experiencing a similar pattern of gifted identification.

Definition for giftedness and alternative assessments. Ford (1998) analyzed other areas of concern, including state variations for the definition of giftedness, variations in how students are identified, and how schools and teachers are prepared to retain the gifted minority student in the program once identified. Many U.S. school systems have maintained various definitions for giftedness and narrow identification processes that focus mainly on cognitive ability test scores (Brown, et al., 2005). The lack of a single definition for giftedness has led to scrutiny of the existence of gifted programs (Besnoy, 2005). Other U.S. school districts have focused upon Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) and using multiple criteria for gifted identification.

Georgia school districts have adopted the multiple criteria approach to gifted identification (McBee, 2006). During a survey of 3,000 Georgia teachers, Brown et al. (2005) found that urban school teachers and administrators favored the use of multiple criteria, such as a high level of task commitment, above-average general abilities and high levels of creativity for examining the gifts and talents of students. Sarouphim (2004) also supported the use of MI and multiple criteria assessments by providing significant data that revealed minority students who were not identified under a narrow cognitive definition of giftedness, but were identified as gifted using the MI assessment, Discovering Intellectual Strength and Capabilities through Observation while allowing for Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER) gifted identification assessment.

Teacher expectations. Sarouphim (2004) extended issues of concern for the underrepresentation of minority students in gifted programs to include the identification processes or assessments used in various states by teachers with inconsistent expectations. The influence of teachers’ expectations in the classroom on the underrepresentation of minorities has led to research in the areas of teacher bias, cultural awareness, socioeconomic status (SES), and training. Elhoweris (2008) made reference to teacher bias as a major determining factor for the underrepresentation of gifted minorities. Teacher bias in regard to contextual factors has been further discussed in many areas of education.

Tenebaum and Ruck (2007) analyzed four decades of research in meta-analyses to address the research question of whether teachers’ expectations are different for racial minorities versus European Americans. The authors found a trend of lower teacher expectations for African American and Latino/a students. Reasoning for teacher bias was based upon lower past performance on standardized tests by African American and Latino/a students (McBee, 2006; Tenebaum, 2007). Teachers aware of the lower standardized test performance trend for minorities may develop a subconscious bias toward these students, causing further detriment to minority gifted identification.

Researchers have shown that lower SES is more prevalent among minority students, and therefore among students who are not part of gifted programs (McBee, 2006). The lower SES among minorities, linked with lower standardized test scores and the small percentage of students identified as gifted, requires researchers to take each of these areas into account when focusing upon maximum objectivity (Grantham, 2003). Bianco (2005) eliminated elementary schools with over 30% of students receiving free or reduced lunch from her research on the effects of disability labels on teachers’ referrals for gifted education, and concluded that lower SES can have a major influence on student performance and teacher expectations.

The effect of disability or labels on teacher referrals for gifted programs and teachers’ expectations for students with disability labels are other areas of concern for minorities. While the percentage of minorities in gifted programs is low, the percentage of minority students placed in general special education is high compared with the percent of placements from the White student population (Ferri & Conner, 2005; Valenzuela, et al., 2006). Despite the paucity of empirical research in this area, Karnes, Shannessy and Bisland (2004) found that only 0.1% of students in Mississippi gifted programs also had one or more disability labels. The authors of the Mississippi study questioned whether teacher bias or lack of education in the areas of giftedness in diverse cultures and among students with disabilities was a causal agent for the underrepresentation issue. Valenzuela et al. (2006) suggested schools should take a closer look at the impact of stigmatizing disability labels.

Bianco (2005) further addressed teacher influence on gifted identification of students with disability labels including Learning Disability (LD) and Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD). The author evaluated general education teachers and special education teachers for a comparison of likelihood of making gifted referrals for students with either an LD or EBD label. Data analysis revealed students with the LD and EBD labels were less likely to be referred to gifted programs by either general or special education teachers. Bianco (2005) also explained that special education teachers were less likely to refer any student in an inclusive setting to gifted programs versus general education teachers. The researcher concluded that teacher expectations can influence the number of gifted referrals for minority students who make up a disproportionately large percent of students placed in general special education or labeled with special education exceptionalities such as LD and EBD.

Teacher referrals. The first step in identification of a minority student as gifted is the gifted referral. The gifted referral process in Georgia can occur in various ways. It may be an automatic referral resulting from any of the following: student performance in the 90th percentile or above on standardized tests; referrals from teachers, parents, the student, or peers; or from other sources reported through the school (McBee, 2006). Since Georgia uses a MI or multiple criteria approach for gifted identification, other referral methods outside of automatic referrals are commonly used and recognized.

Teacher referrals have received scrutiny since the 1959 Pignato and Birch study on teacher nominations. Teachers were described as having poor judgment when referring students for gifted identification, due to the lack of efficiency in actual student identification once referred by a teacher (McBee, 2006). A reevaluation of the Pignato and Birch study revealed flaws in data analysis and that teacher evaluations were useful in providing efficient gifted identification rates (Gagne, 1994). McBee (2006) found that teacher referrals and automatic referrals were the most valuable referral sources for gifted identification. Despite the resurrection of confidence in teacher referrals for gifted identification, additional factors could affect the efficiency of gifted identification.

Purpose Statement

Few empirical studies have addressed the areas of teacher expectations, referrals and awareness of the definition and criteria for giftedness in Georgia and as a result many gifted minority students can go unidentified and underserved. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of increased teacher education on giftedness in Georgia to the number of gifted referrals for minority students at an urban high school. This study addressed the following research questions:

1. How does providing professional development on an urban school system’s and state of Georgia approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklists for teachers relate to the number of teacher gifted referrals for minorities at metro high school?

2. How does providing professional development on an urban school system’s and state of Georgia approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklists for teachers affect teacher attitude toward making a gifted referral for identification?

Methods

References

Besnoy, K. (2005). Using public relations strategies to advocate for gifted programming in your school. Gifted Child Today. 28(1), 32-37.

Bianco, M. (2005). The effects of disability labels on special education and general education teachers’ referrals for gifted programs. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 28, 285-294.

Brown, S., Renzulli, J., Gubbins, E., Siegle, D., Zhang, W., & Chen, C. (2005). Assumptions underlying the identification of gifted and talented students. The Gifted Child Quarterly. 49(1), 68-78.

Elhoweris, H. (2008). Teacher judgment in identifying gifted/ talented students. Multicultural Education,.15(3), 35-38.

Ferri, B., & Conner, D. (2005). In the shadow of “Brown”: Special Education and overrepresentation of students of color. Remedial and Special Education. 26(2), 93-100.

Finney, J. (2009). Identifying talent and nurturing its success: An interview with Freemen Hrabowski. Change. 38, 36-41.

Ford, D. (1998). The underrepresentation of minority students in gifted education: Problems and promises in recruitment and retention. The Journal of Special Education. 22, 4-14.

Gagné, F. (1994). Are teachers really poor talent detectors? Comments on Pegnato and Birch’s (1959) study of the effectiveness and efficiency of various identification

techniques. Gifted Child Quarterly, 38, 124–126.

Gaither, J.M.E. (2008). A former student’s perception of not gifted just different: A case study. Gifted Child Today, 30(4), 46-58.

Grantham, T. (2003). Underrepresented in gifted education: How did we get here and what needs to change? Straight talk on the issue of underrepresentation: An interview with Dr. Mary M. Frasier. Roeper Review, 24(2), 50-51.

Karnes, F.A., Shannessy, E., & Bisland, A. (2004). Gifted students with disabilities: Are we finding them? Gifted Child Today, 27(4), 16-21.

McBee, M.T. (2006). A descriptive analysis of referral sources for gifted identification screening by race and socioeconomic status. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 17(2), 103-111.

Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education (5th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.: Boston.

Peterson, J.S., & Ray, K.E. (2006). Bullying and the gifted: Victims, perpetrators, prevalence, and effects. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50(2), 148-168.

Sarouphim, K.M. (2004). DISCOVER in middle school: Identifying gifted minority students. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 15(2), 61-69.

Tenenbaum, H.R., & Ruck, M.D. (2007). Are teachers’ expectations different for racial minority than for European American students? Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 253-273.

Valenzuela, J.S., Copeland, S.R., Huaqing, C., & Park, M. (2006). Examining education equity: Revisiting the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. Council for Exceptional Children, 72(4), 425-441.

Appendix A

Attachment B

COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Applicant Agreement: Access to Confidential Data

Research Applicant _Charles Alex Alvarez_____________________________________

Research Project Title _Addressing Identification of the Gifted Minority Student at South Cobb.

Home Address __954 Alloway Place SE_____

City/State/Zip __Atlanta/ GA / 30316_______________

Employer ___Cobb County School/ South Cobb High School_____________

Telephone: Work__770-819-2611__ Home_229-630-2345___

Fax__770-819-2610_________ E-mail_Charles.Alvarez@___

I understand that any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information is illegal as provided in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1973 (FERPA) and in the implementing federal regulations found in 34 CFR Part 99. I understand that participation in a research study by students, parents, and school staff is strictly voluntary.

In addition, I understand that any data, datasets or outputs that I, or any authorized representative, may generate from data collection efforts throughout the duration of the research study are confidential and the data are to be protected. I will not distribute to any unauthorized person any data or reports that I have access to or may generate using confidential data. I also understand that students, schools, or the district may not be identified in the research report. Data with names or other identifiers (such as student numbers) will be disposed of when their use is complete.

I understand that acceptance of this request for approval of a research project in no way obligates the Cobb County School District to participate in the research. I also understand that approval does not constitute commitment of resources or endorsement of the study or its findings by the school system or by the Board of Education.

If the research project is approved, I agree to abide by standards of professional conduct while working in the schools. I understand that failure to do so could result in termination of the research study.

I agree to send a copy of the study results to the Chief Accountability and Research Officer after completion of the study for any future use to the Cobb County School District. I understand that the study is not complete until this report has been provided to Cobb County School District.

Research Applicant Signature Date

Signature of Faculty or Staff Sponsor of Research Project Date

_____________________________________________ _____________________

Name of Sponsoring Agency (University or Institution) Phone Number

COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Applicant Agreement: Access to Confidential Data

Research Applicant _Charles Alex Alvarez_____________________________________

Research Project Title _Addressing the Identification of the Gifted Minority Student at South Cobb.

Home Address __954 Alloway Place SE_____

City/State/Zip __Atlanta/ GA / 30316_______________

Employer ___Cobb County School/ South Cobb High School_____________

Telephone: Work__770-819-2611__ Home_229-630-2345___

Fax__770-819-2610_________ E-mail_Charles.Alvarez@___

I understand that any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information is illegal as provided in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1973 (FERPA) and in the implementing federal regulations found in 34 CFR Part 99. I understand that participation in a research study by students, parents, and school staff is strictly voluntary.

In addition, I understand that any data, datasets or outputs that I, or any authorized representative, may generate from data collection efforts throughout the duration of the research study are confidential and the data are to be protected. I will not distribute to any unauthorized person any data or reports that I have access to or may generate using confidential data. I also understand that students, schools, or the district may not be identified in the research report. Data with names or other identifiers (such as student numbers) will be disposed of when their use is complete.

I understand that acceptance of this request for approval of a research project in no way obligates the Cobb County School District to participate in the research. I also understand that approval does not constitute commitment of resources or endorsement of the study or its findings by the school system or by the Board of Education.

If the research project is approved, I agree to abide by standards of professional conduct while working in the schools. I understand that failure to do so could result in termination of the research study.

I agree to send a copy of the study results to the Chief Accountability and Research Officer after completion of the study for any future use to the Cobb County School District. I understand that the study is not complete until this report has been provided to Cobb County School District.

Research Applicant Signature Date

Signature of Faculty or Staff Sponsor of Research Project Date

_____________________________________________ _____________________

Name of Sponsoring Agency (University or Institution) Phone Number

APPLICATION TO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN

COBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Researcher __Charles Alex Alvarez__________________________________

Title of Proposed Research Study

Addressing the Identification of the Gifted Minority Student at South Cobb High. _____________________________________________________________________________

Proposed Project Starting Date __November 2009_________

Proposed Project Ending Date ___June 2010_____________

Purpose of the Study

1. Collect teacher data through the use of the Teacher Questionnaire on Giftedness.

2. Review the four areas of giftedness recognized in Georgia and the Cobb County gifted referral process.

3. Teachers and students will be encouraged to participate in gifted screening for possible identification.

4. If identified as gifted, the student will be eligible for gifted services.

Action Research _x___ Dissertation _____ Thesis _____Grant Evaluation ______

If other explain_______________________

Name of the University or College (for action research, dissertation, thesis)

__Valdosta State University____________________________________________

Name of grant (if grant evaluation) ___________________________________________________________________________

Research Questions/Hypotheses/Grant Objectives

The guiding questions for my research will be based upon providing staff development for teachers at South Cobb High on giftedness and the Cobb county gifted referral checklists.

__ This study addresses the following research questions:______________________________

1. How does providing staff development on the Cobb County and state of Georgia______ approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklists (Renzulli) for teachers relate to the number of teacher gifted referrals for minorities at South Cobb High School?_________

2. How does providing staff development on the Cobb County and state of Georgia______ approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklist for teachers affect teacher attitude_ toward making a gifted referral for identification._________________________________

Does the study relate to an identified research priority of Cobb County School District (Attachment A)?

YES x NO

If yes, identify the area ____Student equity and equality, accountability, and advanced leaning options_

Describe how the study relates to the CCSD current research priorities. __Study addresses areas of student education equity and equality, accountability, and advanced learning options.

Methodology

Participants

Students: Number_2158__ Grade(s) _9-12_________

Teachers: Number_140_____ Grade(s)_ 9-12_____

Administrators: Number__10___

Support Staff: Number__3______

Parents: Number___0_____

How were participants selected for the research project?

__All South Cobb certified teachers will be asked to participate in a short staff development session covering the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved criteria for gifted referrals._____________

How much time will be required for individuals participating in the study?

__Teachers will only attend the staff development session during a teacher work day and be asked to complete a questionnaire and refer any student who has shown the criteria of giftedness in his/ her classroom. Referred students will be asked by the gifted coordinator (GC) to follow gifted identification protocol based on referral information for each of the four areas of identification for gifted.____

What will participants be asked to do?

_Teachers will be asked to complete a questionnaire and refer any student who has shown the criteria of giftedness in his/ her classroom using the Cobb Renzulli Checklists . Referred students will be asked to by the GC to follow gifted identification protocol that will include appropriate suggested times per state of Georgia. The Advanced Learning Parental Permission Form (GF162) will be given to students by the GC.

Proposed schools to be included in the research project

_South Cobb High________________________________________________________________

How will consent be obtained from all research participants, and if necessary, from parents/guardians? See the sample Parental Permission Form in Attachment C.

__Teacher will be given an active consent form and participation will be voluntary and questionnaires will be anonymous. Referred students will receive a parent permission form for prior approval (Form GF162) to allow the GC or county office to perform gifted identification protocol with the student.___

Identify any potential benefits or risks for participants that might result from the research.

|Potential Benefits |Potential Risks |

|Increase in identified Gifted Students | |

|Provide equity in education. | |

|Increase in student performance. | |

|Increase FTE count for funding ( 1.67 vs. 1.0) | |

| | |

|More students taking advanced courses. | |

| | |

Research Design Information

_____Quantitative _____Qualitative Mixed Methods ___x__

Briefly describe your design.

_The methodology of the research would begin by analyzing approved Cobb County identification measures with other gifted endorsed faculty to deliver a clear definition of giftedness to the certified teacher faculty at South Cobb High. All certified South Cobb teachers would then be provided with a brief training on approved gifted identification criteria and the Cobb County approved Renzulli referral checklist (Independent Variable) during an upcoming staff-development workday. Data collection would include the number of minority students referred as gifted after the delivery of the staff development and teacher questionnaires pertaining to the staff development intervention for comparison and analysis (Dependent Variable). Specific student information collected will include the number of teacher-completed Renzulli checklists, current gifted numbers and ethnic backgrounds of students referred. Student data and records will be collected using School Max in coordination with the gifted coordinator and guidance department upon approval.

Data Collection and Analysis

List all data that will be collected for this project. Include a copy of all surveys, interview protocols, tests, checklists or other data collection instruments.

|Data to be Collected |Data Collection Instruments |Data Source |Anticipated Date of Data |

| | | |Collection |

|Number of newly obtained teacher gifted|Cobb County Gifted referral checklists |Teacher completed Renzulli |Late fall 09/ spring 10 |

|referrals |(Renzulli checklists), |referrals | |

|Number of newly obtained teacher gifted|Student ethnicity data |School records for ethnicity |Spring 10 |

|minority referrals for comparisons | |and current gifted numbers/ | |

| | |teacher referrals for baseline| |

| | |data. | |

|Teacher background/ attitudinal data/ |Teacher questionnaire on Giftedness |Participating teachers who |Late Fall 09/ spring 10 |

|affective data |(attached) |completed questionnaire | |

|Current gifted numbers |School Max |School records |Late Fall 09 |

Describe data analysis procedures. Identify statistical measures that will be used to test the hypotheses. If qualitative designs are used, identify coding scheme and data validation procedures.

_The number of newly obtained gifted referrals for minority students will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared to baseline data obtained through school records in School Max. Results will be used to address the question: How does providing staff development on the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklists (Renzulli) for teachers relate to the number of teacher gifted referrals for minorities at South Cobb High School?_

_The teacher questionnaire will be used to gather teacher background information and address the question: How does providing staff development on the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved criteria for giftedness and referral checklist for teachers affect teacher attitudes toward making a gifted referral for identification? Results from the questionnaire will be analyzed using descriptive statistics; mean, median, mode, standard deviation and p value significance using a two-tailed t-test to determine if the staff development affected teacher attitude towards making a gifted referral.

As students are referred following Cobb County protocol, the number of successfully identified students will be recorded and compared statistically for an increased mean for referrals of different ethnicities. All student data (ethnicity and gifted status) will be collected using School Max records. All other data will be provided by consenting teachers through the use of the Renzulli checklists and the teacher questionnaire.

Will anyone other than the researcher be involved in the data analysis process? YES X NO

If yes, who will assist with data analysis procedures?

_The gifted coordinator, Ms. Sewell, AP coordinator and Ms. Sawicki along with the guidance department have agreed to help with the proposed study and data analysis of teacher/ student data collected.

Attachment C

Parental Consent Form

My signature below indicates that I have read the information provided and have decided to allow my child to participate in the study titled “Addressing the Identification of Gifted Students at South Cobb High” to be conducted at my child’s school between the dates of October 2009 and June 2009. I understand that the signature of the principal and classroom teacher indicates they have agreed to participate in this research project.

I understand the purpose of the research project will be providing education equity opportunities and that my child will participate in the following manner: (Student will be tested for Gifted Services using state approved procedures and instruments).

1. Student was referred for gifted screening by his/ her teacher, guidance counselor or

other faculty.

2. Student will be encouraged to participate in gifted screening for possible identification.

3. If identified as gifted, the student will be eligible for gifted services.

Potential benefits of the study are: Gifted identification would qualify your student for gifted services.

I agree to the following conditions with the understanding that I can withdraw my child from the study at any time should I choose to discontinue participation.

• The identity of participants will be protected and all results will be kept confidential.

• Information gathered during the course of the project will become part of the data analysis and may contribute to published research reports and presentations.

• There are no foreseeable inconveniences or risks involved to my child participating in the study.

• Participation in the study is voluntary and will not affect either student grades or placement decisions (or if staff are involved-will not affect employment status or annual evaluations.) If I decide to withdraw permission after the study begins, I will notify the school of my decision.

If further information is needed regarding the research study, I can contact Charles Alvarez at 770-819-2611 or Charles.Alvarez@

Signature ___________________________________________________________________________

Parent Date

Signature____________________________________________________________________________

Principal Date

Signature____________________________________________________________________________

Classroom Teacher Date

Appendix B

Letter to Principal,

As a research interest I, C. Alex Alvarez, would like to focus upon the topic: Addressing the Identification of the Gifted Minority Student. After reviewing the proposal and if you see its importance and appropriateness in regards to ethical implications, your signature of approval is requested. My proposal and methodology would be as follows.

As one of 6 six Cobb County schools with a magnet programs, South Cobb High School has only 6% of students identified as “Gifted”. South Cobb High School has a student body composed of 64% Black, 19% White, 11% Hispanic, 4% Multiracial and 2% Asian. A majority of South Cobb High students qualify for free/ reduced lunch, which frequently occurs in schools with a majority of the students being of minority ethnicities. With these underlying factors, teachers (approximately 67% White middle-class) from differing, backgrounds of the student body may be less likely to identify individual student talents and those who are gifted.

Teachers may also lack the former training in gifted and talented identification guidelines. To compensate for this possible shortfall, South Cobb High certified teachers could benefit from a staff-development session to cover the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved definition for giftedness and gifted referral checklist to identify a larger number of minority gifted students at South Cobb High School. Arancibia (2008) states, “When designing a system for the identification and selection of academically talented students, it is necessary to be very clear on the definition of talent to which the program ascribes, since this will determine who will be chosen to participate”(p.55). The brief training would be carried out by gifted endorsed faculty including Henley Sawicki, Gwendolyn Sewell and Charles Alex Alvarez.

The guiding questions for my research will be based upon increasing teacher knowledge and experience in using the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved gifted referral checklist and include:

1. Are the small percentages of minority students identified as gifted due to the lack of sufficient teacher education on gifted identification?

2. Will educating South Cobb High certified teachers on giftedness and the Cobb County and state of Georgia approved gifted referral checklists increase the identification of the gifted minority student at South Cobb High School?

The methodology of the research would begin by analyzing approved identification measures with other gifted endorsed faculty to deliver a clear definition of giftedness to the certified teacher faculty at South Cobb High. Teachers would then be provided with a brief training on the approved gifted identification criteria and the referral checklist (Independent Variable) during an upcoming staff-development workday. Data collection would include the number of minority students identified as gifted after the delivery of the staff development and a teacher questionnaire (Dependent Variable).

____________________________________ __________________________

Principal signature Date

Appendix C

Teacher Consent Form

My signature below indicates that I have read the information provided and have decided to participate in the study titled “Addressing the Identification of Gifted Students at South Cobb High” to be conducted between the dates of November 2009 and June 2009. I understand that the principal and the Cobb County School District IRB have agreed to allow this research project to be conducted.

I understand the purpose of the research project will be providing education equity and equality opportunities for South Cobb High students:

1. Collect teacher data through the use of the Teacher Questionnaire on Giftedness.

2. Review the four areas of giftedness recognized in Georgia and the Cobb County gifted referral process.

3. Teachers and students will be encouraged to participate in gifted screening for possible identification.

4. If identified as gifted, the student will be eligible for gifted services.

Potential benefits of the study are:

1. Gifted identification would qualify the student for gifted services.

2. Served gifted students qualify for a 1.67 FTE count versus a 1.0 FTE count.

3. Possible increase in students taking advanced course work.

I understand and agree to the following conditions with the understanding that I can withdraw from the study at any time should I choose to discontinue participation.

• The identity of participants will be protected and all results will be kept confidential.

• Information gathered during the course of the project will become part of the data analysis and may contribute to published research reports and presentations for Valdosta State University and academic journals.

• There are no foreseeable inconveniences or risks involved in participating in the study.

• Participation in the study is voluntary and will not affect employment status or annual evaluations. If staff member decides to withdraw permission after the study begins, they can do so without penalty.

If further information is needed regarding the research study, I can contact Charles Alvarez at 770-819-2611 ext. 309 or Charles.Alvarez@

Signature____________________________________________________________________________

Principal Date

Signature____________________________________________________________________________

Classroom Teacher Date

Appendix D

Teacher Questionnaire on Giftedness

(Circle one)

Gender- Male or Female

Ethnicity (Optional): Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, Other

Have a teacher certificate and currently teach at least one period per day? Yes or No

Gifted endorsed? Yes or No

Did you receive gifted services during elementary, middle or high school? Yes or No

Years of teaching experience: 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20, 21-25, 26-30+

Highest degree earned? Bachelors, Masters, Education Specialist, Doctorate

I have viewed the current list of identified gifted students at South Cobb? Yes or No

How many students have you formally referred for gifted identification?

0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6+

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Likert scale

Using the 1-5 Likert scale, indicate by circling the most correct response, the degree to which you agree with the questionnaire items listed below:

_____1_____________2_____________3_______________4______________5______

strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree

(Circle one)

1 2 3 4 5 1. I feel identified gifted students need to be challenged to take advanced

coursework in high school.

1 2 3 4 5 2. I feel advanced and gifted resource classes should remain small (~23).

1 2 3 4 5 3. I believe I have unidentified gifted students in my current classes.

1 2 3 4 5 4. South Cobb High advocates for the identification of students to receive gifted services.

Continue on Back (

Using the 1-5 Likert scale, indicate by circling the most correct response, the degree to which you agree with the questionnaire items listed below:

_____1_____________2_____________3_______________4______________5______

strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree

(Circle one)

1 2 3 4 5 5. I am familiar with the four areas of giftedness recognized in Georgia.

1 2 3 4 5 6. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for motivational giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 7. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for creativity giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 8. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for achievement giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 9. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for mental ability giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 10. I feel I could make a sound gifted referral at this time.

1 2 3 4 5 11. I feel teacher preparation programs should provide a more thorough background on gifted education.

Post Intervention Teacher Questionnaire on Giftedness

Likert scale 1-5

Using the 1-5 Likert scale, indicate by circling the most correct response, the degree to which you agree with the questionnaire items listed below:

_____1_____________2_____________3_______________4______________5______

strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly agree

(Circle one)

1 2 3 4 5 1. I feel identified gifted students need to be challenged to take advanced

coursework in high school.

1 2 3 4 5 2. I feel advanced and gifted resource classes should remain small (~23).

1 2 3 4 5 3. I believe I have unidentified gifted students in my current classes.

1 2 3 4 5 4. South Cobb High advocates for the identification of students to receive gifted services.

1 2 3 4 5 5. I am familiar with the four areas of giftedness recognized in Georgia.

1 2 3 4 5 6. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for motivational giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 7. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for creativity giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 8. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for achievement giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 9. I am familiar with the qualities used to screen for mental ability giftedness.

1 2 3 4 5 10. I feel I could make a sound gifted referral at this time.

1 2 3 4 5 11. I feel teacher preparation programs should provide a more thorough background on gifted education.

Thank you for your participation!

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