Su búsqueda

Identifying gifted students early is important so they may receive adaptations in their learning environment including admittance into gifted programs (Subotnik, Olszweski-Kubilius, & Worrell, 2012). An effective method to increase the likelihood of identifying gifted students is needed (Pfeiffer, 2003). Admission at the elementary level primarily uses the individually-administered intelligence test; yet, the test is only administered to students nominated to the gifted program. The purpose of this study was to determine if individually-administered IQ test scores were related to specific information available to the elementary school counselor to aid in the determination of unidentified gifted elementary school students who would benefit from participating in the school district's gifted program. This study examined whether an individually-administered IQ score on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) was accurately estimated by a function of the national percentile achievement test scores in total reading, total mathematics, language, spelling, science/environment, and listening, verbal and nonverbal cognitive abilities, gender, or grade. The data were split into two equal samples of 107, one used for development of the regression model and one for validation of the regression model. A significant model emerged for the model sample (n = 107) explaining 46.3% of the variance, when all 10 independent variables were entered as predictors into a simultaneous multiple regression. Total mathematics, science/environment, listening, nonverbal cognitive ability, and grade were the significant predictors. The revised regression equation with only the five significant contributing independent variables explained 45.9% of the variance in the WASI score; yet, it only had a correlation of .27 between the actual WASI score and the estimated WASI score from the revised model using the validation sample and has a weak correlation of 7.3% of the variance explained. Future research is needed to investigate these findings before the model is used in practice. Research on identifying gifted students; characteristics of giftedness; implications for counselors in the areas of counseling, school, and career development; and the role of the school counselor in advocacy and action research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Parenting stress (PS) is a phenomenon experienced by all parents to varying degrees due to the demands of meeting a child's needs. This distinct type of stress is caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands of parenting and the perceived coping resources available to parents. The construct of twice-exceptionality (2E) is defined as the co-occurrence of giftedness and disability or possessing both high cognitive abilities and at least 1 of 13 potential disabilities identified under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. The purpose of this study was to understand how PS is experienced by parents of children who have been identified with 2E. The theoretical perspectives of stress appraisal, coping, and attribution guided this study and provided a framework for understanding the lived experiences of parents and the meaning they ascribe to these experiences. The goals of the study were accomplished through in-depth interviews with 13 participants, an extensive literature review, and reflective journaling. Interview data were analyzed using the phenomenological techniques of epoche, bracketing, horizontalization, and imaginative variation, and several relevant themes and subthemes were developed. High levels of PS described by the parents in this study indicate that further research is indicated for better understanding and serving the significant needs of this population. The social implications of this research include raising awareness of PS and 2E; increasing the potential for positive outcomes for children and families; and addressing misconceptions concerning giftedness, gender bias in the perceptions of parental roles, and the impact of PS on family systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This investigation addresses five constituents calling, social consequences, imagination, story, and the experience of being gifted. It is grounded in the fundamental human inquiry of identity and purpose and contains both personal and universal answers. Primarily, the author sought to answer one question: How did imagination and story reveal and develop my personal narrative? This led her to Hillman's (1997) contention that our true biography the destiny written into our metaphoric acorn has been stolen. Three questions arose from the primary question used to organize the literature review: (a) How has the use of this knowledge affected my understanding of the evolution of the human story? (b) What evidence is there to identify when our species developed imagination? and (c) Why is imagination undervalued? There were four sub-questions answered through the personal data: (a) How is a quest or calling revealed? (b) Why is the phenomenon of Neverland essential to human well-being? (c) How did social forces impede the expression of imagination and the process of the original human story? and (d) What does it mean to be gifted? The method chosen for this work was autoethnography, which, according to Bochner and Ellis (2016), exists in a space between many apparent polarities including facts and meanings,objectivity and subjectivity, and art and science in what Reed-Danahay (1997) explained was how we come to know, name, and interpret personal and cultural experiences. The author was the only participant in this study; however, the meaning emerging from the inquiry could be relevant for many. The rationale and significance of this study was based on the assumption that the quality of human lives often suffers when people remain disconnected from experiencing their authentic self. The key finding was that through claiming the state of Neverland, as represented by the Peter Pan story, the author was able to connect with who she is and why she is here. This research allowed the author to reclaim her calling, imagination, and story, and acknowledge her giftedness. The ultimate call is for a new paradigm that welcomes and supports the unfolding human destiny. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

This qualitative research study sought to understand how Latino parents use parental academic socialization (Hill & Tyson, 2009) and consejos (Delgado-Gaitán, 1994; Alfaro et al., 2014) as forms of home-based parental involvement to converse about education. A phenomenology approach was used to research and analyze data to describe the lived experiences of Latino parents raising academically gifted children middle schoolers while engaging in academic discourse. This study used semi-structured interviews with sixteen Latino participants who were US-born (n = 7) and Mexico-born (n = 9) from a large urban school district in a Midwestern city. The following major themes emerged: 1) parental academic socialization, 2) consejos, and 3) other educational messages. As it pertains to Theme 1, results showed Latino parents instill values, expect their gifted child to study for college, explore high schools and careers, teach responsibility and self-advocacy, and desire for a professional career. In regards to Theme 2, results indicated that Latino parents discuss better opportunities in the US, adolescent witness their parents' adversities, and instill a positive mindset to "do your best" or echarle ganas through the use of storytelling. Theme 3 showed that parents discussed supporting their child and have concerns about friends, physical safety, and their social-emotional challenges related to giftedness. This study contributes new information about how Latino parents utilize parental academic socialization and consejos to convey the importance of education and support their child's academic trajectories through developmental and educational perspectives. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The underrepresentation of Latin students in gifted programs is a serious problem that plagues public schools nationwide. Traditionally, teachers' nomination is the most frequent method used for identifying students for gifted programs. Seeking to understand how teachers' perceptions of giftedness influenced the nomination of potentially gifted Latin students, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with eight participants and a follow-up focus group in a Midwestern urban district. The researcher used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach as part of the analytical framework. This research identified several major findings: 1) most participants had narrow and subjective definitions of giftedness that varied based on their levels of training and teaching experience, but none of the participants' definitions were culturally inclusive. However, their conceptual definitions of giftedness did not necessarily mirror their description of robust referral and teaching practices; 2) teachers' perceptions of potentially gifted Latin students influenced the nomination process that varied due to their different biases and cultural models; 3) Latin parents were not involved in the nomination process and most teachers did not appear to value their participation. Some teachers expressed a deficit perspective of these families and students; 4) all participants increased the nomination of potentially gifted Latin students using traditional and nontraditional assessment tools; 5) three out of the four schools lacked adequate programming to meet the needs of potentially gifted Latin students.Key terms: underrepresentation, giftedness, teachers' perceptions, identification. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Background: English Learners (ELs) are vastly underrepresented in gifted and talented (GT) programs compared to their peers in other mainstream populations. ELs are a growing population in the nation's public-school system. Although this population is seeing growth at a fast pace, the enrollment of ELs in gifted programming continues to lag. Existing methods of identifying students with gifts and talents rely on the use of standardized testing to measure general intelligence (Beyer & Johnson, 2014). Further, classroom teachers often serve as gatekeepers to gifted identification, with teacher nominations commonly used as a referral tool in the process. Given this, both the methods for evaluating students for GT programs and implicit bias on behalf of teachers can serve as a barrier to identifying gifted English learners. Purpose: The study examined existing gifted identification practices in Region 4 (R4) districts and their impact on the number of ELs identified for GT programs. RQs: 1.) What are current practices in identifying students for gifted programming among a sample of districts in R4? 2.) What are the differences in the percentage of ELs identified for GT programs using the various identification practices? Methods: Descriptive data from school districts in R4 and their GT procedures was utilized. R4 represents the Houston area and serves a diverse population of more than 1.2 million students. Fourteen school districts in R4 were identified as the sample for this study based on specific criteria. Data collected from districts about their use of various methods and processes to identify giftedness was described. Descriptive data provided a general overview of GT identification practices within R4. Linear regression was used to analyze data. Results: Descriptive statistics showed that disparities existed in R4 in the percentages of both GT enrollment and ELs in GT. One-half of the sample has EL enrollment that ranges from 20%-40%. The sample relies heavily on the use of ability testing along with parent and teacher ratings. Variance was found in the utilization of achievement testing. A linear regression found that the percentage of ELs enrolled in a school district was significant in determining the number of ELs subsequently identified as GT. A second linear regression showed that the use of achievement testing did not have a significant impact on the number of ELs identified for GT. Conclusion: R4 has a disproportionate representation of ELs in GT programs. R4 struggles with meeting the needs of its largest sub-population, as GT enrollment is not indicative of enrollment trends of the region. Existing identification practices serve as a barrier for equitable representation in GT programs. School districts with high enrollment rates of ELs also saw higher rates of ELs in GT. Literature supports that the use of achievement testing measures the concepts its intended to, but fails to comprehensively identify giftedness in the various ways it may manifest. Expanding universal screening procedures is an implication for practice while further research should focus on the rate of language acquisition as a factor to determine giftedness in ELs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Leaders influence their surroundings in many ways. In companies, leaders impact work satisfaction, commitment, and engagement (Kouzes & Posner, 2015). In schools, leaders affect student behavior and learning outcomes (Wallace, 2006). Utilizing the Productive Giftedness Model (Paik, 2013, 2015), the present research examines the individual aptitude, instructional, and environmental factors that influence the development of young leaders in Indonesia. Participants in the study were recruited by Indonesia Mengajar, a highly selective intervention program in Indonesia which aims to improve educational conditions around the nation through the mobilization and equipping of local stakeholders. In order to examine leader development from the early to later years, the study uses a mixed-method approach that includes an online survey and a structured interview. Findings from the study demonstrate that leaders are made through a combination of opportunity, support, and resources. Most importantly, findings point to the integral role parents and schools play in the development of leaders and leader-related skills. Parents, educators and policymakers should ensure that every child has access to favorable conditions that will help cultivate leader-related skills from an early age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Given the historic underrepresentation of minority and low-income students in gifted programs, this study sought to address the unique characteristics of the gifted student while also considering the uniqueness of the student’s school community. The initial design compared the use of dynamic intellectual assessment to traditional (or static) assessment for identifying eligibility in such programs.COVID-19 restrictions determined a redesign, since this national emergency precluded access to school buildings by students, staff, and families, which meant the comparison of assessment instruments would not be possible. As a result, a qualitative case study was employed, examining related research questions important to the problem of underrepresentation among minority and low-income students.The research question is as follows: In a school serving a predominantly African American community, how do stakeholders describe what they see in children who reveal a “gifted spark”? What do stakeholders identify as resources that nurture children with potential gifts and talents and what do they see as obstacles? Interviews were conducted with teachers, parents, and administrators via the Zoom online platform.Findings suggest that stakeholder perceptions understand giftedness as evident in a variety of realms including intellectual ability, academic achievement, creativity, and leadership. Participants also proposed the possibility of a “leadership community” to nurture the gifted student within the school community, where there is no designated “gifted” program. The study contributes to the literature in conceptualizing giftedness from the perspective of teachers, administrators, and parents in an educational setting serving a high population of Black/African-American students. It points to strategies and resources for addressing the problem of underrepresentation, including the use of alternative assessment instruments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Gifted college students often arrive at universities with high GPAs and/or ACT/SAT scores. Their achievements in extracurricular activities such as in the arts, athletics, service, and leadership are well beyond the average student. To admissions representatives and faculty, these students look well-adjusted and successful on paper. However, many of these gifted college students come with unique challenges that go misunderstood, ignored, and underserved during their years in higher education—specifically involving their mental health. There are copious amounts of literature on gifted K-12 students and their mental health behaviors but very limited research done on the gifted college student population. Although gifted research declines after the twelfth grade, giftedness does not end as those students age. Along with being gifted, some of these individuals also experience mental health issues throughout their lifetimes. When giftedness and mental health overlap, the individual is considered twice-exceptional. Twice-exceptionality includes physical and learning disabilities, but the term can also describe a person who has a mental health diagnosis that coincides with their giftedness. Because twice-exceptional individuals tend to mask their mental health issues very well, it is difficult to identify that they need support—especially when they are in college. With my professional experience in honors education, I came to realize some of these twice-exceptional college experiences and stories have never been heard. The purpose of my dissertation is to bring these narratives into the light with the hopes of more widespread understanding of their specific needs. In order to understand the trends and challenges of twice-exceptional college students, I present a literature review as well as identify research gaps. Using a qualitative research design, I shape interview questions for my participants that illustrate their past experiences with growing up as twice-exceptional along with their present journeys as twice-exceptional college students. I use narrative and discourse analysis to bring their experiences and voices together in conversation with one another to give readers a clearer picture of what it is like to be a twice-exceptional college student. As a result of this analysis, my study culminates in better understanding the twice-exceptional student experience in terms of their behaviors, academic performance, social lives, and the intersectionality of their gender. My participants also gave insight into how universities can better support this student population through honors education programs, holistic academic advising, counseling and support groups, as well as more flexibility and understanding from university administration, faculty, and staff. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Around six percent of students in the United States receive some sort of gifted educational programming. School must think about how giftedness is defined and measured in order to make decisions regarding which students receive such programming (Pfeiffer, 2015). Ability testing remains one of the most common identification practices in schools (McClain & Pfeiffer, 2012) . This is because ability tests are thought to be a measure of academic potential (Chapmann, 1988). Consistent relationships exist between individually-administered ability tests and academic achievement (Caemmerer, Maddocks, Keith, & Reynolds, 2018; Deary, Strand, Smith & Fernandes, 2007; Kaufman, Reynolds, Liu, Kaufman & McGrew, 2012). Group-administered ability tests provide an efficient, cost-effective, alternative to traditional intelligence tests when assessing students for gifted programming (Cao, Jung, & Lee, 2017). However, research associating group-ability tests and academic achievement tests is limited, and their ability to measure students' academic potential has not fully been explored. This study targeted this gap in literature by exploring ability–achievement relationships between two commonly administered group-ability tests, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) (Lohman, 2012) and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) (Naglieri, 2018), and individual academic achievement in Reading and Mathematics as measured by performance on the Weschler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III) (Weschler, 2009). This study in Seventy-five second-eighth grade students who had received group-ability testing through their local schools or a university training clinic received follow-up educational testing with the WIAT-III. Using regression analysis, this study found that both the NNAT and the CogAT relate to academic achievement in reading and mathematics. Furthermore, the three distinct batteries of the CogAT (Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal) were found to differentially relate to reading and mathematics achievement. The findings from this study provide support for the use of these group-administered ability tests as a measure of academic potential which may be useful in the identification of students eligible for gifted programming. Schools should consider these findings, amongst other student characteristics, when making educational placement decisions based upon students' performance on these group-administered assessments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The issue of biases associated with labeling students as gifted or as having a disability presents a significant challenge to educational professionals with regard to identification and the provision of services. In the presence of labels indicating giftedness, disability, and twice exceptionality, research consistently demonstrated biases on the part of parents, teachers, and even other students. These biases could prevent students from receiving the services they need to achieve their fullest potential (Bianco & Leech, 2010). The current study systematically replicated a study by Bianco and Leech (2010) and examined the influence of disability labels on teachers' decisions to refer students to gifted programming. Further, this study investigated whether there were any differences in teachers' responses based on the type of teaching certificate they held (i.e., gifted education, special education, general education). Three groups of in-service teachers (85 general, 59 special, and 43 gifted education teachers) from the Western region of Saudi Arabia participated in the study. A cross-sectional survey methodology was employed. Teachers were randomly assigned to one of three survey conditions that consisted of a vignette that described a student with both giftedness and high potential traits, differing only with respect to one of three labeling conditions (no label, learning disability [LD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD]).Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the influence of teacher type and the labeling condition on the teachers' ratings. Responses to an open-ended question that asked teachers to provide a reason for their referral decisions were analyzed qualitatively. The quantitative analysis showed neither teacher type nor the presence or absence of a disability label had a significant influence on the overall ratings, which was in sharp contrast to Bianco and Leech's (2010) results. The interaction of the two variables was also nonsignificant. Most of the participants (94%) chose to agree or strongly agree with a referral. However, of the few nonreferrals, most were for students with ASD. Three themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of the teachers' rationales including (a) the student shows gifted traits, (b) the student's skills could be cultivated with support, and (c) the student does not fit the definition for giftedness.Findings from this study provided insights into the issues of labeling students and the status of twice-exceptionality in Saudi Arabia. The results indicated limited, negative bias among different types of teachers with respect to students with disabilities. Also, the participants in this study showed a strong orientation toward supporting the growth and development of the student in all three vignette conditions. However, it remained clear that Saudi Arabia would still greatly benefit from establishing a clear policy on twiceexceptionality and providing training programs to educators with respect to defining, identifying, and educating students with giftedness and disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This exploratory sequential mixed methods study aimed to investigate the potential connection between districts' GT programs' policies and practices and the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and English Language Learners (ELLs) in those programs. This study included a review of the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students operationalized in 79 school districts by analyzing their gifted and talented policies. Specifically, districts' definitions of giftedness, identification criteria, and the areas of giftedness they recognize were retrieved and used to classify school districts into specific categories. Additionally, the researcher analyzed whether districts had any strategic goal or plan in place to address the historical underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in GT programs and services. The data collected comprised of printed and electronic copies of publicly released information made available on school districts' website pertaining to gifted and talented programs and services. Moreover, the information presented in districts' improvement plans was also analyzed. To assess the impact of districts' GT polices on the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs, the researcher obtained demographic data for the selected school districts' gifted and talented programs from the Texas Education Agency. The average representation of Black, ELL, and Hispanic students enrolled in GT programs for each category was calculated, compared, and analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Particularly, the researcher conducted multiple one-way-ANOVA analyses using SPSS version 25 to assess the size of variance between group means (Kim, 2014). The results of the study demonstrated that districts' definitions of gifted and talented as well as the areas of exceptionality they recognized did affect the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in GT programs. Specifically, districts that acknowledged broader conceptions of giftedness characterized by multiple intelligence reported a larger representation of those students in their gifted and talented programs. For school districts' administrators and directors, these findings may provide information regarding how the gifted and talented definitions and the areas of giftedness used by school districts affect the representation of Blacks, Hispanics, and ELLs in gifted and talented programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

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? How does preschool through second grade curricula support or impede social emotional learning for gifted students of color? What are the perspectives of educators regarding inclusive practices including Critical Race Theory, within a preschool through second grade gifted curricula?In reviewing the literature and national data concerning representation of identified gifted students of color; two aspects were apparent: the lack of general early childhood educator's voices explaining what he or she understands about gifted students of color and the lack of culturally responsive pedagogical professional learning opportunities for general early childhood educators. The relevant literature focused on areas in recognizing general early childhood educator knowledge and perceptions of giftedness and students of color. The theoretical frameworks were Critical Race Theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995) and GiftedCrit™ (Greene, 2017).A Qualitative Educational Criticism guided this study (Eisner, 2017; Creswell, 2018). This research design was chosen to analyze curriculum practices used in general early childhood educator classrooms and aid in the construction of data collection procedures (Eisner, 2017; Creswell, 2018). Within the study, qualitative research aimed to recognize whether general early childhood educators were knowledgeable about gifted students of color and provided instructional practices that fostered access and opportunity (Creswell, 2018).Upon data collection and analysis of the data, using an interview protocol and a classroom environment observation protocol, emerging themes arose. Using Eisner's (2017) four dimensions, the collected data was described, interpreted, and evaluated for emerging themes. The emerging themes found were further analyzed to understand general early childhood educator's knowledge regarding giftedness and students of color. The evaluation process included a comparison to The Culturally Relevant Early Childhood Gifted Curriculum and Instruction Guide (Peralta, 2020). Findings included discrepancies among general early childhood educator knowledge regarding students of color, giftedness, access to gifted services, social and emotional awareness, and early childhood curriculum and instruction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This ethnographic study seeks to understand elementary-age boys', teachers', and parents' perceptions of giftedness and gendered ability construction. Utilizing the theoretical lens of Herbert Marsh's Frame of Reference theory, this study illuminates how young gifted boys developed academic and social self-perceptions influenced by gender and ability practices. It also explores how teachers and parents perceived giftedness, gifted boys, and their pedagogical and parental experiences. A review of literature explores young boys', teachers', and parent's perspectives on gender and ability, gender construction and the roles gender play in creating stereotypes, and the socially constructed notions of giftedness and its relation to gendered differences. Implementing ethnographic analytic methods, the findings discuss three central themes: conceptualizations of giftedness, the perceptions of gifted boys in classroom spaces, and the complexities of curriculum and instructional design for gifted learners. These findings led to conclusions and implications for educators that included exploring constructions of giftedness with children, understanding how schools influence self-concept formation, recognizing intersections of gender and ability, opening spaces for students' voices to be heard, and pursuing inclusive curriculum design. Further, the study irradiates how gifted and elementary education scholars can center the voices and perspectives of students in scholarship and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Children who are gifted are at-risk for being misidentified with emotional and behavioral disorders (Daniels & Piechowski, 2009; Mullet & Rinn, 2015; Webb, 2016). Challenges exist in conclusively defining giftedness, assessing giftedness, and understanding common behavioral patterns among gifted individuals (Bracken & Brown, 2006; McClain & Pfeiffer, 2012). Because gifted children typically exhibit common behavioral patterns, it is important for school psychologists to understand gifted behavioral characteristics, how to assess these characteristics, and how to differentiate between common gifted behavior and maladaptive behavior (Daniels & Piechowski, 2009; Webb, 2016). This study examined the value of the BASC-3 in identifying gifted behavioral characteristics. Assessment data was collected on gifted children and results did not show at-risk or clinically significant T-scores on the BASC-3 scales. The study limitations, strengths, and directions for future research are presented. Implications for school psychologists are provided for improving gifted identification and better understanding gifted behavioral characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The importance of developing the cognitive and affective needs of gifted students to help meet their academic needs as well as support them in achieving to their full potential has been well-established by past research. It is also confirmed by the literature that gifted and talented students have unique social-emotional needs and that the school environment plays an essential role in meeting gifted students' needs. To better serve gifted students, schools must ensure that general education teachers are knowledgeable and supportive of the distinct cognitive and affective development of these students in conjunction with their academic needs. Different factors influence the way teachers interact with gifted students, which include their attitudes and perceptions of giftedness and gifted education. It is necessary for researchers and other stakeholders to acquire a deep understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of general education teachers toward giftedness and gifted education as such an understating can aid policymakers, administrators, and education professionals in helping these teachers to create the appropriate learning environment to support these children. While these concepts have been examined in the Western context, their exploration has been limited in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the attitudes of Saudi elementary school general education teachers toward gifted students and gifted education, as well as their perceptions of giftedness. The study sample comprised 141 teachers who completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire that also included four open-ended questions to assess their attitudes and perceptions. The results of this study found that the participants indicated positive attitudes toward supporting the needs of gifted students and toward providing special services to gifted students. However, the participants were found to be uncertain about some of the special services (e.g., acceleration) that the literature states can be useful in supporting gifted students and about challenges gifted students might face (e.g., rejection by others). While most of the participants exhibited some lack of awareness regarding the unique affective needs of the gifted, they did indicate some understanding of giftedness as a multifaceted construct and of certain positive social and emotional characteristics of gifted students. The study's results suggest that more training in gifted education is required for general education teachers in Saudi Arabia, not only regarding basic information about gifted education and curricula, but also on how to meet both the academic and affective needs of these students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the existence of implicit racial bias among public school teachers within the gifted referral process. Public school teachers from urban, suburban, and rural school districts surrounding a large northeastern city were be provided vignettes of gifted students demonstrating "typical" and "hidden" giftedness. The names and races of students within the vignettes were randomized to represent either a White male student or a Black male student. Univariate and multivariate analyses were utilized to determine the existence of significant differences in perceptions of giftedness and need for referral among teachers. In contrast to the hypotheses of the study, vignettes describing Black "typically" gifted students were rated as significantly higher than White "typically" gifted students. Black students also did not experience a significant decrease in ratings of giftedness and need for referral when described as "hidden" gifted. Lastly, results demonstrated a significant interaction where White students experienced a significant increase in both ratings of giftedness and need for referral when described as showing signs of "hidden" giftedness compared to their White "typically" gifted counterparts. Further discussion of these results along with imitations and considerations, most importantly the presence of social desirability bias, can be found at the end of this work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation examines how autobiographical narratives by/for persons with mental illness draw from set of cultural clichés (topoi) I call "Mad Genius" rhetoric. As popular as it is controversial, Mad Genius rhetoric imagines an age-old link between "madness," or apparently problematic mental states, and extraordinary gifts of creativity, intelligence, and other talents. I ask: How is Mad Genius rhetoric taken up by real mentally ill people, especially women, in self-referential texts? What conditions encourage authors to construct Mad Genius personae in life writing, and what rhetorical purpose do such personae serve? Examining these questions through a lens of mental health rhetoric, I build case studies grounded in four highly influential mental illness memoirs: Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted, Kay Redfield Jamison's An Unquiet Mind, Nana-Ama Danquah's Willow Weep for Me, and Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation. I argue each author's narration enacts a Mad Genius persona at the nexus of her severe psychic pain and her personal gifts, explicating both how she draws on Mad Genius topoi in her writing and the contextual factors that apparently encourage her to do so. Specifically, my studies explore four discrete Mad Genius topoi: 1) the Tortured Artist, which posits that genius leads to madness; 2) the Brainiac, which posits that madness confers genius; 3) the Survivor, in which madness and genius are thought to share a common source in external trauma; 4) the Ex-Gifted Kid, in which madness/genius are thought to be innate and inextricably intertwined. As a preface to my case studies, each chapter also analyzes Mad Genius rhetoric in some contemporary pop culture archive, emphasizing both the enduring popularity of these four topoi and the centrality of auto/biographical narratives in their widespread circulation. Notions of personal specialness do seem to carry mentally ill authors through acute crises, but my readings reveal the rhetorical functions of Mad Genius, demystifying its enduring popularity amid broader cultural stigmas against mental illness. Reading these popular books as individualized responses to systemic rhetorical exclusion, I conclude that Mad Genius topoi are evidently effective, yet ultimately unsustainable frameworks through which to cope with severe psychic pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

The focus of this research study was to explore barriers, if any, faced by parents or legal guardians who are of Latinx background and speak Spanish as a primary language or are bilingual speakers of Spanish and English; barriers that limit their understanding of, and involvement in, their gifted child's academic life. This study was guided by a qualitative, case study design. The primary investigator hosted focus group interviews at a Magnet middle school in Southern California. The groups consisted of 25 parents or legal guardians of bilingual (English/Spanish) or Former English Learner students enrolled in a school serving 6th-8th grades. The primary investigator interviewed Latinx Spanish-speaking parents or legal guardians of gifted students regarding their perception of their child's giftedness, parental involvement in schools, and fostering their child's exceptional abilities. Parents and legal guardians described children as creative, intellectual, and highly intelligent. Key themes such as Student Performance, Language Proficiency, Socio-Emotional, and General Intellectual Ability were strong indicators of giftedness. Barriers such as language and education inhibited parent and legal guardian ability to understand their child's giftedness, which resulted in their inability to adequately contribute to the development of their children's talents and advocate for the appropriate services for their children. However, they recognized the importance of being involved in their child's academic life and the importance of nurturing their "dón" or "gift." La Familia is the foundation and core of Latinx culture; and, without a strong foundation, children lack guidance, confidence, and awareness to tap into their gifted abilities. Providing Latinx parents with the proper tools and resources to appropriately identify gifted characteristics andtraits could lead to early identification and intervention for students in schools and home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The field of gifted education is consistently divided on how to best serve the 5-10% of students who demonstrate natural abilities above that of their same-age peers in an educational environment. A lack of direction, funding, and resources combined with contradicting research has left school districts in the U.S. struggling to identify the best method to serve gifted students to meet their academic, social, and emotional needs. Defining giftedness through the talent development models of the DMGT by Gagné (2000) and the megamodel of talent development by Subotnik et al. (2011) explain that students are born with innate gifts that need to be fostered and supported in order to move them towards talent or eminence. Combining that with Bandura's (1977) concepts of the social cognitive theory and self-efficacy, educators are left to discover ways to create a supportive environment, provide psychosocial coaching on intrapersonal skills, and cultivate the formation of a positive self-efficacy for gifted students to reach their potential. This illustrative case study focused on using social and emotional learning competencies within a gifted, self-contained elementary classroom to evaluate the effectiveness of meeting these goals. This study discovered that implementing social and emotional learning lessons, sharing circles, and reflection journals led to positive gains in the social and emotional learning competencies, possibly moving students towards talent or eminence. Other findings discovered that the social and emotional competencies are best taught as interwoven and scaffolded skills and that students benefit from taking part in the planning and delivering of lessons and discussions throughout social and emotional learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)