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This dissertation research was grounded in a sizable body of research on identification of students who are gifted, who have specific learning disabilities (SLDs), and who are both gifted and have SLDs, which is referred to as twice exceptional. Four groups of students were compared: those who are gifted with SLDs, those who are gifted without SLDs, those who are average with SLDs, and those who are average without SLDs. Study 1 compared groups two at a time on their learning profiles (achievement on normed measures of reading, writing, and oral language) and their phenotype profiles (normed measures of working memory components supporting learning). Study 2Examined whether each of these groups responded differently to computerized instruction for reading and writing, which is referred to as response to intervention (RTI). Prior research showing that twice exceptional students may score higher on learning profiles but not on phenotype files when compared to average students with SLDs was replicated. A new finding was that gifted students without SLDs achieve at level commensurate with their verbal giftedness but twice exceptional achieve at average level on learning profiles. Comparison of learning and phenotyping profiles was more informative than the RTI approach for group data. The conclusion is that flexible approaches are needed to identify SLDs, both in those who are and are not gifted. These approaches should consider normed measures of reading and writing achievement and phenotype measures of the biological bases of SLDs. Additionally, teacher and parent reported current and past learning histories and response to classroom instruction should also be considered in planning, implementing, and monitoring instructional programs for all students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Throughout the history of English Language Arts education, educators have relied on literature as a tool for the cultivation of knowledge: cultural knowledge, moral and critical knowledge, and knowledge of skills and strategies. The English Language Arts curriculum's increasingly technocratic agenda (Brandt, 2015; Brass, 2014) has resulted not only in the marginalization of literature, but also in the increased instrumentalization of literature---the increased "tooling" of literature toward rational ends. Rather than focusing on literature's "ends," and asking what kinds of knowledge literature might help to facilitate, this project focuses on and takes as its starting point the relationships that comprise the literature curriculum, namely the relationships between readers and texts. By applying a Rancierian lens of equality to literature's more traditional curricular frameworks, I make visible how and when these frameworks perpetuate inequality between readers and texts. Then, using Rancierian equality, along with my own and others' lived experience of reading literature, I imagine a kind of event not accounted for in literature's more rational-instrumental frames: literary communion. I conceive of literary communion as more sacramental than rational-instrumental, evoking a sense of spiritual transcendence, transubstantiation, and giftedness. In my quest to unpack these sacramental dimensions of literary communion, I elaborate their implications for longstanding pedagogical and curricular traditions of close reading, reader response, and emancipation. I conclude by acknowledging that openness to literary communion in the English Language Arts curriculum is, in many ways, a departure from certainty and control. In keeping with the sacramental connotations of communion as well as the spirit of "as if" undergirding Rancierian equality, literary communion might reframe the teaching of literature as a matter of faith. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Teacher nominations are the most commonly used method for identifying students for full consideration to gifted education programs in the United States yet teachers receive little to no pre- or in-service training in the practice. Without changes to this reality, teachers' nominations are less reliable than other data sources because they are based on incomplete knowledge or misunderstandings of the characteristics of giftedness. In addition, when teachers have a great deal of autonomy in making nominations to gifted programs, their beliefs and biases can determine whether students have the opportunity to participate in such programs, regardless of the students' qualifications. This contributes to the persistent underrepresentation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse groups in gifted programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the decision-making processes used by teachers when nominating students for one district's gifted education program. Survey, observation, and interview data were collected from 20 fifth and sixth grade teachers in a suburban intermediate school in New Jersey. The following research questions guided my study: (1) how do teachers make decisions about which students to nominate for gifted education programs? (1A) how do teachers define giftedness? (1B) how do teachers come to their understanding of giftedness? (2) How might the teacher nomination process affect access to the gifted education program? Three main findings emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) definitions of giftedness varied among teachers; (2) personal and professional experiences drove the decision-making process; and (3) decisions lacked unity because some teachers were left out of the process altogether and others felt disconnected from its purpose. The implications of these findings are considered on the local and national levels with appropriate recommendations and suggestions for practice and policy. Administrators and teachers should seek opportunities for professional development specific to the local district's nomination expectations. Additionally, districts should consider alternative pathways into the gifted identification process including parent nominations and general screening of all students. Finally, there is a need for gifted education to gain status in federal education policy discussions and grant opportunities so that local districts have support for their efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Providing equitable education for all students is the responsibility of administrators, teachers, and parents. Even though the MTSS/RtII Framework has evolved from the RtI and RtII models, the basis is the same: intervening and identifying students' needs and analyzing data and programming instruction to meet all students' needs. Even though in the early stages of RtI gifted students were not included, recent literature has proven that it is a must for gifted success. When incorporating the MTSS/RtII Framework with gifted students, this becomes a successful model for all. In order to establish an effective MTSS/RtII Framework with gifted students, administrators have to lead the implementation procedures. This study's purpose was to analyze elementary administrators' perceptions regarding the Pennsylvania's MTSS/RtII Framework with gifted elementary students. The intent was to learn more about MTSS/RtII and gifted students from administrators who have been developing the Pennsylvania's MTSS/RtII Framework with gifted elementary students. The MTSS/RtII Framework that was renamed in 2014 categorizes students based on their abilities from data analysis. Recent literature suggests expanding from the three-tiered approach to five tiers including the high achieving and gifted students. Participants included seven elementary administrators who are involved in the Pennsylvania's MTSS/RtII Framework with elementary gifted students. From the Pennsylvania Department of Education, demographic information was collected. Elementary administrator interviews were completed. The results demonstrate that implementing the Pennsylvania MTSS/RtII Framework requires administrator leadership. Three significant themes emerged: curriculum/instruction, data analysis/assessments, and collaboration/leadership. The research validated the significance of a systems thinking approach to increase effective gifted education with Renzulli's (1978 & 1977) Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness and Triad Enrichment Model. Important points were identified regarding the consistency between schools in the same school district, time, and the MTSS/RtII procedures. This study concluded that more research should be investigated with intervention frameworks/models like the MTSS/RtII Framework with gifted elementary students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study was completed in order to examine how academically gifted adolescents in gifted pull-out programs in rural Northeast Louisiana schools perceived their programs impacting their social and emotional needs and their self-concept. The major focus of the study was on the perceptions of students, parents and teachers in relation to the social and emotional wellbeing of the gifted participants. A qualitative approach was used to collect and analyze data. Over the course of two weeks, interviews were collected from 10 students, nine parents, 10 general education teachers, and three teachers of academically gifted students (n = 32). Students, parents, and teachers from two high schools (one in District 1 and one in District 2) provided answers to open-ended interview questions in order to answer the research questions. The data obtained through the interviews varied regarding the responses of the participants. The attitudes that the students had towards the gifted pull-out programs varied depending on the school that they attended. Students from District 1 responded positively to the interview questions whereas students from District 2 responded more negatively. The parents, for the most part, shared the attitudes and beliefs of their children. Parents whose children attended District 1 were pleased with their children's educational experiences in the gifted pull-out programs. On the other hand, parents whose children attended District 2 were not as pleased with their children's educational experiences in the gifted pull-out programs. The general education teachers were relatively supportive of the gifted pull-out programs and the student participants, although most of them had no background or formal training, such as college courses, to prepare them to differentiate lessons for gifted students. The teachers of academically gifted students seemed excited about their programs and were willing to learn more in order to help their students succeed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Leadership giftedness continues to be the hidden dimension in gifted and talented education. There are numerous definitions, a lack of clarity for identifying leadership giftedness and an unfulfilled federal mandate for programming. Yet, leadership continues to be a hidden dimension in gifted and talented education, especially for children with promise who are sometimes identified as at-risk. With a nation's need for the development of future leaders, this study used phenomenology to conduct interviews with eight individuals to better understand their insights and experiences with leadership as they faced and overcame adversity in their childhood or youth. By conducting open-ended interviews with each participant, the researcher identified major themes and specific leadership attributes that can be taught to students enrolled in K-12 public schools. Leadership training creates access for a transformation of purpose and a collective call to action through today's children and youth while providing leadership for a world that is unknown to generations yet to be born. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study explored the concept of twice-exceptionality with regard to teacher understanding, their lived experiences and the challenges they encountered in teaching twice-exceptional students in a general education classroom setting. The problem is that twice-exceptionality is a difficult concept for general education teachers to understand and this can be attributed to a lack of training combined with stereotypes, unrealistic expectations, and traditional beliefs that gifted students cannot also have disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of teachers regarding their understanding of twice-exceptionality and the challenges they faced in teaching students who were identified as twice-exceptional. The research method was a qualitative phenomenological study using face-to-face semi-structured interviews that were comprised of open-ended questions. Participants included seven elementary school teachers who were currently teaching in a school district located in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and who had personal experience in the education of twice-exceptional students. Transcripts were proofed by the participants and analyzed by the researcher. Member checking was also used to triangulate the findings of this study and provide content validity. Findings suggested that while the participants had a basic understanding of the phenomenon of twice-exceptionality, they lacked the confidence, support, and proper training needed to effectively teach these students in a general education classroom setting. Findings also suggested the participants believed it was important to have good parent communication, to understand the child and the disability, and to help the twice-exceptional child learn to understand and navigate the classroom environment with regard to social/emotional issues, communication, organization, and academics. Recommendations based on the findings from this study included proper pre-service training and professional development to ensure teachers understand the phenomenon of twice-exceptionality, its underlying components of giftedness and learning disabilities, and how to effectively meet the learning needs of these students in a general education classroom setting. Recommendations for future research included a larger number of participants at all levels of education, as well as including teachers from all areas of education, including general education, special education, and gifted education. Final recommendations included interviewing twice-exceptional students, their parents, and their teachers regarding their individual perspectives of the education these students receive in the general education classroom. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Research in the area of giftedness and stigma has provided a mixed picture of the social outcomes of being gifted. From the perspective of the gifted child, being gifted may necessitate use of certain coping strategies to manage how others evaluate a gifted child's academic successes. Due to these coping strategies, gifted children may be able to avoid negative social outcomes, such as peer rejection; however, a gifted child may have difficulty hiding the fact they are gifted if an overt indicator (e.g., a gifted label) has been assigned to the student. Less research has been conducted on how others view gifted students and if there is a public stigma of giftedness. The current study focused on how the gender of the participant, the gender of the gifted student and the gifted label affect how peers evaluate the successes of gifted students. Participants rated how much effort they thought gifted students expend toward academic success as well as how they much they admire the gifted students and if they would befriend that student. Multiple ANOVA's and independent samples t-tests were used to compare the mean levels of effort, admiration, and affiliation scores. Results indicate that the gender of the participant and the "gifted" label did not adversely affect perceptions of gifted students. However, female participants favored the gifted students significantly more than male participants and in particular, female participants favored female gifted students over male gifted students. Overall, the findings suggest that peers do not stigmatize gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

In the theory of positive disintegration (TPD), Dabrowski (1967) describes manifestations of inner energy that serve a developmental purpose and might be more frequently found in gifted individuals, called overexcitabilities (OEs). Most studies present OEs outside of the context of the original theory (Mendaglio, 2012). Atheoretically conceptualized, OEs seem to define the personality trait of openness to experience as each OE can be matched with a specific facet of openness. Descriptions of each facet of openness and its matching OE are very alike. In this paper I argue that they are conceptually equivalent and that current research on openness and OE supports this. The study examined the similarity of OEs to corresponding openness to experience facets via competing models in multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, given their conceptual similarity. O2: Aesthetics and sensual OE, and O5: Ideas and intellectual OE were represented by a single underlying latent construct. High correlations emerged among O1: Fantasy and imaginational OE, O2: Aesthetics and sensual OE, O3: Feelings and emotional OE, and O5: Ideas and intellectual OE; O4: Actions and psychomotor OE had a small positive correlation; and O6: Values had a small negative correlation to emotional OE. Openness to experience seems to encompass OEs; thus, giftedness researchers and practitioners should align with well-researched psychological theories such as the five-factor model of personality (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Goldberg. 1999) and begin to talk about openness rather than OEs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This dissertation details the experiences of the teachers, instructional coaches, and founding administrator of a new accelerated program at a middle school located in a southwest suburb of Chicago. This dissertation is organized into a three article dissertation where each article examines the experiences of teachers, instructional coaches, and the founding administrator. Article 1 explored the experiences of teachers in the new accelerated program. The experiences explored are perception of giftedness, perception of roles, frustrating experiences, need for preparation and challenges. Article 2 explored the experiences of instructional coaches. The experiences explored are perception of accelerated students, perception of coaching roles, training in gifted education, positive and not so positive experiences, coaching challenges and in a perfect world. Article 3 explored the experiences of the founding administrator of the accelerated program. The experiences explored are motivation and prior training, addressing a need, positive experiences, program barriers, and future directions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Twice-exceptional students (Gifted with Asperger’s Syndrome) can be difficult for even the experienced teacher. Robust knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome and Giftedness prepares teachers to meet the needs of these often-unidentified students. The purpose of this cross sectional survey design research was to study how post-graduate certifications held (dependent variable) affected early childhood teacher knowledge (independent variable) of Asperger’s Syndrome and Gifted/talented learner characteristics. From two large suburban school districts and small, private schools in Central Texas, 242 early childhood teachers (pre-k-second grade) participated in three online researcher created instruments entitled Teacher Knowledge of Asperger Characteristics, Teacher Knowledge of Gifted and Talented Characteristics, and a demographic survey. Using information from the survey, the researcher sorted teachers into convenience groups: Texas Generalist only, Texas Gifted/talented certification, and Texas Special Education certification. Using a Welch one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance), a positive and significant difference was determined between post-graduate certifications held and the early childhood teachers’ knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome and Gifted/talented existing in the Twice-exceptional learner. Additional research is needed to examine what type and amount of training will equip early childhood teachers in inclusion classrooms with the knowledge to identify and meet the needs of Twice-exceptional students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this autoethnographic study is to describe the academic journey of a twice exceptional Black male with dyslexia. The central research question is: What were some of the stories along my academic pathway that seem significant? The research design positioned me inside the culture in which I am the investigator and also the topic of examination. The research methodology employed for this analysis was autoethnography because it is through the intersection between narrative inquiry and ethnography that I am able to articulate my lived experiences using a transformative framework that provided a deeper understanding of how race, gender, giftedness and dyslexia have influenced my academic journey. An analysis of my journey leads to the finding that it is the intersection of identity categories that must be attended to in order to support the learning of students with "triple-identity." The significance of this dissertation is that it has the potential to help teachers across a wide array of academic disciplines who are interested in meeting the needs of students who are marginalized and underperforming in school, particularly Black males who are gifted and have dyslexia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Twice-exceptional learners experience giftedness and a disability. Because of unique challenges from either exceptionality, they often struggle with academic and social issues when transitioning from high school to higher education. The purpose of this study was to answer the following research question: What experiences facilitated academic and social success for twice-exceptional students transitioning into higher education? Using the qualitative method of narrative, four current twice-exceptional college students shared their experiences about what assisted them and hindered them as they transitioned into higher education. Using the theoretical lens of Schlossberg's transition theory, students' personal journeys were explored and common themes emerged: the uniqueness of the twice-exceptional learner; the importance of resiliency; support roles of family, friends, and teachers; and the value of multiple strategies for academic and social success. The results of this study inform policy makers, teachers, parents, disability resource specialists, counselors, and students about highly personalized transitional plans that would best serve this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

There is little research focused on the curriculum of graduate education programs with a gifted education concentration. In order to gain a greater understanding of the graduate gifted education curriculum, the researcher conducted a qualitative study to examine how faculty describe and structure the learning experiences for their graduate students who are enrolled in gifted education concentration as part of their graduate programs. The researcher examined the learning experiences through an analysis of syllabi and interviews with relevant program administrators and faculty who taught in the program. The participants in this study were five graduate department chairs or program directors of gifted education programs and five adjunct instructors at five colleges or universities. Participants were located throughout the United States due to the small amount of schools offering a Master's Degree in Education with a concentration in gifted education. The researcher investigated three different research areas focused on how faculty aligned their learning outcomes with intended program outcomes, the types of instructional strategies faculty use to teach graduate educators about the needs of gifted students, and how assignments align with learning outcomes. The researcher created four instruments to use for the current study to investigate the curriculum of gifted education master's degree programs. These instruments included a preliminary interview protocol, an in-depth interview protocol, a protocol for review of concentration information, and a syllabus protocol for individual courses. The researcher coded the data for emergent themes and reported the results. The researcher found that, across the five case studies, all course learning outcomes were stated and aligned with the concentration learning outcomes. The researcher found that all five case studies had the most cognitive learning outcomes within the "applying" level under Bloom's Cognitive Taxonomy (2002) and three out of the five case studies had the most affective learning outcomes within the "organization" domain of Krathwohl's Affective Domain (2013). Faculty members utilized a variety of instructional strategies consistent with Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) to teach graduate students about the needs of gifted students. In four of the five case studies, faculty reported using collaboration as an instructional strategy. Faculty members in all five programs required graduate students to complete between 22 to 82 assignments throughout the program. In all five case studies, instructors required students to complete assignments that were primarily low problem-based learning and low context (Pierce & Jones, 1998). The researcher found at least 80% of assignments were aligned with the course learning outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Algebra is considered a gateway course that helps to close the achievement gap between ethnic and socioeconomic subgroups. Using a predictive correlational design, this research investigated whether demographic, school-related, and previous test score variables could be used to predict Algebra I and Algebra II success. Demographic predictor variables included age, gender, ethnicity, and status regarding disability, giftedness, retention, suspension, and mobility. School predictor variables included Title I status and school grade. Test scores included seventh grade reading and mathematics state assessment scores. Univariate analyses of variance (ANOVA) were computed to determine significance and effect size (eta squared value). Multiple regression analyses were used to determine prediction models for both the Algebra I and II end of course assessment scores. Finally, standardized beta coefficients were plotted to determine the effect of the variables on Algebra I and Algebra II success over time. The demographic and school-related variables in isolation were not strong enough to predict Algebra I and Algebra II success; however, in combination, the demographic, school-related, and previous test score variables did produce a significant prediction model that was stronger than prediction by test score alone. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This manuscript-styled dissertation embodies the theoretical and methodological framework of authentic inquiry (Tobin, 2006). In the holistic context of this dissertation, authentic inquiry as a theoretical framework encompasses deep epistemological and ontological questions such as: What is knowledge and how is it informed by research? Who may engage in research? How does positivism compare to authentic inquiry? What are thorny issues and how do they relate to authentic inquiry? How do we research thorny issues in classrooms? What mindfulness practices may be used to research emotions when discussing thorny issues? How do we nuance "safety" in learning spaces where emotions are problematized? How do we push peer-reviewed, academic writing to be more inclusive of authors' emotions in the science of teaching and learning? Authentic inquiry, as a methodological framework, probes the knowledge making (research) process through the lens of critical hermeneutic phenomenology. The trajectory of questioning, in the scope of teaching and learning, is contingent and emergent on what is being problematized and the dialectal relationship of researcher | researched. The theoretical and methodological underpinnings of authentic inquiry, as it relates to my development as an emerging teacher | researcher, amalgamate in Chapter 1 as a multilevel and interpretive bricolage to contextualize sociocultural and educational phenomena in my everyday life. Authentic inquiry, adopted by Kenneth Tobin from the works on authenticity by Egon Guba and Yvonna Lincoln (1989), hinges on four methodological criterion: all participants are open to change their worldviews based on what they learn from each other, there is an obligation for participants to understand and learn from each other, there is an expectation to catalyze improvements as a result of the research, and disadvantages or power structures are addressed so that all participants | researchers are considered stakeholders. In the series of published works, Chapter 2 was the first to be peer-reviewed in 2014. While grappling with imposter syndrome and what it means for me to become a teacher | researcher, Chapter 2 shares my teaching- and learning-informed stories (vignettes and narratives), as well as that of my students attending a New York City Specialized High School. This chapter deconstructs the complexities surrounding the notion of "giftedness": first from the author's own experiences as a female scientist and person of color and second from the narratives of high school students. Considering the theoretical framework of mindsets, fixed and growth, I use learning stories to shed light on the events that emerge when an individual takes ownership of their learning. This chapter is significant in that I propose the incorporation of learning stories as an inquiry tool to explore co-teacher | learner mindsets. In terms of the chronological history of my development as a teacher | researcher, this article was the first to be self -authored, peer-reviewed, and published while I was a doctoral student. The opportunity was pivotal and helped to re-frame how I viewed myself as an academician: moving further away from a self-imposed imposter identity to that of an empowered researcher with a burden to give voice to co-participants | co-researchers. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of the dissertation were birthed out of my participation as a co-participant | researcher in a teacher preparation program at Brooklyn College of The City University of New York. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

A lack of proper assessment is proven to cause either a misrepresentation or lack of representation for children of culturally diverse and lower socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, there can be delays in authorization of early intervention services for children of unique populations who need such services. Alternative assessment contributes to sociocultural theory in that it demonstrates that children perform in changing environments, with different styles and approaches and with different types of measurement tools. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive multiple case study was to provide explored feedback of licensed clinicians concerning the administering of the Developmental Assessment of Younger Children-2 (DAYC-2) and whether or not they determined the DAYC-2 to be an appropriate instrument to assess children aged of zero to four years for developmental delays, and giftedness. A purposive sampling was used to select a sample of three licensed pediatric occupational therapists/clinicians having had at least six years of experience working directly with children of such a population, that were located in the Los Angeles County, CA area. The qualitative data were gathered simultaneously through detailed and organized open-ended questions during interviews with licensed clinicians. The data were transcribed and open coding system similar to NVIVO coding procedures was applied to assist with organizing specific themes and categories. Three themes emerged from the perspectives of licensed clinicians: (a) appropriateness of the DAYC-2, (b) children's culture and socioeconomic level, and (c) experience of clinicians. A cross-case analysis was also used in order to identify possible similarities related to each participant's perception. Recommendations for future research were suggested increase the demand for more developmentally appropriate assessments for children ages zero to four with developmental delays and possible signs of giftedness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

There is currently a lack of research aimed at determining the boredom level experienced by sixth grade students participating in an accelerated math class, as well as suitable strategies aimed at helping students avoid it. This quantitative quasi-experimental static-group comparison study investigated boredom levels with the implementation of Contract Activity Packages (CAPs), a strategy specifically related to combatting boredom for gifted and talented students, into a sixth-grade accelerated math class. Data were collected from 138 sixth-grade students participating in an accelerated math class via the boredom scale of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire -- Mathematics (AEQ-M) and analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance and a one-way analysis of variance. Results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the boredom levels of sixth-grade students participating in an accelerated math class who received and did not receive CAPs, regardless of gender or giftedness. These results imply that the use of CAPs might not be a suitable strategy to use in order to prevent the presence of boredom in the classroom setting, or that the CAPs were not effectively designed. Thus, more research in this particular field of education is recommended. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Women are consistently underrepresented in certain careers not just in mathematics and science but also in fields such as philosophy and music composition. In my dissertation, I focus on a recently discovered factor that may contribute to this imbalance: Women are culturally stereotyped as being less intellectually gifted than men, and as a result they may face a number of obstacles when pursuing degrees and professions that are portrayed as requiring intellectual giftedness (Leslie, Cimpian, Meyer, & Freeland, 2015). Prior research on this potential mechanism has focused exclusively on adults; thus, little is known about its developmental roots. The earlier children acquire the notion that brilliance is a male quality, the stronger its influence may be on their aspirations. Our present research shows that, by the age of 6, girls are less likely than boys to believe that members of their gender are "really, really smart" a child-friendly way of referring to brilliance (Studies 1 and 2). Also at 6, girls begin to shy away from novel activities said to be for children who are "really, really smart" (Studies 3 and 4). Moreover, this stereotype undermines both adults' and children's evaluation of females' capabilities for activities portrayed as requiring brilliance (Studies 5 and 6). These studies speak to the early acquisition of cultural ideas about brilliance and gender, and to the immediate impact that these stereotyped notions have on people's interests and evaluations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Underachievement is common among gifted students, beginning as early as elementary school. In some instances, failure to fulfill potential continues into adulthood. The loss of future inventors, leaders, philosophers, creators, etc. impacts the global economy. This qualitative grounded theory study, through the lens of Renzulli's Three-Ring Conception of Giftedness, investigated motivation and achievement from the perspective of gifted elementary school students. The insight gained enables educators to provide more effective learning strategies for gifted students so that all gifted students are motivated to fulfill their potential. Theory emerged that reflects the lived experiences gifted elementary school students have had with motivation and achievement. Ten gifted students in grades 3 through 5 were invited to participate in a survey and in individual interviews. A constant comparative analysis of the data revealed that thirst for knowledge, challenge, self-efficacy, autonomy, and inspiring goals motivated the students to achieve in an instructional environment that fosters these motivational factors. An addition to Renzulli's theory emerged from the students' insight: For gifted behavior to occur, students with advanced ability need opportunity to engage in challenging activity in a motivating environment that fosters creativity. The results of this study can inform the development of gifted education accommodations that will provide gifted students with the opportunity to turn their interests into expertise for the benefit of society. Future research should involve students from a wider range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Longitudinal studies would provide a deeper understanding of the long term-effects of underachievement and of gifted education accommodations to stem the tide of lost potential. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)