Publication Date

8-2023

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Janet Tassell, Julia Roberts, Nancy Hulan

Degree Program

School of Teacher Education

Degree Type

Specialist in Education

Abstract

Students with gifts and talents are identified in school districts across the nation. However, there is severe underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted education programs, specifically students with ELL backgrounds. This issue is important because students from diverse backgrounds are the fastest growing group of the K-12 population. If the issue is not addressed, many talents will be overlooked and underdeveloped (Peters & Engerrand, 2016). The purpose of this study was to analyze administrators’ perceptions of gifted ELL students.

Participants in this study include six administrators from a small, rural district in Southcentral Kentucky. All of the administrators participated in an interview, each of which were later transcribed and coded. The data from the interviews were organized with four primary themes emerging: students display traditional traits of giftedness, ELL students face many barriers and a lack of resources, administrators are divided on their beliefs of equal opportunities available for ELL students, and administrators are not aware of equity practices in the identification process.

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Disability and Equity in Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Gifted Education

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