Increasing teacher capacity in identifying the potentially gifted from low-socio-economic backgrounds
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As a gatekeeper for gifted and talented programs in the United States, teachers are often those charged with beginning the student testing referral process. This qualitative case study examined whether localized professional development could increase teacher capacity to identify potentially gifted and talented students from lower socio-economic backgrounds through a lens of growth mindset theory. The research was conducted in a public school district in Missouri, serving approximately three thousand students, nearly 40 percent of whom qualify for a free or reduced school lunch. Data showed increased student referrals after multiple targeted professional development opportunities focused on student needs and teacher adoption of a growth mindset. Data provided evidence that the identification of gifted students who also receive a free and reduced lunch increased. This increase resulted from research-based, targeted professional development, using districtspecific data, and introducing and adopting strategies aligned with the growth mindset theory. The results serve as a guide for districts as gifted and talented education moves toward implementing programs more democratically representative of their unique student populations.
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Ed. D.