Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2020, College of Education and Human Services

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.

Committee: Kathryn MacCluskie Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Anne Galletta Ph.D. (Committee Member); Andrew Slifkin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mittie Davis-Jones Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Education; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Tests and Measurements; Gifted Education

Master of Education (MEd), Bowling Green State University, 2011, Curriculum and Teaching

Differentiated instruction has been suggested through research as a way to ensure that all students in today's diverse classrooms the chance to succeed. However, there is a misconception that gifted students are able to differentiate instruction for themselves to provide the academic challenges necessary for intellectual growth. A third grade gifted pull-out program called FIND (Furthering Interests and Nurturing Development) was studied in an attempt to determine strategies of differentiated instruction which could be employed for gifted elementary students in a regular education classroom. This study used the qualitative research method of phenomenology. Data collected through observations, questionnaires, classroom and student artifacts and an interview to understand the experiences of the participants. The study concluded that an independent study project is a viable option for supporting students in the regular education classroom. This is especially true if the independent study is supported through pre-assessment, conferencing and goal setting. The study also concluded that teachers and students believe that providing gifted students with challenging work is necessary for their intellectual growth.

Committee: Brigid Burke PhD (Advisor); Tracy Huziak-Clark PhD (Committee Member); Nancy Patterson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Education, Ashland University, 2024, College of Education

Ethnic minority students are underrepresented in advanced placement (AP) courses due to multiple factors. It is unknown the impact of teacher, counselor, and students have on limiting ethnic minority students from attempting AP classes. To investigate these unknown variables, three research questions aim to address this problem: What do teachers, counselors, and students believe to be the obstacles that limit minority students from taking AP courses. This qualitative case study investigated to get a better understanding of barriers for students to attempt the AP/honors classes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that students, teachers, and counselors blame each other but not themselves as a contributing factor underrepresentation of ethnic minority students in AP/honors classes, and student peer-bullying has created a two-tiered tract that the culture of the school itself has actively maintained a climate and culture where students view others in an academic caste system where students are encouraged to stay in their perspective academic lanes.

Committee: Judy Alston Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership; Multicultural Education

Specialist in Education (Ed.S.), University of Dayton, 2021, School Psychology

Anxiety is a normal and appropriate response to a variety of situations. However, long-term effects of anxiety can impede daily life activities and disrupt an individual's overall well-being; this can be amplified when the child is also academically or intellectually gifted. The present study examined the effectiveness of the Brief Coping Cat, implemented in a school setting with three students who were identified gifted and demonstrated elevated levels of anxiety. Students participated in an eight-week intervention designed to increase their understanding of anxiety and teach effective coping skills through cognitive strategies and exposure tasks. Each student completed the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children 2nd Edition Self Report before and after the intervention period and completed a Subject Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) during each session, to measure the efficacy of the intervention. Results indicated that the brief intervention was effective in reducing anxiety for students who were academically and intellectually gifted. Implications for school-based supports for students who are gifted and experience anxiety are discussed.

Committee: Elana Bernstein Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sawyer Hunley Ph.D. (Committee Member); Layla Kurt Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Mental Health; Psychology; School Counseling

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2020, Curriculum and Instruction: Gifted and Talented

Since the enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002, school and classroom environments have become increasingly regimented and uniform. As the federal government placed more regulations on districts, schools, teachers, and students, classrooms have become a place where standardized outcomes are expected. High stakes testing has become the focus of discussions about curriculum, classroom environments, and teacher and student behavior. This heightened focus on ensuring all students are in the same place, at the same time, and performing in the same ways is concerning. The accountability and assessment culture in our schools is something Eisner (2005) addressed stating, “...the dominating values currently guiding our reform efforts focus heavily on boosting test scores and standardizing outcomes” (p. 14). Eisner continued by saying, “when schools get obsessed with ensuring predictable results, they tend to treat children in uniform and standardized ways. Such an approach is more suited to canning beans than to cultivating productive idiosyncrasy” (p. 16). Consequently, individuality and creativity in the classroom have become neglected and overlooked at a time when they are needed most. This dissertation is an ethnographic, descriptive multi-case study that captured gifted students' lived experiences with creativity in the classroom. Gifted students' definitions of creativity and their perceptions of classroom environmental factors that foster or hinder its expression were the focus of the research. Study participants included 21 fifth gifted students and four of their teachers from two school sites, one public and one private, in the midwestern United States. Data was gathered over the course of the 2019-2020 academic year and is presented primarily from the students' perspectives on how they define creativity and the classroom environmental factors that foster and hinder their creative expression in school. Data sources included focus group and individual in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Robert Schultz (Committee Chair); Susanna Hapgood (Committee Member); Ruslan Slutsky (Committee Member); Robert Sternberg (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2017, Educational Psychology

It is critical that schools continue to advance the skills of high ability students through tasks that require complex thinking processes and work that goes beyond computational mathematics. The study examined the effects of metacognitive strategy instruction on the problem-solving mathematics achievement and mathematical agency of 2nd grade mathematically gifted students. Results showed that metacognitive strategies can be utilized with gifted students to extend their ability to problem-solve. Metacognitive strategy instruction also had a positive effect on the mathematical agency of the students. The mathematical agency rubric which was utilized examined the opportunity to express and contribute mathematical ideas, whether ideas are built upon, and if group members recognize and support the contributor of the idea.

Committee: Sarah Watt (Advisor); Todd Edwards (Committee Member); Michael Woodin (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Psychology

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), University of Findlay, 2017, Education

The purpose of this study was to examine teacher perceptions of the ceiling-effect with their gifted students and how this impacted those students' ability to show growth with their value-added scores on state assessments. Furthermore, the impact that failing to show growth in terms of value-added scores had on teachers' evaluations was explored. Since teachers of math in grades 4-6 now have their students' scores used as part of their evaluations, this study was conducted at a great time in terms of sharing the results with those in the educational community. A quantitative, non-experimental approach was taken that focuses on teacher responses on a survey that includes their perceptions, value-added scores and teacher evaluation rating. Due to concerns with confidentiality, all identifiable information was removed from these responses. Based on this study, regular classroom teachers with high quality professional development had the highest average value-added score which was even higher than replacement courses taught by gifted intervention specialists. Teacher perceptions of working with gifted students showed no significant effect on student growth as seen in value-added scores or teachers' summative OTES evaluation rating. Keywords: gifted students, value-added scores, teacher evaluations, gifted service models, ceiling effect, above-level testing.

Committee: Jon Brasfield (Committee Chair) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1970, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1962, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Bachelor of Science in Education, Ashland University, 2016, Educational Foundations

The purpose of this thesis was to study the alignment of educational standards to the education of gifted students in the twenty-first century learning environment. The educational standards that were focused on in this thesis were the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) because they are the primary learning standards used in the state of Ohio, as well as in states throughout the United States. The study began with research about different classroom procedures, methods, and activities that are particularly effective for high level learners, as well as research regarding the goals and implementation strategies for the CCSS. Following this research, the study continued with observations and interviews at two middle schools in different parts of Ohio. The schools were vastly different in their demographics as well as the implementation of standards and the field of the education of the gifted and talented. At the conclusion of the research of methodology, qualitative observations, and interviews, it was determined that the intersection of the field of the education of the gifted and talented and state standards is possible and plausible through a variety of methods.

Committee: Jane Piirto Ph.D. (Advisor); Carl Walley Ph.D. (Other) Subjects: Education; Gifted Education; Middle School Education

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, 2015, Curriculum and Instruction: Gifted and Talented

There is a sparsity of research focusing on the experiences of Asian-Indian American students. This study describes how gifted Indian American students and their families perceived factors contributing to the students' academic success. Specifically, this study used a qualitative case study design to describe the perceptions of four families, each representing one case. The data collection of two open-ended interviews with both students and parents, observations during school, and student-selected artifacts was utilized to establish an in-depth understanding of their perspectives concerning the factors of home, school, culture and self. After analyzing the cases collectively, the following themes emerged: the academic home climate, parents push—but in a good way, plan for the future, the gifted label, participants' schools in the United States, teachers matter, values of Indian culture, challenges of living in the United States, model minority stereotype, parents' educational backgrounds, competition, motivation, and mindset: intelligence is a product of work ethic. Results indicated that the families believed a confluence of these factors contributed to the students' academic success.

Committee: Leigh Chiarelott (Committee Co-Chair); Jane Piirto (Committee Co-Chair); Lynne Hamer (Committee Member); Marcella Kehus (Committee Member) Subjects: Gifted Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, EDU Physical Activity and Educational Services

This qualitative study examined the perceptions, attitudes, and experiences of twice exceptional African American students in K-12 urban schools. Additionally, this study investigated the experiences of parents and educators in supporting twice exceptional African American students in urban schools. The sample comprised 8 twice exceptional African American students, 3 parents, and 5 educators, all of which came from a large, urban district in the Midwest. Three major themes emerged from the participants’ responses: (a) the significance of labels; (b) social and personal experiences of twice exceptionality; and (c) challenges and strategies in the school environment. Recommendations for educators (e.g., teachers, school counselors, and principals), the district, and parents are included.

Committee: James Moore Ph.D (Advisor) Subjects: Education; Gifted Education; School Counseling; Special Education

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2004, School Psychology

The purpose of this study was to explore issues surrounding students who are twice-exceptional, and how the context of the school affects service delivery. Four male twice-exceptional students in grades 4-6 from southwestern Ohio, as well as their teachers, school psychologists, and parents, were interviewed about the students' identification and services. The results indicated that all students were identified as LD by standardized tests and that three were identified as gifted using the IOWA test. Services were typically pull-out programs. Participants said the label allowed students to receive extra support and boosted self-esteem and that ideal services should be individualized to students' needs. Many said that the LD services helped students with their area of disability and with classwork and allowed them modifications for work and tests. Gifted services were perceived as requiring much transition, involving extensive work, or as difficult due to requirements involving the student's disability. Context influenced perceptions of services delivery.

Committee: Doris Bergen (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Elementary

PHD, Kent State University, 2011, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

Using a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative case study examined mathematically gifted students' attitudes toward various types of writing in the math classroom and how this writing impacted student learning. Eight fifth grade mathematically gifted students from a rural elementary mathematics classroom were immersed in various transactional/expressive and poetic writing projects throughout the year. Writing included journals, a Math Pledge, Math Nursery Rhyme Book, and a final Journal Project. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe mathematically gifted students' attitudes toward transactional/expressive and poetic writing in a classroom utilizing writing in mathematics and its impact on their learning. The theoretical framework for the study consisted of components from sociocultural theory and social constructivism. Interviews, document analysis, and a focus group were conducted and analyzed to determine student attitudes towards writing in the math classroom and how writing in mathematics impacted their learning. To learn about the students' attitudes, a focus group was conducted initially. In order to gain further insight, students, their parent(s), and the teacher were asked to keep a journal. Finally, documents were collected and interviews were conducted with students, their parent(s), and both the current and former school principals. The results of the analysis showed that the mathematically gifted students generally did not mind writing in math or enjoyed it as they all displayed neutral to positive attitudes, though they preferred poetic writing. Furthermore, analysis of the data revealed transactional/expressive and poetic writing in mathematics positively impacted student learning and benefited the teacher as well.

Committee: Joanne Caniglia Ph.D (Committee Co-Chair); Susan Iverson Ed.D (Committee Co-Chair); Lori Wilfong Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Elementary Education; Gifted Education; Literacy; Mathematics Education