Significant Differences in the Identification of Gifted Students Among Ethnic Groups
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Authors
Peavy, Kristal Renee Davis
Issue Date
2016-05-20
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Dissertation , Curriculum and Instruction
Alternative Title
Abstract
There have been consistent disparities among ethnic populations in the identification of students for gifted education. Specifically, African American and Hispanic students have been underrepresented in gifted programs, but Caucasian and Asian students have been overrepresented as compared to overall enrollment of each of these groups. The State of Georgia has policies in place to identify students through two pathways in order to reach as many students as possible. These two pathways include Option A, or traditional identification of gifted students through mental ability and achievement only, and Option B, or multiple criteria identification including mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the patterns of identification in order to better understand the qualities or characteristics that were specific to particular student populations for more effective, efficient referral practices.
The researcher employed a non-experimental design using archival data from students tested for gifted education, both those who qualified and those who did not qualify for services. The researcher used One-Way MANOVA to determine any significant mean differences in performance for African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, and "Other" students. The researcher also analyzed the percentages of African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, and "Other" students who were served for gifted education to determine how those percentages were reflected in the total population of the schools.
This study had numerous findings. The most significant were: a) Caucasian students scored higher on tests of mental ability and achievement and had a higher number of students qualify than expected, b) African American students scored lower on mental ability and achievement tests and had a lower number of students qualify through Option A than expected, c) more students overall qualified through Option B thus supporting the use of Multiple Criteria to increase enrollment of gifted students.