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A program evaluation of a K-12 Georgia gifted program

Posted on:2013-10-13Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:Capella UniversityCandidate:Muhammad, Saudia AFull Text:PDF
GTID:1458390008984225Subject:Education
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
One component of the education arena is to provide adequate instruction for high-ability gifted learners. To ensure that gifted learners receive instruction that enables them to work and learn at their highest level of potential, proper evaluation, reform efforts, and best practices are essential. The purpose of the study was to find out how and to what extent the Georgia gifted program model meets the needs of gifted ability students. This qualitative research consisted of one-on-one and focus group interviews with district constituents (principals, counselors, and gifted teachers) of a large district in a Georgia metropolitan area. The participants were stakeholders from one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school that has a 10% gifted student population. The study was to determine if the district's gifted program meets the needs of gifted learners in the area of program design, social and emotional support, and curriculum and instruction. It also included the gifted program's effectiveness of curricular and instructional methods used within a district's gifted program at elementary, middle, and high school levels that encourage gifted learners to stay in school, pursue viable careers, and become lifelong learners. The in-depth analysis further answered the following research questions: (a) To what extent does the district's gifted education program provide an appropriate environment that enables and supports all gifted students to learn through active engagement in the classroom? (b) How effective are the curricular and instructional methods used within the district's gifted education program, at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, in meeting the needs of gifted learners? and (c) To what extent does the district's gifted education program address the unique social and emotional issues of gifted learners? Through interviews, this study identified emerging themes when the Georgia gifted program model's best practices were utilized. The qualitative data collected detailed aspects from the research setting and then looked for patterns of relationship among the data.
Keywords/Search Tags:Gifted, Program
PDF Full Text Request
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