Gifted Education : Don't Overlook the Disadvantaged / Deborah J. Abell and Lesia Lennex.

This study provides a descriptive statistical analysis of the incidence of students who participate in the federal free/reduced lunch program and who are identified for a gifted education program at three Kentucky middle schools. There are 2,000 students enrolled in the three schools and the free/reduced lunch incidence varies from 60 percent to 80 percent. A description of provisions for identification of economically disadvantaged students is also provided. Twenty-one regular class teachers from the three schools received professional development training in the identification of and educational planning for gifted and talented students, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The training used a model developed by Howard Spicker that emphasizes identifying characteristics for rural disadvantaged gifted children. The model contrasts these students with the more typical urban middle class child who displays skills and abilities that teachers automatically recognize as gifted. Results from a post-training survey indicate that teachers felt their ability to identify culturally diverse and low-socioeconomic gifted and talented students had improved after professional development training and activities on identification procedures. (Contains 51 references.) (CR)

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