Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

5-2008

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Terrence A. Tollefson

Committee Members

Eric S. Glover, Lori Marks, Louise L. MacKay

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gather data from a variety of sources including teachers, special education directors, and the state director of gifted education to determine what gifted programs and or strategies are currently being offered in the selected schools and to explore emerging strategies in the education of intellectually gifted students in the Bristol Tennessee School System, Johnson City School System, Kingsport City School System, Sullivan County School System, and Washington County School System.

The interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. The findings were presented relative to the research questions. While the education provided to intellectually gifted students in Upper East Tennessee is varied, the options for educational programming and instructional strategies are modeled after the suggested programming options and instructional strategies mentioned in the research literature by prominent experts in the field of gifted education. The use of these options and strategies varied from system to system and sometimes from school to school.

Although the education for the intellectually gifted student in Tennessee is mandated under the umbrella of special education, programs are often based on financial support from the various systems. Recommendations include continuing an emphasis on differentiating the curriculum to provide academic challenges beyond the regular classroom, providing opportunities for increased instructional time, and garnering the support of educational administrators.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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