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ABSTRACT
Substantial evidence supports the benefits of quality preschool education for children of all levels and backgrounds. However, early childhood gifted education services rarely exist in preschool centers. This study included 263 preschool centers representing geographic diversity in a southern state in the United States. Narrative data were collected centering on two issues: the barriers to implementation of gifted education services and the potential benefits related to the implementation of gifted education services in preschool centers. Qualitative analyses included constant comparative analyses for data reduction to support thematic inferences. Participants described barriers related to human and capital resources, challenges of implementing gifted education services, and the lack of information about gifted education in preschool settings. Participants articulated benefits in two general categories: educational/developmental and business/marketing. There was some evidence that a small portion of participants were opposed to the implementation of gifted education, but most participants indicated a desire for more responsive education services. This study may help gifted education advocates understand the needs of preschool centers seeking to broaden their services to support cognitive development of young children who are gifted from diverse backgrounds.