District Leaders Focused on Systemic Equity in Identification and Services for Gifted Education: From Policy to Practice

ABSTRACT

This article describes district-wide cultural proficiency efforts and how they affected the policies and practices of identifying and serving culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) student populations in gifted education. Data were taken from a larger study and included interviews, focus groups, and observations of the district’s gifted identification practices. Data analysis using a culturally relevant leadership (CRL) framework revealed three major findings that emphasized the importance of district advocacy, communication pathways, and conceptions of giftedness. The findings further equity in gifted education for historically marginalized students.

KEYWORDS:

• culturally relevant leadership
• district reform
• diverse student populations
• equity policy
• gifted and talented education
• identification
• inclusion
• underrepresentation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Title 1 provides federal funds to schools with high percentages of economically disadvantaged students.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Miriam D. Ezzani

Miriam D. Ezzani is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership in the College of Education at Texas Christian University. Her research interests are in culturally responsive leadership within the context of district and school reform. Previously she served as a school leader in the state of California and as a literacy coach and teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. She earned a doctorate in K–12 Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California. She has published in Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal for School Leadership, and Teachers College Record. Email: [email protected]

Rachel U. Mun

Rachel U. Mun is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas in Educational Psychology. She received her PhD in Education, Learning Sciences and Human Development from the University of Washington. Her research interests are two tiered. At the micro-level, she explores socioemotional development and decision making for high-ability students (emphasis on immigrants) within family, peer, and academic contexts. At the macro-level, she examines ways to improve equitable identification and services for K–12 high-ability learners from diverse populations. She has published a variety of articles in gifted education and received the NAGC 2017 doctoral dissertation award (first place). Email: [email protected]

Lindsay Ellis Lee

Lindsay Ellis Lee is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of North Texas with a concentration in Gifted and Talented Education. Her research interests focus on equitable access to advanced learning opportunities, gifted program evaluation, creativity in schools, and the psychosocial development of talented students. Additionally, her experience as an advanced placement teacher and instructional leader has fueled her interest in systemic factors that impact advanced learning design within schools. Email: [email protected]