Date Awarded

2020

Document Type

Dissertation -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

Advisor

Tracy L. Cross

Committee Member

Carin Barber

Committee Member

Jennifer R. Cross

Abstract

This research study is a narrative inquiry documenting the stories and investigating the organizational sensemaking of three gifted education coordinators serving Virginia districts where underrepresentation of children of color appeared to be showing relative improvement. Based on a state report, the names and 5 years of racially disaggregated enrollment data of the state’s most improved districts were acquired from the Virginia Department of Education. The 12 districts were ranked by calculating the Relative Difference in Composition Indices and Equity Indices. Gifted education coordinators of each district were contacted in order, according to district rankings. Following criterion sampling on two levels, coordinators from those districts ranking seventh, eleventh, and twelfth participated in the study. Details about the life and professional experiences of these district gifted leaders were collected during two semistructured interviews. Data from these interviews were transformed through “restorying” which resulted in mini-biographies. These were analyzed for commonalities with a focus on best practices in ameliorating underrepresentation and organizational theory. Results indicated that the only best practice mentioned by all three district leaders was the provision of professional development. However, systemic, context-specific actions and barriers were also identified, suggesting that previously recommended practices for ameliorating underrepresentation may be too general to be useful. This study suggests that context-specific research framed from the standpoint of systems theory and identifying recommendations that can be implemented by gifted education leaders is warranted.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25774/1m99-0x43

Rights

© The Author

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