Evaluating Gifted Education Programs Using an Equity-Based and Culturally Responsive Checklist to Recruit and Retain Under-Represented Students of Color

DONNA Y. FORD is Distinguished Professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology and Faculty Affiliate with the Kirwan Institute. Professor Ford is in the Department of Educational Studies, the Special Education Program. Professor Ford has written over 300 articles and book chapters, 14 books, and made over 2,000 presentations at professional conferences and organizations, and in school districts. Her scholarly foci include recruiting and retaining Black and other students of color in GATE, culturally responsive education, closing achievement and opportunity gaps, and anti-racist teacher/educator training. Ford has received dozens of awards for her work is ranked as one of the leading urban educators in the United States.

JOY LAWSON DAVIS is an award-winning educator with experience as a scholar and practitioner (K–12, state, and higher education). Her area of expertise is improving equity and diversity in Gifted Education programs. As a highly sought out consultant Davis has served as program consultant, keynote speaker, on advisory committees, and professional learning trainer across the nation, and internationally. She also served for five years on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children and is author of the groundbreaking book: Bright Talented & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners (2010). Davis was recently appointed to serve on the Duke University Talent Identification (TIP) Advisory Committee.

KENNETH DICKSON’s advocacy for exceptional needs learners spans over forty years in public school teaching and administration for gifted programs. He continues to serve as a leader and member of numerous advocacy boards and committees that support exceptional needs learners. Ken contributes to various forums, publications, presentations, articles, and projects for exceptional learners, policy, advocacy, equity, cultural diversity, and inclusiveness. Ken is the recipient of the National Association for Gifted Education (NAGC) 2017 President’s Award, NAGC Special Population Division Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted and Culturally Diverse Twice-Exceptional Award, and the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award.

MICHELLE FRAZIER TROTMAN SCOTT is Professor of Special Education and the Director of Graduate Affairs in the College of Education at the University of West Georgia. Her research interests include the achievement gap, special education overrepresentation, gifted and talented education underrepresentation, dual exceptionalities, culturally responsive education, and increasing community/family involvement.

TAREK C. GRANTHAM is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia. He served as Coordinator for the Gifted and Creative Education Graduate Program and he co-directs the University-School Partnerships for Achievement, Rigor, and Creativity (Project U-SPARC) initiative. Dr. Grantham’s research addresses equity for underrepresented groups in advanced programs, gifted Black males, motivation, and creativity policy. He is a Presidential Appointee to the Board of Directors for the National Association for Gifted Children and a recipient of the Dr. Alexinia Baldwin “Gifted & Special Populations” Award and the Mary M. Frasier Excellence and Equity Award.

GLORIA D. TARADASH has coordinated a program to train teachers of the gifted on the San Felipe Pueblo Reservation and organized parent groups for the gifted across the state of New Mexico. At local, state, national, and international conferences she has presented on issues that affect the development of diverse gifted children and their parents. Dr. Taradash has served as president of The Association for the Gifted (TAG), a Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), where she was presented the Outstanding Leader Award. Dr. Taradash was honored with the Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted & ___ Award by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Special Populations Network. Past service includes the board of directors of NAGC, president of the NAGC Special Populations Network, president of the CEC/Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners, lengthy service on the board of directors of the CEC/Black Caucus of Special Educators, and founding president of The Navajo Nation Association for Gifted and Talented Students. Dr. Taradash has served on the editorial review board of Gifted Child Quarterly and Journal for the Education of the Gifted. She serves on the board of directors of the New Mexico Holocaust and Intolerance Museum of New Mexico. On the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs Education Committee, she was presented the Everyday Hero Award.