TY - JOUR TI - The role of the teacher in gifted education nomination decisions DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T35H7JC1 PY - 2016 AB - Teacher nominations are the most commonly used method for identifying students for full consideration to gifted education programs in the United States yet teachers receive little to no pre- or in-service training in the practice. Without changes to this reality, teachers’ nominations are less reliable than other data sources because they are based on incomplete knowledge or misunderstandings of the characteristics of giftedness. In addition, when teachers have a great deal of autonomy in making nominations to gifted programs, their beliefs and biases can determine whether students have the opportunity to participate in such programs, regardless of the students’ qualifications. This contributes to the persistent underrepresentation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse groups in gifted programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the decision-making processes used by teachers when nominating students for one district’s gifted education program. Survey, observation, and interview data were collected from 20 fifth and sixth grade teachers in a suburban intermediate school in New Jersey. The following research questions guided my study: (1) how do teachers make decisions about which students to nominate for gifted education programs? (1A) how do teachers define giftedness? (1B) how do teachers come to their understanding of giftedness? (2) How might the teacher nomination process affect access to the gifted education program? Three main findings emerged from the analysis of the data: (1) definitions of giftedness varied among teachers; (2) personal and professional experiences drove the decision-making process; and (3) decisions lacked unity because some teachers were left out of the process altogether and others felt disconnected from its purpose. The implications of these findings are considered on the local and national levels with appropriate recommendations and suggestions for practice and policy. Administrators and teachers should seek opportunities for professional development specific to the local district’s nomination expectations. Additionally, districts should consider alternative pathways into the gifted identification process including parent nominations and general screening of all students. Finally, there is a need for gifted education to gain status in federal education policy discussions and grant opportunities so that local districts have support for their efforts. KW - Teacher Leadership KW - Career development KW - Gifted children--Education LA - eng ER -