Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Ann Robinson, Dissertation Advisor

Abstract

Improving practice in the evaluation of gifted programs is often hampered by insufficient training among gifted program administrators, a lack of release time for carrying out evaluations, and a failure to devote sufficient resources to evaluation efforts. To increase knowledge and skills in program evaluation, a peer coaching intervention provided one-on-one professional development to gifted program administrators. This study examined the effects of peer coaching on program administrators' evaluation knowledge and skills, with a particular focus on increased access for culturally diverse and low-income gifted learners to program services. Gifted program administrators' concerns about implementing more rigorous program evaluations were also examined. This field study used a randomized design with quantitative methodologies. One hundred gifted program administrators were randomly selected to participate in the Arkansas Evaluation Initiative in Gifted Education (AEI) project; 30 were randomly selected to receive peer coaching. As a result, administrators' evaluation content knowledge was significantly increased. Peer-coached administrators were better able to define program evaluation, state goals and outcomes, and develop questions related to the NAGC Pre-K-Grade 12 Program Standards. Findings suggest that peer coaching can also significantly improve administrators' knowledge about best practices in programming for high ability learners, increase compliance with NAGC program standards, and decrease concerns about implementing program evaluations. Over time, peer-coached participants showed significantly increased concerns about collaborating with others in implementing program evaluations.

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