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3.5.1 Social Construction of Gifted Students in Federal Policies
A social constructivist approach to public policy recognizes the role public perception and stories play in the public policy process. As gifted students remain a socially misunderstood group, the social constructivist perspective illustrates how these attitudes influence the gifted education policies for better or worse. Utilizing the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 as a case study, the presentation highlights how public perceptions, academic reports, and the sociopolitical environment influenced the NDEA’s gifted education policies. The presentation will thereby provide practitioners and researchers with strategies to leverage their knowledge in the public policy process.
Author(s):
Chad Phillips
chad.phillips@kctcs.edu
Henderson Community College
United States
Chad Phillips is currently the Director of Admissions and Registrar at Henderson Community College. In this capacity, Chad oversees college’s early college academy and dual credit program serving over 400 secondary students in Northwestern Kentucky. Additionally, Chad is a doctoral candidate pursuing his degree in public administration with a focus in education policy. His research examines how public perception and “myths” shape educational policies at the federal, state, and local level.