Marcia Gentry

Dr. Marcia Gentry is the director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute and Professor of Educational Studies at Purdue University, a position holds due to the excellent education she received from the faculty at UConn (Ph.D., 1996). Her research has focused on the use of cluster grouping and differentiation; the application of gifted education pedagogy to improve teaching and learning; student perceptions of school; and on non-traditional services and underserved populations. Marcia developed and studied the Total School Cluster Grouping Model and is engaged in continued research on its effects concerning student achievement and identification and on teacher practices. She chairs the AERA SIG, Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent, actively participates in NAGC, frequently contributes to the gifted education literature, and regularly serves as a speaker and consultant. Prior to her work in higher education she spent 12 years as a teacher and administrator in K-12 settings.

Speaker Topics:

• Underserved populations
• Talent Development
• Cluster Grouping
• Student-focused differentiation
• Effective practices    
• Enrichment Clusters
• Talent Development
• Giftedness, Creativity and Talents
• Reform, NCLB and effects on gifted education
• Other topics by negotiation