A short update on some of the topics of consideration for my dissertation research.

The topic of my study includes Rural Alaskan student populations and teachers.  The small populations, which may make it easy to determine who was participating in the study will be an area of concern.  Also, I will have to be sensitive to the unique cultural ramifications of anything that I do in these rural sites.  The kinds of questions that I ask, the way that I ask them, and who I'm talking to will impact how people perceive what I'm doing.  I will also need to be sensitive to the school district's need and outlook.  I aim to not be a distraction to the educational process.  For all participating people groups and organizations I will want to make the best impression possible.

As I develop my study I will need to go through the normal IRB approval process.  I will also need to reach out to school districts with a good explanation of what I'm doing.  I will need to show them that I'm developing this study to help rural areas of Alaska.  It will be a good idea to touch base with the Native organizations in the region and explain what I'm doing.  This may also provide an opportunity for me to seek financial support for travel and money for incentives for participating in the study.  

Successfully especting norms and charters of indigenous cultures is priority.  There is a right way to conduct my research, but there are many ways in which this could go sideways.  I think a key will be in how I articulate the study early in communications and determining the best areas for my research.

Disruption is a concern.  I will work hard to seamlessly gather the information that I need in a way that education may continue.  I will also look for ways to provide incentives or reward participants.  I may be able to gain financial support for this research through partnerships with Native corporations or other corporations.  

There is a chance that classic gifted and talented programs in Rural Alaska are not feasible for currently undiscovered reasons.  I'm going into this study hoping to find ways in which we can improve the educational process for high performing students.  That said,  I may find that I end up with a list of hurdles and no tangible practical ideas.  I'll need to be ready to report on that, even though that's not something that is necessarily my first choice.  At the end of this all, the data will be the data.  I will have to hold fast to the concept that any light shed on this topic will be good for students.  

I'm excited at the prospect of sharing this data.  I think that there will be many districts in Alaska that will have an interest in this.  The pendulum is swinging.  We have been in deficit mode for so long now in public education, only looking at where kids are failing.  That's where the money is.  That's where the attention is.  However, I think that we are beginning to wake up to the idea that high standards and high aptitude programs may "pull" kids up.  I'm hoping that the results of this study may be able to be utilized in the continued development of public education in Alaska.