Symposium (8)
Increasing Cultural Competencies of Educators and Serving Multi-Exceptional Students: A Transformative Approach
Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott 1; Erinn Fears Floyd 2
1 University of West Georgia, USA; 2 University of South Florida, USA
Acknowledging and respecting students' diverse cultural backgrounds is fundamental to fostering an inclusive learning environment where all learners can thrive. By coupling cultural competencies with the Bloom-Banks matrix, educators can effectively tailor instruction to meet the unique needs of multi-exceptional students. This framework enhances academic engagement and achievement and cultivates learners' sense of belonging and empowerment. The color-coded system offers a user-friendly tool for educators to implement differentiated instruction seamlessly, ensuring that every student receives the support they require to reach their full potential.
In this session, we will present an innovative educational paradigm that prioritizes cultural responsiveness alongside the strategic application of the Bloom-Banks matrix to empower multi-exceptional students on their learning journey.
Short Biographies
Dr. Michelle Frazier Trotman Scott
affectionately known as Dr. Shelli and Dr. FTS, is a Professor of Special Education at the University of West Georgia. Dr. FTS, writes, presents, and facilitates workshops and dialogues on several topics including educational practices and reform, effective and transformative leadership, leadership development mentoring, time management, productivity, and topics pertaining to inclusivity, acceptance, and belonging. She has also written extensively about disproportionalities in gifted and special education, dual exceptionalities, the achievement gap, cultural responsiveness, and familial involvement. She also serves and leads in professional organizations. The best-selling author has made numerous presentations at national and international professional conferences and has co-edited multiple books. She is the winner of the R.A.C.E. Mentoring Founders Award and the Inaugural Council for Exceptional Children – TAG Diversity Award. Dr. Shelli is a current member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children, a member of the editorial board for multiple journals, and has served in leadership roles in multiple professional organizations. She is married and has three daughters.
Dr. Erinn Fears Floyd 
is Founder and CEO of Equity and Excellence in Education, LLC, which provides culturally relevant professional learning, advocacy, and academic support for educators, organizations, parents, and students. With 32 years in education, Dr. Floyd has served as a classroom teacher, Gifted and School Improvement Specialist, District Gifted Education Coordinator, Assistant Principal, Director of Professional Learning for the National Association for Gifted Children, and State Director of Gifted Education for the Alabama Department of Education. She is a former Lecturer at Texas State University, University Supervisor at The University of Maryland, and Assistant Professor at The University of Georgia.
Dr. Floyd is an inaugural recipient of the NAGC Dr. Mary Frasier Teacher Scholarship for Diverse Talent Development, the 2022 Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted & ________ Award, and the 2024 Mary Frasier Equity and Excellence Award from the Georgia Association for Gifted Children. Dr. Floyd serves on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater, The Alabama School of Fine Arts, the Board of Directors for the Southeast Alabama Sickle Cell Association, Incorporated, and the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum Board of Directors. She has authored and co-authored several publications, including Mentoring and Social Media: Lessons Learned from R.A.C.E. Mentoring; Poverty and the (Mis)Education of Black and Hispanic Gifted Students; Power Advocates: Families of Diverse Gifted Learners Taking a Seat at the Table; Black and Gifted in Rural America: Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Gifted and Talented Education Programs; Shifting the Narrative: Addressing Systemic Racial Disparities of Gifted Students of Color; The Red Owl Collaborative: Leveraging Sisterhood and Social Justice; and Black, Gifted, and Living in the “Country”: Searching for Equity and Excellence in Rural Gifted Education Programs. Dr. Floyd and her husband are the proud parents of two gifted children, a son (17) and a daughter (13).