This qualitative multisite single case study is designed to explore the conception of giftedness held by four experienced teachers. These teachers were from three school districts piloting the Early Assessment for Exceptional Potential portfolio assessment model (Shaklee, Barbour, Ambrose, Viechnicki, d Rohrer, 1991). Teacher interviews triangulated by multiple secondary sources were analyzed t o answer the research question guiding the study: How do primary teachers conceptualize giftedness in young children l Findings revealed that the four teachers shared a similar image of giftedness. This conception had t w o dmensions: classroom performance and affective style of the students. Teachers assessed children developmentally against their peers for extremely unusual intellectual and/or academic ability as demonstrated b y what children said and did, and a "spark," or qualitative difference in these children characterized b y intensity, high visibility, and/or uniqueness. Four strands of evidence created the teachers' image of child potential.The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the conception of giftedness held by four primary teachers (two kindergarten and two first grade) as they engaged in the assessment and identification of students with exceptional potential within their classrooms. Specifically, the research question guiding this study was: How do primary teachers conceptualize giftedness in young children: (a) What beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions about gifted students are held by primary teachers? (b) What lines of evidence do primary teachers use to reach the conclusion that a child has exceptional potential? (c) What observable evidence is not used? This study was one strand of a larger study exploring both teacher conceptions of giftedness and the imJane C.

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