ABSTRACTThis dissertation describes a qualitative case study focusing on how teacher deficit thinking affects gifted students of a low socioeconomic status (SES) in a rural high school. The research seeks to answer the following questions: (1) How does deficit thinking by teachers affect the achievement of rural, gifted students of a low SES?; (2) How does the action research process of developing and evaluating interventions affect teacher attitudes in regards to deficit thinking when working with this subgroup of students?; and (3) How does the action research process of developing and evaluating interventions impact the school and/or systems thoughts on this subgroups potential to achieve? The methods included in this study are qualitative in nature: surveys, interviews, and a private blog serve as the crux of data used to inform the questions. Participant journals were also used to cull further, more personal and reflective data. Findings this study might inform include teacher preparation programs and professional development programs for veteran teachers who work collectively to narrow the achievement gap between low SES students and those of a higher SES.