bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Subject and Grade Skipping for the Prevention and Reversal of Underachievement
Authors: Rimm Sylvia B. , Lovance Katherine J.
Published: September 2007

Acceleration, including early entrance to kindergarten, grade skipping, and subject skipping, has been used as a strategy to prevent and reverse underachievement in a selected group of gifted students. Fourteen sets of parents and 11 students were interviewed to determine their perceptions of the effectiveness of the acceleration strategy. All the parents and all the students indicated they would make the same decision again.

Only two of the school administrators and six of the receiving teachers were initially positive about the skipping, but most of them changed their positions with the child's success, at least in regard to the specific accelerated child. There appeared to be a period (between one quarter and a semester) during which teachers expressed concern over the students' adjustment, but students did not perceive themselves as having adjustment difficulties.
But What About the Prom? Students' Perceptions of Early College Entrance
Authors: Noble Kathleen D. , Drummond Julie E.
Published: September 2007

The Early Entrance Program at the University of Washington enables bright and highly motivated adolescents to enter the University of Washington without attending high school. Previous research indicates that students do well academically at the UW, with grade point averages much higher than those earned by regular-age students, and that they adjust well to college life. This study exaimined student perceptions of early college entrance, focusing on the reasons students choose this unusual educational option; their experiences with peers, regular age students, and professors; and the effect of skipping high school on their social, emotional, and intellectual development.
Catching the Dream for Gifted Children of Color1
Authors: Griffin Judith B.
Published: September 2007

Gifted children of color are too frequently underrepresented among those labeled "America's best and brightest." A Better Chance, Inc., a national academic talent search agency, has found more than 8,000 minority children and provided them with access to an excellent college preparatory education. Detecting, estimating, and evaluating "intelligence" is still typically based on test data and IQ scores. ABC has learned to use additional yardsticks: a strong sense of self, an independent mind, a questioning attitude, a willingness to take risks and to persevere. If educators are sincerely interested in identifying gifted children from all parts of American society, multiple assessment procedures, including objective and subjective data from a variety of sources, must be used. Within every classroom in this country, including those enrolling minorities and the disadvantaged, the proportion of gifted students is the same as that found in the nation's most affluent communities. It is our challenge as educators to find these gifted children. And we must find them quickly, before inertia and indifference immobilize their minds.
Academic Underachievement Among the Gifted: Students' Perceptions of Factors that Reverse the Pattern
Authors: Emerick Linda J.
Published: September 2007

Underachievement among the gifted has been a focus of research for over 35 years. With few exceptions, studies of interventions for gifted underachievers have demonstrated only limited success. This study investigated factors which had influenced the reversal of the underachievement pattern in 10 gifted students, ages 14 to 20, who moved from chronic underachievement to academic success. Results indicated six factors were influential in reversing poor school performance. There was evidence that some gifted underachievers may respond well to interventions incorporating educational modifications which focus on individual strengths and interests.
Fast-Paced High School Science for the Academically Talented: A Six-Year Perspective
Authors: Lynch Sharon J.
Published: September 2007

This is a 6-year study of academically talented students, 12 to 16 years old, who completed a 1-year course in high school biology, chemistry, or physics in 3 weeks at a residential summer program. Students demonstrated subject mastery by taking College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) science achievement tests. Their mean scores were higher than those of high school juniors and seniors. Also examined were the relationships between students' achievement in science and mathematical and verbal aptitude test scores, or age. Mathematical ability seemed to be a better predictor of science achievement than verbal ability. Except for biology, there was no significant relationship between achievement and age. Follow-up studies of achievement indicated that students aecelerated in science performed well in subsequent science courses at their regular schools. The study suggests that academically talented students could begin high school sciences earlier than is currently allowed in most American schools.
The Effects of Problem-Based Learning On Problem Solving
Authors: Gallagher Shelagh A. , Stepien William J. , Rosenthal Hilary
Published: September 2007

Problem-based instruction is designed to provide students with a guided experience in solving an ill-structured problem. All learning in problem-based instruction stems from students initial questions about a problem situation. Currently used in medical school programs, problem-based curriculum has not been tested at the high school level. Science, Society and the Future (SSF) is an experimental problem-based course for gifted high school students. In the interdisciplinary course, students examine the meaning and impact of current science issues (the effect of electromagnetic fields on childhood leukemia, the health care system). In this study, SSF students and a group of comparison students were tested to determine changes in their spontaneous use of problem-solving steps as they consider an ill-structured problem. Results show some significant changes for the SSF group not observed in the comparison group.
A Longitudinal Examination of Life Choices of Gifted and Talented Young Women 1
Authors: Hollinger Constance L. , Fleming Elyse S.
Published: September 2007

The present study examines the reported achievements of 126 gifted and talented young women approximately 14 years after being identified by Project CHOICE staff. The examination is undertaken from an ipsative as well as a nomothetic perspective. The results indicate that (a) the educational and career attainment of these young women compare quite favorably both with other cohorts of gifted women and with criteria reflecting social expectation; (b) personal and relational accomplishments are identified almost as frequently as educational and career accomplishments as being their "greatest achievements"; and (c) a substantial number of these young women at age 29 have yet to achieve the educational, career, and lifestyle aspirations they identified in adolescence. Implications for counseling gifted young women are discussed.
Gifted Programs: Gender Differences in Referral and Enrollment
Authors: Crombie Gail , Bouffard-Bouchard Thérèse , Schneider Barry H.
Published: September 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine girls' and boys' referral to and enrollment in gifted programs. Data on overall enrollment, referral, and referral outcome were obtained by gender and grade from five school boards offering gifted programs. A greater number of boys than girls were enrolled in gifted programs. When the referral process for the most recent year was examined, however, no gender differences were observed in referral or in decision to enroll. The variability in the results observed underlines the importance of longitudinal data in delineating more fully the occurrence and pattern of gender differences in referral to and enrollment in gifted programs.
Creative Giftedness: A Multivariate Investment Approach
Authors: Sternberg Robert J. , Lubart Todd I.
Published: September 2007

This article presents an "investment" view of creative giftedness. Creatively gifted individuals "buy low and sell high." In other words, they propose ideas that initially seem odd, out of sync with the ideas of others. Over time, however, these gifted individuals bring these ideas to fruition, convince other people of the worth of their ideas, and then metaphorically sell the ideas when these ideas are at a "high price." They then move on to the next novel idea. In order to buy low and sell high, one needs a combination of six resources that function interactively: intelligence, knowledge, styles of thinking, personality, motivation, and environment. Each of these resources and its role in creative giftedness is described. The interaction of resources, domain specificity of giftedness, and identification of creatively gifted individuals are also discussed.
Divergent Thinking, Creativity, and Giftedness
Authors: Runco Mark A.
Published: September 2007

Creativity is an important facet of giftedness. Creativity is, however, very difficult to define and measure. Divergent thinking tests are often used, though of course they really just estimate the potential for creative thought. In the past few years, the technologies for the assessment and enhancement of divergent thinking have changed dramatically. This article reviews the most recent research on divergent thinking. Several new assessment techniques are reviewed, including those using either lenient or stringent solution standards, those relying on ideational pools (examinees' total output of ideas), and those involving qualitative aspects of ideation, Recent research showing moderately high predictive validity coefficients is also reviewed. The role played by evaluation and valuation in the divergent thinking process is outlined, as is the role of problem definition and problem identification. Special considerations for the creativity of gifted children are noted throughout the article, and specific directions for future research on the divergent thinking of gifted children are presented in the conclusion.
Effects of a Creative Problem-Solving Curriculum on Students of Varying Ability Levels
Authors: Schack Gina D.
Published: September 2007

This study investigated the effects of a creative problem solving curriculum on students of varying ability. Subjects were 267 middle school students in six schools who had previously been designated as gifted, honors, or average. To assess problem solving, treatment and companson students responded to a hypothetical problem before and after the treatment, with results scored by two independent judges for problem fluency, solution fluency, flexibility, originatity, and use of criteria. Teachers rated the creativity, ability to work in groups, and potential giftedness of all students before and-after the treatment.

Treatment students showed significant gains in problem-solving ability compared with comparisons, with no significant differences among ability levels. Teacher ratings for gifted comparison students increased compared to those for gifted treatment students; ratings for treatment honors students generally increased. Teacher ratings for average students did not change, despite signficant increases in their problem-solving ability.
Moving into the Mainstream? Reflections on the Study of Giftedness
Authors: Jackson Nancy Ewald
Published: September 2007

This position paper is a call for efforts to increase connections between studies of giftedness and mainstream psychological and educational research. Most mainstream researchers have paid scant attention to the literature on giftedness and have ignored the field's journals. However, studies of giftedness have contributed to mainstream theory and may play some special roles in theory development. Strategies for overcoming barriers to further integration with mainstream research are proposed.
The Relation of Gender and Academic Achievement to Career Self-Efficacy and Interests
Authors: Kelly Kevin R.
Published: September 2007

Career self-efficacy has been identified as an important variable in career choice and development. In this study, gender and academic achievement were studied in relation to career self-efficacy for female, mate, and sex-balanced occupations. Girls had higher efficacy expectations for some female careers and lower efficacy expectations for some male careers than boys. Girls and boys did not differ in their efficacy expectations for sex-balanced occupations. The overall influence of gender on career self-efficacy was quite modest. Achievement was found to be a more powerful predictor of career self-efficacy than gender. These findings are discussed in relation to the need to enable talented young women to realize their abilities through career achievement.
Leisure Activities in Career Guidance for Gifted and Talented Adolescents: A Validation Study of the Tel-Aviv Activities Inventory
Authors: Hong Eunsook , Whiston Susan C. , Milgram Roberta M.
Published: September 2007

Leisure activities may predict adult accomplishment better than conventional predictors such as intelligence or school grades because their performance requires not only intellectual abilities, but also task commitment, persistence, and other cognitive and personal-social attributes that determine life outcomes. Research on the leisure activities of young gifted children has been sparse in part because of the lack of psychometric instruments designed for use with children.

The construct validity of the Tel-Aviv Activities Inventory, a measure of leisure activities specifically designed for children and adolescents was investigated in 934 junior/senior high school students. The 62 activities inventory items were entered for factor analysis. The 10-factor maximum likelihood solution with varimax rotation was selected, resulting in extracting factors most similar to the hypothesized factor structure. The results indicated that the instrument may be useful for career counseling with gifted and talented children. Recommendations for the revision of the current edition of the instrument are suggested.
WISC-R Profiles of Children with Superior Intellectual Ability
Authors: Wilkinson S. Cynthia
Published: September 2007

The WISC-R profiles of 456 Grade 3 students with full scale IQs of 120 and above were analyzed. Large subtest scatter, verbal-performance discrepancy, and idiographic variability appear to be normal for the test profiles of bright students. They excelled in complex reasoning but were often not different from average students in their attention span, memory, sequential reasoning, visual-spatial perception, or visual-motor coordination. Differences were identified in subgroups according to verbal or nonverbal strengths and gender. Boys showed strengths for simultaneous and visual-spatial reasoning, and girls showed strengths for sequential and social reasoning. Academic achievement varied as a function of full scale IQ and verbal or nonverbal strengths. Implications for educational programming are discussed.
Gifted Education: Window of Opportunity
Authors: Dettmer Peggy
Published: September 2007

Educators and parents of gifted students have many concerns as current movements of educational restructuring and reform sweep the country. However, unparalleled opportunities emerge from the swelling interest in education that focuses on the individual learning needs of all students. This interest should be perceived as a window of opportunity. In order to take advantage of the opportunities, gifted program personnel will want to keep an open mind toward concepts such as inclusion and collabora tion. Without giving up the cause as champions of differentiated learning opportunities for highly able students, they can be accepted at last as key conversants in the educational dialogue. Then they can work in more integrative and productive ways with general classroom teachers, administrators, parents, and community leaders to develop exceptional student potential.
Metacognition and Giftedness: The State of the Relationship
Authors: Cheng Pui-wan
Published: September 2007

This paper offers a critical examination of the relationship between metacognition and giftedness. First, the role of metacognition in giftedness is explored in the context of current conceptions of giftedness proposed by different theorists. Second, in an attempt to search for empirical evidence linking metacognitiori to giftedness, various studies of giftedness are reviewed. It is concluded that theoretical and research support is offered for the important role of metacognition in understanding and explaining giftedness. Finally, rather than arguing that the relationship between metacognition and giftedness is clear-cut and conclusive, unresolved issues are discussed and sug gestions for future investigations are made.
Creativity and Intelligence in Preschoolers
Authors: Fuchs-Beauchamp Karen D. , Karnes Merle B. , Johnson Lawrence J.
Published: September 2007

This study examined the relationship between creativity and intelligence in preschoolers. Four hundred and ninety-six children for whom parents were seeking admission to a program for bright or gifted preschoolers in a midwestern city participated. All children were given the Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement Scale; 72 children were given the Slosson Intelligence Test, 354 were given the L-M edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, and the remaining 70 children were given the Stanford-Binet Fourth Edition. Results indicated that creativity was significantly related to intelligence when IQs were less than 120 but was not related at higher levels. However, the practical significance of the significant relationships was small. The implications of the findings for the development of programs for gifted or talented preschoolers are discussed.
Identifying Mathematically Talented Elementary Students: Using the Lower Level of the SSAT
Authors: Lupkowski-Shoplik Ann E. , Assouline Susan G.
Published: September 2007

In this paper we report on the usefulness of an identification instrument for mathematically talented students in third through fifth grades. Talented students from Iowa and Texas took the Quantitative, Reading Comprehension, and Verbal sections of the Lower Level of the Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT-L), which was developed by the Educational Testing Service for fifth through seventh graders. Students' scores covered nearly the entire possible range of the test, indicating that the SSAT-L effectively differentiated among talented elementary students.
Programs for Mathematically Gifted Students: A Review of Empirical Research
Authors: Sowell Evelyn J.
Published: September 2007

This paper summarizes and critiques the empirical research of the 1970s and 1980s on programs for mathematically gifted students. Much research has shown that accelerating the mathematics curriculum provides a very good program for precocious students. Organizational plans that place mathematically gifted students together for mathematics instruction also offer opportunities for these students to perform well. Although technology-based instruction also appears to provide an efficacious way of providing instruction for mathematically gifted elementary students, this method should be examined further with older students and in long-term studies. Research with enriched curricula and non-computer-based instruction provided inconclusive evidence of efficacy for mathematically gifted students.
The Development of the Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments (SEGII)
Authors: Callahan Carolyn M. , Lundberg A. Christian , Hunsaker Scott L.
Published: September 2007

The selection of instruments to screen and identify gifted and talented students is a difficult and problematic task faced by school divisions. The evaluation of instruments should include consideration of the reliability and the validity of instruments according to the specific purpose for which they are being used, the population on which they will be used, and the other characteristics considered vital for fair test use. This article presents a scale designed specifically for that purpose for use by school decision-makers.
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Adjustment of Accelerated Students, Students in Gifted Classes, and Regular Students in Eighth Grade
Authors: Sayler Micheal F. , Brookshire William K.
Published: September 2007

This study investigated differences in the social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment of gifted and regular eighth-grade students. Three groups were identified: (a) gifted students who entered school early or skipped at least one grade K-7, (b) students enrolled in eighth-grade gifted classes, and (c) regular eighth-grade students. Data were self-reported in the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) (Ingels et al., 1989). Results indicated that accelerated students and students in gifted classes had better perceptions of their social relationships and emotional development and tended to have fewer serious school behavior problems than regular students. Contrary to commonly held beliefs, most students who entered school early or skipped elementary grades did not report unusual social isolation or experience profound emotional difficulties. They had serious behavioral problems less frequently than regular students.
Summer Residential Programs: Academics and Beyond
Authors: Enersen Donna L.
Published: September 2007

Every summer, bright students participate in highly challenging residential programs on university campuses. Since many students return year after year, they must be finding something of great value. Although we have confirmation of their academic achievement, little has been done to ascertain the students' own perceptions of the total program experience.

This study employed the qualitative research tool of interview and the principles of phenomenology to discern how a group of students saw and interpreted the value of the summer programs. Twelve students who attended Purdue University's residential programs for at least 3 years were interviewed to discover what stood out in their minds as important events during the programs; how they interpreted the effect of the programs on their academic, social, and emotional lives; and what brought them back year after year. A telephone interview was also conducted with a parent of each student to collect their perceptions of the value of the programs for their children.

The interviews revealed the importance of summer program experiences for these students. The satisfaction of challenging course work taught by caring, expert teachers and the opportunity to live on a university campus were significant to them; making friends and gaining confidence in their own abilities were equally vital.
Child Prodigies: A Distinctive Form of Giftedness1
Authors: Feldman David Henry
Published: September 2007

The basic premise of this article is that the child prodigy is a distinct form of giftedness which must be understood on its own terms. In contrast with the child of great general ability, the prodigy tends to have a more focused, specialized, and domain-specific form of giftedness. Studies of prodigies have contributed to changing theories about the nature of giftedness (e.g., from single to multiple) and will likely continue to do so. Along with the related phenomenon of savant syndrome, the prodigy points to a set of complex relationships between psychometric intelligence in the traditional sense and expression of talent within specific domains like music or mathematics. Based in part on findings from studies of prodigies, it is likely that there are important roles for both general and specific abilities in most forms of giftedness and that they represent two distinct evolutionary trends to maximize the likelihood of human survival.
Relationships Among Private Speech and Creativity Measurements of Young Children
Authors: Daugherty Martha , White C. Stephen , Manning Brenda H.
Published: September 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among thought processes represented in young children's private speech and creativity assessments of the same children. A secondary purpose was to study the role of affective private speech and its association with creativity measures. The sample was 42 preschool and kindergarten children on whom creativity measures were obtained using the Torrance Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM) assessment instrument. Private speech was collected from the same children. Each private speech utterance was coded into one of five levels: (a) task irrelevant speech (T-1); (b) nonfacilitative, task relevant speech (T-2); (c) task relevant speech (T-3); (d) coping/reinforcing speech (T-4); and (e) solving speech (T-5). Statistical analysis revealed significant positive relationships among creativity measures, solving speech, and coping/reinforcing speech. Furthermore, coping and reinforcing private speech were consistently linked with high creativity measures, demonstrating that the affective domain may play a critical role in creative thinking.
Classroom Peer Relations of Children Participating in a Pull-Out Enrichment Program
Authors: Cohen Robert , Duncan Melissa , Cohen Sheila L.
Published: September 2007

We compared the classroom peer relations of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders participating in a pull-out enrichment program (Creative Learning in a Unique Environment [CLUE]) with all other classmates. Data included peer sociometric assessments, evaluations of friendship relationships, and peer nominations as aggressors and as victims of aggression. Relative to other classmates, CLUE children (a) were evaluated by peers as having greater social acceptability and social competence, (b) demonstrated greater awareness of reciprocity in friendship relationships, and (c) were perceived less often as an aggressor or as a victim of aggression. These children did not have more friends or best friends than their peers, but they had more valued positions within the peer network. These findings suggest that a pull-out enrichment program can be associated with enhanced peer relations in the classroom, an effect not evident in the current research literature.
Portfolio Assessment: A Key to Identifying Hidden Talents and Empowering Teachers of Young Children
Authors: Coleman Laurence J.
Published: September 2007

Early Assessment for Exceptional Potential of Young Minority and/or Economically Disadvantaged Students is a project which used portfolio assessment as a means of identifying and of developing instructional plans for children in kindergarten to third grade. The project assumed that there are universal identifiers of exceptional potential and that teachers could leam to recognize children with potential in their classrooms if they were provided with authentic examples (videotaped and written) of such behavior. Once identified, curriculum in those classrooms were adapted to meet the children's needs. The teachers expressed a sense of empowerment as a consequence of the project.
Talent Beyond Words: Unveiling Spatial, Expressive, Kinesthetic, and Musical Talent in Young Children
Authors: Kay Sandra I. , Subotnik Rena F.
Published: September 2007

Talent Beyond Words was developed to identify and serve children with potential talent in the performing arts, especially dance and percussion music. Participants in the program included elementary-aged students attending two inner city schools. All pupils at targeted grade levels received instruction over several weeks in order to provide rich opportunities for dynamic assessment by teams of professional artists, arts educators, and specially trained teachers from participating sites. Students identified as a result of the audition processes took part in demanding after school curricula over the course of 3 years. The students' proficiency levels in their respective performing arts were impressive, as was the esteem they gained from teachers, classmates, parents, and from their own disciplined efforts.
The Seven Plus Story: Developing Hidden Talent Among Students in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Environments
Authors: Baldwin Alexinia Young
Published: September 2007

The Javits 7+ Gifted and Talented Program awarded to Community. School District 18 of Brooklyn, New York, was designed to provide an opportunity for socioeconomically disadvantaged children to receive intensive school-based activities which would prepare them for programs for the gifted. The philosophical approach of this grant was derived from Gardner's concept of multiple intelligences. The program was designed to involve teachers, parents, district staff, and students in program design and implementation. This article outlines the components of the grant, its operation, and its evaluation as viewed by the author.
Promises to Keep—The Story of Project Promise
Authors: Hiatt Evelyn Levsky
Published: September 2007

Project Promise, funded under the auspices of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted Students Education Act, was implemented in selected school districts in three states: Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. Each state modified the project to fit local needs. Designed to provide leadership opportunities to identified middle school students, especially those from low socioeconomic environments, Project Promise supplemented in-school curricular options with a home visitor. The home visitor's task was to serve as a liaison between students' families and the school. Their role, however, grew in importance as they assisted families in obtaining both social services and information about career and college opportunities. After providing a brief overview of the project, this report more fully explains the role of the home visitor, how school districts modified curriculum to suit student needs, and how the leadership activities affected students in the project.
Extending Educational Opportunities for Middle School Gifted Students
Authors: Taradash Gloria
Published: September 2007

This article presents an overview of a statewide Javits grant implemented in Kentucky. This project, Extending . Educational Opportunities for Middle School Gifted Students, used innovative curriculum and team teaching to identify and serve middle school gifted students. Components of this project included interdisciplinary curriculum development, staff development, expanded provision of services, alternative methods for identifying middle school . gifted students, and parent training
Comparison of Trained and Untrained Teachers of Gifted Students
Authors: Hansen Jan B. , Feldhusen John F.
Published: September 2007

Leaders in the field of gifted education have presented models for both instructional programs for gifted students and correlated teacher training, but research on or evaluation of the effects of these training models is meager. This study showed that teachers trained in gifted education demonstrated greater teaching skills and developed more positive class climates than did teachers who had no training in gifted education. Students of GT trained teachers reported greater emphasis on higher level thinking skills and on discussion, and less emphasis on lecture and grades than did students of untrained teachers.
Are Teachers Really Poor Talent Detectors? Comments On Pegnato and Birch's (1959) Study of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Various Identification Techniques
Authors: Gagné Françoys
Published: September 2007

This article reanalyses Pegnato and Birch's data in their often cited 1959 article, especially their measures of effectiveness and efficiency. The author shows that these two concepts are not independent, as usually assumed in studies examining the criterion-related validity of various identification techniques for the gifted and talented. Rather, both are related to the number of subjects singled out as a result of the cutoff value chosen to implement the method. Consequently, most comparisons made between and within methods become invalid. A simple alternative is presented: compare the correla tion coefficients of the predictors with the criterion. It is concluded that this methodological flaw, as well as some other technical limitations, invalidates the most often cited observation from that study, namely, that teacher nominations should not be relied upon as an identification technique for the gifted and talented.
"Being a Teacher": Emotions and Optimal Experience While Teaching Gifted Children
Authors: Coleman Laurence J.
Published: September 2007

The emotions experienced by teachers while teaching is a relatively unexplored avenue of research. One teacher, Alex, was studied using phenomenological interviews and participant observation to understand the emotions he experienced while teaching in a special program for gifted and talented children. Data were analyzed using inductive procedures. Alex experienced a variety of emotions generated when the instructional dynamics of the lesson were congruent or incongruent with his professional practical knowledge. Most of his emotions were positive. A compelling emotional state, "being a teacher," was found to incorporate many of his feelings and was found repeatedly in his classes. Alex seemed to be trying to recreate being a teacher as he taught. His emotional state was interpreted to be isomorphic to what Csikszentmihalyi (1990) calls "optimal experience." The findings suggest that the special class setting established conditions which increased the probability that Alex would be having an optimal experience.
Definitions, Ideologies, and Hypotheses in Gifted Education
Authors: Nevo Baruch
Published: September 2007

This article argues that issues in gifted education and the study of giftedness can be usefully categorized under three headings: definitions, ideologies, and hypotheses. Seven central issues regarding educational programs for the gifted are classified according to their basic orientation: (a) level of excellence and the gifted label, (b) types of giftedness, (c) individual versus societal perspectives on the gifted, (d) giftedness in different ethno-cultural backgrounds, (e) origins of giftedness, (f) procedures for identifying and screening the gifted, and (g) effectiveness of educational programs. These issues are either definition oriented (a and b), ideology oriented (c and d), or hypothesis oriented (e, f, and g). It is argued that practitioners and researchers must pay attention to the type of issue being discussed so that discussions and controversies concerning giftedness will be relevant and productive.
The Reliability and Validity of a Performance Task for Evaluating Science Process Skills
Authors: Adams Cheryll M. , Callahan Carolyn M.
Published: September 2007

The Diet Cola Test was designed as a process assessment of science aptitude. Investigations of the instrument's reliability and validity for that purpose led to the conclusion that the data did not support the use of the instrument for making decisions about aptitude for individual students. Although the instrument was not suited for decision making for the purpose of identification, examination of the reliability and the item content, and further investigation of the validity suggested that it might be a suitable instrument for assessing science process skills as part of program or curricular evaluation.
Mathematical Self-Efficacy Gender Differences In Gifted/Talented Adolescents
Authors: Junge Michael E. , Dretzke Beverly J.
Published: September 2007

Gifted/talented high school students completed the Mathematical Self-Efficacy Scale, an instrument developed by Betz and Hackett (1983). Items in the scale asked the students to indicate their degree of confidence regarding successful completion of everyday mathematics tasks, number sequences, mathematics-based college courses, and mathematics problems. The mean self-efficacy ratings given on the items were analyzed for significant gender differences. Results indicated that mates had stronger self-efficacy expectations than females on more than one fourth of the items, whereas females reported stronger self-efficacy expectations on only a few items that involved stereotypical female activities. Implications of the findings for the process of educational decision making are discussed.
Gifted Education at a Crossroads: The Program Status Study
Authors: Purcell Jeanne H.
Published: September 2007

The program status study was designed to examine the status of local programs for students with high abilities and the reasons to which educators and key personnel attributed the status of these programs. This descriptive ex post facto research, completed in a purposive sample of 19 states, was completed in two phases. Phase 1 included a mail survey to approximately 3,000 local teachers, coordinators, and/or principals who were responsible for programs for students with high abilities. Phase 2 included interviews with key personnel (state directors of gifted education, presidents of state advocacy organizations, school superintendents, chairpersons of local boards) and was designed to triangulate the findings from Phase 1. Results indicated that programs in states with mandates and in good economic health are intact and expanded; programs in all other groups of states (states with mandates and in poor economic health, states without mandates and in good economic health, states without mandates in poor economic health) are being threatened, reduced, and eliminated. More than half of the respondents from states with mandates and in good economic health attributed their expanded or intact status to the mandate and advocacy efforts. About half of the districts from states without mandates attributed their jeopardized status to a decline in state and local funds.
Creativity and Giftedness: Published Instrument Uses and Abuses
Authors: Hunsaker Scott L. , Callahan Carolyn M.
Published: September 2007

This article reports a study of schools' assessment of creativity as part of their identification procedures for gifted programs. School districts across the nation were asked to supply information on the published instruments they use to measure creativity. Although many school districts include creativity as part of their assessment, they continue to have difficulty with the complex conceptual and operational definitions of creativity. Dis-' tricts often select instruments for assessment of creativity without attending to the definition of the construct. Researchers are encouraged to improve the translation of their work to the practitioner so that more valid, reliable, and useful assessment will be possible in the schools.
The Experience of Giftedness: A Concept Map
Authors: Kunkel Mark A. , Chapa Beatrice , Patterson Greg , Walling Derald D.
Published: September 2007

Gifted students' written responses to a phenomenological probe (i.e., "What is it like to be gifted?") were qualitatively reduced to a set of exhaustive and representative items. Students then performed free card sorts on these items, which they also rated for application to them. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis of students' sorts suggest positive and negative elements of the experience of giftedness along internal and interpersonal dimensions. We conclude with implications of our findings for research and teaching with gifted adolescents.
Consequences of Having a Gifted Sibling: Myths and Realities
Authors: Chamrad Diana L. , Robinson Nancy M. , Janos Paul M.
Published: September 2007

Three hundred sixty-six triads, each including a mother and her only two children, ages 7-14, completed questionnaires targeting mental ability and school achievement, child adjustment, and sibling relationship variables. Triads had been chosen as having 0, 1, or 2 children who were eligible for special classes for highly capable Students. Except for academic-ability variables, group comparisons according to school-based categories were not suggestive of sibling-giftedness effects. To focus on within-family perceptions, pairs were reclassified using a median split of the first principal component of maternal perceptions of child's giftedness. Contrary to findings of most previous studies, both giftedness and having a gifted sibling were generally associated with more favorable responses by children and mothers. Gender and age effects were also examined.
The Parsonage Children: An Analysis of the Creative Early Years of the Brontës at Haworth
Authors: McGreevy Ann Loftus
Published: September 2007

This paper analyzes the evolving creative development of the young Brontes at Haworth Parsonage in England during the first half of the nineteenth century. The author concludes that by closely examining the early years of eminent individuals we are better able to analyze those qualities, behaviors, and events that describe the process of talent development. In the case of the Brontës, one is able to study a family of exceptional talent and to reflect on the significance of the role of parents, collaborative siblings, and the natural environment in the nourishing and sustaining of that talent. This paper focuses on the education of the Brontës and on the "little books" that they started to produce in abundance when they were young and continued to write into adolescence.
An Empirical Investigation of the Social Coping Strategies Used by Gifted Adolescents
Authors: Swiatek Mary Ann
Published: September 2007

The formation of an identity during adolescence is believed to be facilitated by conformity to others and membership in a peer group. Because gifted adolescents in a typical school setting often experience difficulties in conformity and peer group membership, they can be expected to face some unique challenges during adolescence. The current study seeks empirical evidence for discrete strategies that gifted adolescents may use to cope with perceived social difficulties. Highly gifted students who were identified by the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth and who participated in a rigorous summer academic program completed a survey that was specifically designed to reflect coping strategies proposed in the literature. The results of the survey were factor analyzed and yielded five meaningful factors: denial of giftedness, popularity/conformity, peer acceptance, fear of failure, and activity level. The results of the factor analysis suggest that further research focusing on the measurement of social coping strategies among gifted adolescents is warranted.
Talent Ignored, Talent Diverted: The Cultural Context Underlying Giftedness in Females
Authors: Reis Sally M.
Published: September 2007

This article presents the results of a study of 67 gifted females enrolled in graduate programs in education at a large state university. These women completed a questionnaire about various aspects of their lives including their education and family life; parental encouragement; career, personal, and professional achievements; and the effects of marriage and children on their lives. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 25 of the women. Results indicate that the majority of these gifted females believe that their parents encouraged them to go to college but not to pursue a specific career, and many were unsure about whether they had selected the right career. Almost half of the women indicated that barriers existed to their own talent development because of their marriage and personal lives. Many of the women in this study were unsure about whether they were satished with their lives because of their continuing attempts to pursue their own talents while maintaining their personal lives. The majority of the women in this study had extremely limited time to pursue their own talents. The study summarizes some of the continuing dilemmas facing gifted females, and in particular, explores some of the issues confronting gifted females who pursue careers, even those generally considered traditional for women.
Should Self-Nominations Be Allowed in Peer Nomination Forms?
Authors: Massé Line , Gagné Françoys
Published: September 2007

The present study addressed the problem of self-nomination in peer nomination forms (PNF) used with children to designate classroom peers who have superior abilities or talents. Its goal was to assess the incidence and worth of that information. The sample consisted of 391 students from 17 classes, almost evenly divided by gender and grade (4 to 8). The instrument was a 12-item frequent (41%). A repeated measures ANOVA showed that the incidence rate was mainly influenced by the type of ability assessed and the rank of the choices, and that both interacted with the following variables: group, grade level, and gender. Self-nominations had no perceptible impact on the reliability of the talent scores. Self and peer nominations were significantly correlated, r = 44. A much lower correlation was observed between self-and teacher nominations, r = 23, attributed mainly to the lower reliability of these two types of scores.
Identification of Gifted Minority Students: A National Problem, Needed Changes and a Promising Solution
Authors: Maker C. June
Published: September 2007

Changes in values, beliefs and the demographics of American society have not been accompanied by consistent changes in definitions and practices related to the education of the gifted. Although evidence can be presented to support the belief that a fundamental paradigm shift is occurring or has occurred, certain cultural, ethnic, and linguistic minority students continue to be underrepresented in special programs. Research and literature are reviewed to support the thesis that that new identification procedures, new curricular and instructional programs, appropriate criteria for evaluating identification procedures, and changes in beliefs and stereotypes are needed to resolve the problem of underrepresentation and to accomplish needed changes. A conceptual framework, definition of giftedness, and an identification process consistent with the definition are discussed A design for developing appropriate methods and critria to evaluate identification procedures and for monitoring and evaluating changes in beliefs and stereotypes are provided.
Expert Benchmarks for Student Academic Performance: The Case for Gifted Children
Authors: Baker Eva L. , Schacter John
Published: September 2007

A discussion of the use of expert performance as the basis for inferring assessment scoring criteria is presented. Characteristics of experts are discussed, leading to a consideration of the appropriateness of using adult experts' performance to measure children's performance. The use of a priori classifications of children is explored, and the suggestioh for examining the use of gifted students' performances as benchmarks is presented. Both positive and negative consequences are described.
Wherefore Art Thou, Multiple Intelligences? Alternative Assessments for Identifying Talent in Ethnically Diverse and Low Income Students
Authors: Plucker Jonathan A. , Callahan Carolyn M. , Tomchin Ellen M.
Published: September 2007

The recent popularity of Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory corresponds with current efforts to move away from the use of standardized measures of achievement and ability to more authentic assessment techniques, including portfolio and performance-based assessment. Gardner and his colleagues have strongly encouraged the application of MI theory to performance-based assessment. This study investigates the reliability and validity of a battery of instruments based on MI theory, including teacher checklists and performance-based assessment activities. The purpose in developing the instruments was the identification of talent in culturally diverse and/or low income kindergarten and first grade students. Results suggest acceptable evidence of reliability but raise questions about the validity of the assessments. This study has implications for both future research efforts and the application of MIbased, performance measures to the assessment and identification of talent.