Gifted Child Quarterly recent issues

Talented Students in an Exemplary Career and Technical Education School: A Qualitative Inquiry

Gentry, M., Saiying Hu, , Peters, S. J., Rizza, M. — 2008-06-13

Outstanding talents exist in all areas of human endeavor, yet little information exists concerning gifted and talented students in career and technical education (CTE) settings. This qualitative study investigated an exemplary CTE center and the experiences of the rural secondary students who were identified as talented in this setting. Four themes emerged and paralleled suggested practices in gifted education: individualization, student-centered meaningful choices, instructors as developers of talent, and participation in career and technical student organizations. Results offer methods that secondary educators can use to recognize and identify talented CTE students and engage them in challenging, meaningful learning. Findings of positive experiences of talented students in this setting led to the conclusions that CTE programs should be included as part of the continuum of services for gifted and talented youth and that CTE programs should identify, recognize, and serve gifted and talented students.

Putting the Research to Use: With the current U.S. Department of Education's definition of gifted and talented including all areas of human endeavor, career and technical education areas need to be included among programming options for gifted and talented students. The results of this study indicate that not all students with gifts or talents have skills in the traditional academic areas. Some prefer applied content areas taught in hands-on, student-centered classrooms, such as those found in the career and technical education center described in this study. Teachers of traditional academic subjects can use this research to engage their students in meaningful learning by providing them with choices, encouraging their self-direction, and presenting content in a relevant manner. This study also reinforces the value that students place on teachers who care about and connect with them on personal levels.

A Narrow Escape: Gifted Students' Perceptions of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs

Hertberg-Davis, H., Callahan, C. M. — 2008-06-13

Although limited research exists on the appropriateness of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs for gifted secondary learners, these courses serve as the primary methods of meeting the needs of gifted students in most high schools. This qualitative study investigates how a broad range of gifted secondary students perceives and evaluates the curriculum, instruction, and environments within AP and IB courses. Interviews with 200 students in 23 U.S. high schools revealed that although students believe that AP and IB courses provide a greater level of academic challenge and more favorable learning environments than other existing high school courses, the curriculum and instruction within AP and IB courses are not a good fit for all learners, particularly those from traditionally underserved populations. Recommendations for increasing the fit of AP and IB courses for—and consequently for increasing the participation of—students from traditionally underserved populations are discussed.

Putting the Research to Use: Nearly all of the students in our study indicated that AP and IB courses were the first courses in which they experienced genuine challenge, and the first academic environments in which they felt comfortable with their advanced abilities and academic interests. This indicates that many gifted students have to wait until the last few years of their school careers to encounter courses appropriately matched to their needs. Infusing greater rigor into the K-12 curriculum and allowing gifted students to spend at least part of the day with like-ability peers would go a long way in ensuring that gifted students' academic and social/emotional needs are being met throughout their school careers. Additionally, many former AP and IB students indicated that these lecture-heavy courses were not a good fit for their preferred modes of learning, suggesting a need for a broader range of gifted services at the high school level than AP and IB courses alone.

Teachers' Negative Affect Toward Academically Gifted Students: An Evolutionary Psychological Study

Geake, J. G., Gross, M. U. M. — 2008-06-13

A frequent reason for teachers not making special provisions for a gifted child is that the child is "not fitting in socially." The conjecture that a psychological source of such negative affect has evolved along with human language was tested with a large sample (N = 377) of teachers in England, Scotland, and Australia who were undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) in gifted education. Quantitative indicators of teachers' subconscious feelings toward gifted children were measured using a five-dimensional semantic differential instrument. Oblique factor analysis produced a three-factor structure, namely, general characteristics of gifted children including high cognitive abilities, social misfits, and antisocial leaders. Teachers' negative affect toward gifted children concerns the potential use of high intelligence toward social noncompliance. The factor scores for teachers completing the CPD programs were lower for the social noncompliance factors and higher for the general factor compared with scores of teachers commencing the programs.

Putting the Research to Use: The results of this research can be used by designers and presenters of teacher professional development (PD) programs in gifted education to address implicit negative attitudes of teachers toward gifted students. The major cause of such negative affect is a deep concern about potential antisocial applications of the intelligence of gifted students, and this should be made explicit to PD participants. The results show that teachers' unconscious negative attitudes can be reduced through PD courses in which teachers become more familiar with the characteristics of gifted students and their learning needs. In future PD programs, teachers could be asked to reflect on their personal responses to questions based on this research: Are gifted students potential social misfits? Are gifted students disrespectful of authority? Are gifted students sensitive to the feelings of others? Could gifted students use their intelligence for antisocial leadership? Would gifted students make good schoolteachers?

Using Self-Concept Instruments With High-Ability College Students: Reliability and Validity Evidence

Rinn, A. N., Cunningham, L. G. — 2008-06-13

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the academic subscales of Marsh's Self-Description Questionnaire III and Neeman and Harter's Self-Perception Profile for College Students for use with high-ability college students. Participants included 100 high-ability college students and 196 average-ability college students enrolled in a comprehensive university in the South. Data analysis estimates of internal consistency were moderate, and estimates of relationships with external validity criteria, namely, academic achievement, aspirations, and year in school, moderately supported the validity of each subscale. Results indicate some support for the use of each subscale with high-ability college students.

Putting the Research to Use: Academic self-concept is a construct that likely affects multiple other academic areas, including academic achievement, educational aspirations, career aspirations, and retention. Among high-ability college students, academic self-concept may be related to participation in an honors program and living in an honors residence hall, which may further the academic, social, and emotional collegiate experience. Having a psychometrically sound measure of academic self-concept that is appropriate for use with high-ability college students will enable researchers to effectively study the academic self-concepts of high-ability college students. Traditional measures of academic self-concept are often validated on younger samples of high-ability students, but the research is lacking on validity research related to samples of college students.

Childhood Giftedness and Adulthood Genius: A Historiometric Analysis of 291 Eminent African Americans

Simonton, D. K. — 2008-06-13

Although the association between giftedness and genius has been the subject of several retrospective, longitudinal, and historiometric studies, this research concentrated on majority-culture samples. In the current study, Cox's (1926) findings regarding 301 geniuses were replicated on a sample of 291 eminent African Americans. Relative genius was measured by two archival eminence measures (majority White and minority Black culture) and by scores on the Creative Achievement Scale (Ludwig, 1992). Giftedness was assessed by raters blind to the identity of the individuals being evaluated. Control variables were defined for gender, year of birth, status as a living contemporary, and 18 domains of achievement. Multiple regression analyses indicated that adulthood eminence and creative achievement are positively correlated with early giftedness, with an effect size comparable to that found in the Cox study. Furthermore, this association was not moderated by gender, birth year, or most of the remaining variables.

Putting Research to Use: The study provides support for a basic tenet of most gifted and talented programs, namely, that exceptional giftedness in childhood and adolescence is associated with adulthood achievements. Accordingly, education programs designed for these select populations can be legitimately viewed as an investment in the nation's future. The young talents of today are indeed likely to become the high achievers of tomorrow. Furthermore, this developmental continuity is found not just for youths who come from majority-culture backgrounds; the same forecast holds for those who come from minority-culture environments—African Americans in the case of the present study. Moreover, the degree to which childhood giftedness predicts adulthood success is the same for both majority and minority cultures. The longitudinal correspondence also stays the same for both males and females and for the diverse domains of achievement, whether creativity, leadership, entertainment, or sports.

However, the long-term connection between early gifts and later achievements presumes a distinct manner of identifying and assessing giftedness. In particular, giftedness must not be evaluated according to a "one-size-fits-all" procedure. On the contrary, the magnitude of giftedness should be assessed according to the occurrence of precocious behaviors that are to a certain extent specific to a given culture and achievement domain. It is for this reason that the 291 African Americans in this study could attain distinction in a remarkable diversity of domains, including domains more characteristic of the minority culture—from gospel and soul musicians to civil rights activists and Black nationalists. This heterogeneity stands in stark contrast to what would have happened if giftedness had been defined in terms of performance on a standard intelligence test.

A Place to Be Celebrated and Understood: The Impact of Early University Entrance From Parents' Points of View

Noble, K. D., Childers, S. A., Vaughan, R. C. — 2008-06-13

This study surveyed 181 parents of students enrolled in one of two early entrance programs at the University of Washington: the Early Entrance Program for students who entered before age 15 and the University of Washington Academy for Young Scholars for students who matriculated after Grade 10. The purpose was to understand parents' perspectives on the early entrance experience, including reasons for choosing early entrance, satisfaction with their children's program, perceived advantages and disadvantages of early entrance, and the effect of early entrance on family relationships. Ninety-five parents participated, with the majority reporting great satisfaction with multiple aspects of their and their children's experience. Early Entrance Program parents expressed a slightly higher degree of satisfaction than did Academy parents. This study suggests that early university entrance is an attractive option for parents willing to follow the lead of their talented and ambitious adolescents.

Putting the Research to Use: Early entrance programs are attractive options for parents of academically advanced students who have outpaced available secondary programs. These programs are not inevitably initially successful; however, as our study demonstrates, they benefit greatly from ongoing program evaluation and analysis. Key components of effective early entrance programs include intensive advising, community building, thoughtful selection of students, active engagement by students and faculty, and a welcoming college or university environment. Careful attention to the informational needs of parents is also important, particularly about the social and emotional transitions that they and their children are likely to experience. The University of Washington has demonstrated with two programs that early university entrance is prized by students, parents, university officials, and state education agencies. These and similar programs might well be replicated in other areas around the country given active partnerships among all concerned parties.

Book Review: Walls, J. (2005). The glass castle: A memoir. New York: Scribner

Hockett, J. A. — 2008-06-13

The Time is Now to Stand Up for Gifted Education: 2007 NAGC Presidential Address

Siegle, D. — 2008-04-01

Snowflakes, Living Systems, and the Mystery of Giftedness

Dai, D. Y., Renzulli, J. S. — 2008-04-01

The main argument of this article is that human living systems are open, dynamic, intentional systems and, therefore, are capable of building ever more complex behaviors through self-organization and self-direction. This principle underlying general human development is also applicable to the development of gifted and talented behaviors. These behaviors are dynamic because persons demonstrating such behaviors are forming dynamic, functional relations with a specific environment, with unique temporal trajectories capable of engendering emergent properties that feed into further development. This Contextual, Emergent, and Dynamic Model provides an alternative to traditional static, reductionistic, trait-based conceptions of giftedness. The article further elaborates on three dynamic facets of the making of gifted potential: selective affinity, maximal grip, and being at the edge of chaos. These facets allow for dealing with the genesis of talents, developing expertise over an extended period, and developing creative potential.

A National View of Promising Programs and Practices for Culturally, Linguistically, and Ethnically Diverse Gifted and Talented Students

Briggs, C. J., Reis, S. M., Sullivan, E. E. — 2008-04-01

The low representation of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse (CLED) and high-poverty students in gifted and talented programs has long been an area of concern. This qualitative study investigated methods to increase successful participation of CLED students in gifted programs across the nation. Twenty-five programs were selected for inclusion in the study. Of those, 7 programs were selected for in-depth site visits that included interviews with administrators and teachers, as well as observations. Data suggested five categories that contributed to the successful identification and participation of CLED students in gifted programs. These categories included modified identification procedures; program support systems, such as front-loading (identifying high-potential children and providing opportunities for advanced work prior to formal identification); selecting curriculum/instructional designs that enable CLED students to succeed; building parent/home connections; and using program evaluation practices designed to highlight avenues to CLED students' success.

Gender Differences in Gifted and Average-Ability Students: Comparing Girls' and Boys' Achievement, Self-Concept, Interest, and Motivation in Mathematics

Preckel, F., Goetz, T., Pekrun, R., Kleine, M. — 2008-04-01

This article investigates gender differences in 181 gifted and 181 average-ability sixth graders in achievement, academic self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics. Giftedness was conceptualized as nonverbal reasoning ability and defined by a rank of at least 95% on a nonverbal reasoning subscale of the German Cognitive Abilities Test. Mathematical achievement was measured by teacher-assigned grades and a standardized mathematics test. Self-concept, interest, and motivation were assessed by questionnaire. In both ability groups, boys earned significantly higher test scores but there were no gender differences in grades. Girls scored lower on measures of academic self-concept, interest, and motivation. Gender differences were larger in gifted than in average-ability students. Ability group differences for self-concept and interest were only found for boys in favor of the gifted. Results support the assumption that gender differences in self-concept, interest, and motivation in mathematics are more prevalent in gifted than in average-ability students.

Validation of the Gifted Rating Scales-School Form in China

Huijun Li, , Pfeiffer, S. I., Petscher, Y., Kumtepe, A. T., Guofang Mo, — 2008-04-01

The Gifted Rating Scales–School Form (GRS-S), a teacher-completed rating scale, is designed to identify five types of giftedness and motivation. This study examines the reliability and validity of a Chinese-translated version of the GRS-S with a sample of Chinese elementary and middle school students (N = 499). The Chinese GRS-S was found to have high internal consistency. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the six-factor solution of the original GRS-S. Comparison of the GRS-S scores and measures of academic performance provide preliminary support for the criterion validity of the Chinese-translated GRS-S. Significant age and gender differences on the Chinese GRS-S were found. Results provide preliminary support for the Chinese version of the GRS-S as a reliable and valid measure of giftedness for Chinese students.

Academically Talented Students' Attitudes Toward Service in the Community

Webster, N. S., Worrell, F. C. — 2008-04-01

In this study, the authors examined participation rates in, and attitudes toward, service in community settings in a sample of 936 academically talented adolescents. Results indicated that about 50% of the participants participated in both classroom-sponsored and organization-sponsored service activities, with female students reporting higher rates than male students. Participation rates increased with increases in socioeconomic status, and rates in organization-sponsored activities increased across grade levels. Attitudes toward service were generally positive, with female students having more positive attitudes than male students. These findings mirror results from studies of non-identified students and suggest that differences in participation rates in service activities may be reflecting differences in economic circumstances that allow for participation.

Twice-Exceptional Students' Use of Metacognitive Skills on a Comprehension Monitoring Task

lynne hannah, c., Shore, B. M. — 2008-01-07

Boys identified as learning-disabled gifted or twice exceptional, at two different grade levels (5th or 6th grades, and 11th or 12th grades), were asked to read a history text with unknown vocabulary words, internal inconsistencies, and prior knowledge violations inserted to make immediate comprehension difficult. The students were asked to read one sentence at a time and report their thoughts verbally. Their verbalizations were analyzed for evidence of how they used metacognitive skills. The older students actively monitored and evaluated their comprehension as they tried to make sense of the text but were more willing to accept problematic text. The younger students were not as active in monitoring their comprehension, but they were less likely to accept the prior knowledge violations.

Identifying Young Gifted Children Using the Gifted Rating Scales Preschool/ Kindergarten Form

Pfeiffer, S. I., Petscher, Y. — 2008-01-07

This article reports on an analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of a new teacher rating scale designed to assist in the identification of gifted preschool and kindergarten students. The Gifted Rating Scales—Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness. An examination of the standardization sample using diagnostic efficiency statistics provides support for the diagnostic accuracy of the GRS-P Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability scales identifying intellectual giftedness, irrespective of the IQ cut score used to demarcate giftedness. The present findings extend the analysis of the standardization sample reported in the test manual and provide additional support for the GRS-P as a gifted screening tool.

Relationships Among Private Speech and Creativity in Head Start and Low Socioeconomic Status Preschool Children

Daugherty, M., White, C. S. — 2008-01-07

The purpose of this study was to explore Vygotsky's notion of private speech as a cognitive self-regulatory process and how it related to creativity measures among at-risk children. Thirty-two Head Start and state-funded Pre-K children completed the Torrance creativity test Thinking Creatively in Action and Movement (TCAM). The children's private speech was collected in an open play context and while children completed structured logical— mathematical activities. Results revealed that both originality and fluency creativity were related to self-direction private speech and grand total private speech. Findings support that cognitive self-regulating private speech may be related to creative thinking and that private speech may offer a method for assessing early creative thinking in children from various cultural and economic backgrounds.

Giftedness of Chinese Students in Hong Kong: Perspectives From Different Conceptions of Intelligences

Chan, D. W. — 2008-01-07

This study examined the self-perceived intelligences (multiple intelligences, emotional intelligence, and successful intelligence) of 498 Chinese gifted students in Hong Kong. Based on the associations among perceived intelligence scores, three dimensions could be distinguished to describe giftedness and could be interpreted as global giftedness, socioemotional giftedness, and artistic giftedness. Using profiles of perceived intelligences, students could be classified as falling into four clusters of supersmart students, socioemotionally gifted students, modest gifted students, and artistically gifted students. The supersmart students engaged in more activities related to leadership and creativity than the other clusters of students, with the modest gifted students reporting the least engagement. The supersmart students, however, were rated by teachers as less emotionally mature, showing less concern for others, and more likely to have behavioral conduct problems than the socioemotionally gifted students. Implications of the findings for conceptualizing giftedness and working with different groups of gifted students are discussed.

A National Picture of Talent Search and Talent Search Educational Programs

Lee, S.-Y., Matthews, M. S., Olszewski-Kubilius, P. — 2008-01-07

This article presents a comprehensive portrait of talent search testing and associated educational programs in the United States, now some 35 years after Dr. Julian Stanley originated the concept. Survey data from the six major talent search centers in the United States were used to examine the scope of talent search educational offerings, including accelerated summer, distance education, Saturday and weekend, and leadership programs. Reported data reveal that over 3 million students have participated in talent search testing since these programs' inception, and subsequently thousands of these students participate each year in other educational programs offered by these organizations. In addition to above-level test scores, data used to prequalify students to participate include on-level standardized achievement tests, teacher or parent nominations, and portfolios. Disproportional representations within talent search testing and educational programs by racial and household income levels were addressed with a need for more financial support and collaborative work between talent search centers and local schools for more students to benefit from the talent search model.

Psychometric Characteristics of the Harter Self-Perception Profiles for Adolescents and Children for Use With Gifted Populations

Moritz Rudasill, K., Callahan, C. M. — 2008-01-07

Assessing the psychometric properties of scores on self-concept measures with gifted students may provide guidance for interpretation and selection of appropriate instruments to use for individual assessments and in studies of self-concept. Given the widespread use of the Harter Self-Perception Profiles for Children and Adolescents, the purposes of this study were to replicate reliability studies of the Self-Perception Profile for Children in a sample of gifted students, to assess the reliability of gifted students' scores on the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, and to examine the validity of scores on both instruments for use with gifted populations. Results provide evidence of validity and reliability for use with gifted populations.

Reviving Perry: An Analysis of Epistemological Change by Gender and Ethnicity Among Gifted High School Students

Thomas, J. A. — 2008-01-07

This study examines development along Perry's intellectual and ethical scale among three successive graduating classes of students identified as gifted and talented in mathematics and science. Perry posits that intellectual development proceeds from a basic dualism through nine stages ("positions") and culminates with a sense of personal identify and commitment. Perry suggests that the college years act as the agent of intellectual development, but others have argued that Perry's scheme is not flexible enough to account for gender- and culture-based differences. This study uses a paper-and-pencil questionnaire to describe developmental characteristics of gifted high school students and examines between-group differences between gender and ethnic groups at the high school sophomore and senior years. All groups showed significant improvement from sophomore to senior year. There were no differences by gender or ethnicity at the sophomore year, but by senior year, significant developmental differences existed among ethnic groups.

Book Review: Jensen, A. R. (2006). Clocking the mind: Mental chronometry and individual differences. Amsterdam: Elsevier. (ISBN 978-0-08-044939-5)

Wai, J. — 2008-01-07

Book Review: Piechowski, M. (2006). "Mellow out," they say. If I only could. Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. Madison, WI: Yunasa. (ISBN 0-9777530-0-X)

Funk, J. R. — 2008-01-07

Editor's Note

Olszewski-Kubilius, P. — 2007-04-03

Ten Commandments for Academic Talent Development

Gagne, F. — 2007-04-03

This article describes a set of 10 positively stated commandments designed to guide professionals responsible for the academic talent development of K-12 students. The first four target identification procedures, the "who" of talent development; they ensue directly from the conceptual framework of my Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. The next five pertain to intervention modalities, the "how" of talent development. The last one stands alone as a reminder of the need for realistic expectations and alternative life goals. Each of them includes detailed explanations aimed at clarifying its exact meaning as well as the reasons for its inclusion in that list.

Implications for Gifted Education

Shaunessy, E. — 2007-04-03

This statewide study of teachers of intellectually gifted students examined teachers' attitudes toward information technology. Participants were 418 teachers of the intellectually gifted in a southeastern state who voluntarily responded to a survey about technology attitudes. Results indicated positive attitudes toward technology, with training in information technology as the greatest predictor of attitude. Age of teacher, number of classroom computers, and staff development in information technology also predicted attitudes toward information technology. The relationship of these findings with previous research of attitudes of general education teachers, implications for technology training for teachers of the gifted, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

The Impact of an Undergraduate Honors Program on Gifted University Students

Hebert, T. P., McBee, M. T. — 2007-04-03

Through a qualitative research design, this study examined the experiences of seven gifted university students in an undergraduate honors program. The findings indicated the students as adolescents experienced a sense of isolation resulting from the differences between their abilities, interests, life goals, religious value systems, and the communities in which they lived. At the university, the participants discovered within the honors program an intellectual and social network with other gifted individuals like them. Together they recognized their strong desire for self-actualization. In advanced-level courses, they found intellectual stimulation and academic challenge. Through several components of the honors program they developed significant psychosocial growth. Throughout their experiences, the honors program director became a mentor and played an important role in facilitating experiences designed to address the diverse needs of these gifted young adults. Implications of the findings are presented along with suggestions for designing appropriate honors program experiences for gifted university students.

Love and Work: The Legacy of Early University Entrance

2007-04-03

This is the second follow-up study of the Early Entrance Program at the University of Washington. Ninety-five individuals (45%) participated. Respondents overwhelmingly chose early university entrance because they were excited to learn; many also praised the peer group, intellectual stimulation, and faculty and staff support. Some reported feeling too young to make important academic, career, and social decisions, with more males regretting the lack of dating partners because of age differences. As the program has matured, so have students' positive experiences in it. Significant differences were found among three groups of students who entered at different points, reflecting this maturation. A wealth of open-ended comments indicated that the program continues to exert a profound and positive influence on graduates' lives.

School Factors and the Underachievement of Gifted Students in a Talent Search Summer Program

Matthews, M. S., McBee, M. T. — 2007-04-03

The topic of underachievement and how to reverse it has received a great deal of attention in the gifted education literature. The present study sought to add to the knowledge base on this issue by investigating the occurrence of underachievement behaviors and their predictors in a population of highly gifted students attending a summer educational program based on the talent search model. A group of 440 students in Grades 8-10 were given the School Attitude Assessment Survey—Revised at the beginning of the program. Attitudes toward and grades obtained in students' regular schools had little to no predictive value on students' academic and behavioral performance during the summer program. Results support qualitative findings in the literature, suggesting that educational interventions can be extremely effective in reversing the expression of underachieving behaviors.

Teacher Education Standards for the Field of Gifted Education: A Vision of Coherence for Personnel Preparation in the 21st Century

VanTassel-Baska, J., Johnsen, S. K. — 2007-04-03

Book Review: Coleman, L. (2005). Nurturing talent in high school: Life in the fast lane. New York: Teachers College Press. (ISBN: 0807746126)

Makel, M. C., Plucker, J. A. — 2007-04-03