Su búsqueda

The low representation of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse (minority) students in gifted programs is a national concern. This study examined the numbers of minority students in one suburban school district in Arizona. The research focused on the percentage of minority students identified and served in the gifted program to assess the district's representation of their student population. Five schools were selected for inclusion in this study. One school was selected for in-depth analysis. The intention was to determine ways to increase the identification of minority children with high potential and those students who demonstrated exceptional talent and ability. Once nominated or recruited for the program, students were provided supplemental educational experiences that involved advanced learning opportunities designed to help them fully realize their abilities. The purpose of the study was to examine the role of ethnicity in participation rates of students in programs for gifted learners; to explore possible inequities in the identification rates of minority students and to make recommendations for future study. Based on the findings, minority students can be recruited and properly served in programs for gifted students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This Indigenous research project foregrounds the voices of Hupa, Yurok, and Karuk tribal members who reside on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation (HVIR), located in northern California. In an effort to shift the paradigm of education from monological to multilogical; characteristics, qualities, and endeavors that are important to the HVIR community to teach to their children are explored. This study broadens the definition of giftedness, supports the development of transformative knowledge, and validates Indigenous epistemologies by exploring the following research questions: What is giftedness as defined by the HVIR community? What characteristics do HVIR community members identify as indicative of giftedness? How is giftedness illustrated in the community? How does the HVIR concept relate to a set of core attributes associated with giftedness? Indigenous knowledge and the HVIR philosophy and ways of knowing, ground this research. The study design reflects an Indigenous methodology from an HVIR context, while utilizing Seidman's three-part interviewing methods. Data sources include a pilot program, 230 surveys, 23 interviews, and a focus group. Research findings conclude that the HVIR concept of giftedness can be defined through k'winya'nya:nma-awhiniw ("the human way"); to live in balance and harmony with the world, have honor and respect for community members, the environment, ceremony, ancestors, and the creator. Giftedness is illustrated through niltsit (inherited gift), xoL-diniL'ay (learned gift), and contribution. Similarities between the HVIR attributes of giftedness and mainstream attributes of giftedness include: creativity, artistic ability, contribution, task commitment, and interest. Differences in attributes include: intellectual ability, IQ tests, and individualism. A distinct relationship between HVIR attributes of giftedness and attributes of other indigenous groups is clearly evident. This Indigenous research project provides a knowledge base for Native American teacher preparation programs, tribal education programs, public and private school systems, gifted and talented programs, school site councils, researchers, and curriculum developers to advance culturally-based, community-based, and language revitalization teaching strategies. In addition, the development of transformative knowledge is supported by creating a space for Indigenous knowledge in the educational system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The problem examined in this study is that African American students remain underrepresented in the public education system’s gifted and talented or gifted programs because of nomination, assessment, and identification procedures (Bonner, 2005; Ford & Moore, 2005; Joseph & Ford, 2006; Huff, Houskamp, Watkins, Stanton, & Tavegia, 2005; McGlonn-Nelson, 2005; Nugent & Shaunessy, 2003; Villarreal, 2004). The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was twofold. First, the purpose was to examine the lived experiences of 12 regular classroom teachers and 11 African American parents who participated in the nomination of African Americans for programs. Second, the purpose was to determine their perceptions of the nomination, assessment, and identification processes in relation to the underrepresentation of African American students in gifted programs. Based on a gleaning of pertinent themes and patterns within the research participants’ responses, factors contributing to the underrepresentation of African Americans in gifted and talented programs include: (a) misperceptions regarding a student’s race and ability; (b) the lack of parent awareness programs about issues related to gifted and talented education; (c) the need for professional development training related to the needs of minority gifted students; and (d) issues related to testing and assessment instrumentation. Recommendations to key educational leadership stakeholders (federal, state, and local education agency leadership) are to: (a) adopt a unifying Federal Government definition of giftedness for all states and inclusive of student groups underserved; (b) assess gifted and talented program effectiveness; and (c) create professional and staff development programs for K-12 educators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The objective of the study is to validate the CAS Basic Battery for Arabic-speaking children, ages 5.0-7.11 years on a sample population of 49 (21 males, 28 females) Arabic-speaking, Palestinian students, and to cross-validate this with a matched sample of English-speaking, American students (retrieved from the test standardization sample). The Arab participants were recruited randomly from Arab towns and villages in central Israel through a pedagogical center that serves over 3,000 minority Arab students. Data will be analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Cronbach’s alpha was used to obtain reliability coefficients for all subscales within the CAS measure, and a dependent t-test was used to examine differences in the means between the standardization (American) and the Arab samples. An independent t-test was also computed to examine if significant differences exist between the two independent samples (Arab sample = 49 vs. the total American standardization sample = 1,200). Finally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was computed to examine the interaction effect of each of the following variables with the Arab sample: age, gender, and parental education attainment. The validation of CAS provides culturally fair and verbally limited measures of ability for Arabic speaking population. Validated CAS is also an effective measure to identify disorders of basic psychological processes central to the definition of learning disability and to facilitate the identification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, Learning Disabilities, Mental Retardation, and Giftedness. The selection of the population as the focus of the research results from the principal investigator’s background and of the need for more culturally fair measures to serve the Arab school-aged population. A review of the literature reveals an increasing recognition of the need for the development of these measures, yet it remains an underdeveloped area of research within the Israeli Arab-community (JDC-Brookdale Institute Disability research, 2000). In essence, this study advocates for the new development of culturally fair intellectual measures that are psychological process driven rather than general ability driven to better assess intellectual abilities. Validated in Arabic, the CAS – Arabic Edition will serve as a reliable measure and a resource for mental health professionals serving this community, policy makers, and other key stakeholders. In addition, the findings of this study can serve as a point of departure for interested researchers interested in expanding this work in future research activities. Another priority of this present research is to facilitate the identification of children with special needs to receive correct diagnoses, appropriate placement, and ultimately a proper education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

The quantitative study was designed to compare variables that may be applied toward the development of a training process for lay leaders in the United Methodist Church. Specifically, the study was guided by the questions: (a) based on whether leadership training participants completed a self-administered spiritual giftedness inventory and a self-administered leadership and interactive styles inventory prior to training; what difference, if any, exists between responses to the pre-test leadership questionnaire and the post-test leadership questionnaire? and (b) based on the results of a self-administered spiritual giftedness inventory and a self-administered leadership and interactive styles inventory; what difference, if any, exists between responses to the pre-test leadership questionnaire and the post-test leadership questionnaire? A total of 51 lay leaders, from a population of 130 within the North District of the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, participated in the study. Each was randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups received training related to leadership. The treatment group completed a spiritual giftedness inventory and a leadership and interaction styles inventory prior to training, and the control group did not. Pre-test and post-test leadership questionnaires were administered to all participants, and differences in responses from pre-test to post-test were studied. Analysis of data on an ordinal basis employed non-parametric measures to determine central tendency and dispersion. The study was limited in nature as all responses were self reported and not based on behavioral observation. Results indicated a greater difference in pre-test and post-test responses for the group completing a spiritual giftedness inventory and a leadership and interaction styles inventory prior to training, when compared to the group that did not. A .05 significance level was used and statistical significance was achieved at 95%. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Gifted students of mathematics served through acceleration often lack the opportunities to engage in challenging, complex investigations involving higher-level thinking. This purpose of this study was to examine the ways mathematically gifted students think about and do mathematics creatively as indicators of deep understanding through collaborative work on four open-ended tasks with high-level cognitive demand. The study focused on the mathematical thinking involved in students' construction of mathematical understanding through the social interaction of group problem solving. This case study used ethnographic methodology within a social constructivist frame with gifted education and sociocultural contextual influences. Participants were 15 gifted students in an 8 th-grade gifted geometry class. Data collection included field notes, student artifacts, student journal entries, audio recordings, and reflections. Transcribed audio recordings were segmented (Tesch, 1990) into phases of interaction, coded by function, then coded by levels of exhibited mathematical thinking from observable cognitive actions (Dreyfus, Hershkowitz, & Schwarz, 2001; Williams, 2000; Wood, Williams, & McNeal, 2006), and analyzed for maintenance or decline of high-level cognitive demand (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). Interpretive data analysis was connected to data analysis of transcribed recordings. Results indicated social interaction among students enabled them to talk through the mathematics to understand mathematical concepts and relationships, to construct more complex meaning, and exhibit mathematical creativity, inventiveness, flexibility, and originality. Students consistently exhibited these characteristics indicating mathematical thinking at the levels of building-with analyzing, building-with synthetic-analyzing, building-with evaluative-analyzing, constructing synthesizing, and occasionally constructing evaluating (Dreyfus et al., 2001; Williams, 2000; Wood et al., 2006). The results of the study support the claim of a relationship between mathematical giftedness and the ability to abstract and generalize (Sriraman, 2003), provide evidence that given the opportunity, students can construct deep mathematical understanding, and indicate the importance of social interaction in the construction of knowledge. This study adds to the body of knowledge needed in research on gifted education, problem solving, small-group interaction, mathematical thinking, and mathematical understanding, through empirically assessed classroom practice (Friedman-Nima et al., 2005; Good, Mulryan, & McCaslin, 1992; Hiebert & Carpenter, 1992; Lester & Kehle, 2003; Phillipson, 2007; Wood, Williams, & McNeal, 2006). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Researchers have found all five overexcitabilities to be stronger among gifted individuals but gifted gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) students frequently find themselves in a dilemma in which they must choose between academic success and social acceptance. The emotional impact of that dilemma may be heightened significantly for them. Schools have been unresponsive to the needs of gifted GLB students and lack of understanding of these sexually diverse gifted students has only contributed to their challenges. Therefore, I explored this general question: What, if any, differences among the dimensions of overexcitability are related to sexual orientation, giftedness, and/or gender? Requests for participants containing a URL for an online survey were distributed through education, gifted, diversity, and GLBT listservs at eleven geographically-dispersed colleges/universities and via MENSA e-mail lists/newsletters. Quantitative research methods were utilized to study variations in which 965 heterosexual, gay, and bisexual individuals possessed overexcitability characteristics as measured by the Overexcitability Questionnaire II. Gender role was measured with the Bem Sex Role Inventory. The Gifted, Gender, and Sexual Orientation Main Effects were significant, but more importantly, these results were more fully explained by the significant Gender by Sexual Orientation Interaction. Gender Role did not affect the results. Heterosexual males had significantly higher mean Intellectual scores than heterosexual females; heterosexual females had significantly higher mean Emotional scores than heterosexual males; bisexual females scored significantly higher than heterosexual females in Sensual, Imaginational, and Intellectual.; gay males scored significantly higher than heterosexual males in Emotional; and there were no significant differences in Psychomotor for any subpopulation. Other statistically significant results as well as unexpected results were described. In addition, included were implications for (1) Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration and (2) gifted education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The present study aimed to design two instruments and then use them to reveal the psychology of mathematical giftedness in schoolchildren—their mathematical creativity and attitude towards mathematics. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. In the first phase of the study, a mathematical creativity instrument (MCT) and an attitude-scale (AS) towards mathematics were designed. The MCT was composed of nine non-routine mathematical problems aimed to test three factors of mathematical creativity: the ability to discover patterns, the ability to apply symbols and rules, and the ability to express in formalized mathematical language. The MCT was piloted with 209 primary five pupils. The reliability (Alpha) of the MCT was found to be 0.81, and the construct validity of the MCT with the three-factor structure was confirmed by a confirmatory factor analysis with AGFI = 0.99. The AS was composed of twenty-one items aimed to measure five factors of attitude: confidence, perceived value of mathematics, perceived teacher support, interest and commitment, and negative feelings. The AS was piloted with the same 209 pupils. Alpha of the AS was found to be 0.93, and the construct validity with the five-factor structure was confirmed with AGFI = 0.98. In the second phase of the study, the MCT and the AS were used in three groups of primary five pupils: the mathematically gifted group (MG), the average group (AV) and the underachievers' group (U). It was found that MG performed significantly better than both U and AV in all the three factors of mathematical abilities. MG also showed significantly better attitudes than AV in ‘confidence’, ‘value’, ‘interest’ and ‘negative feelings’, and significantly better than U in ‘interest’. In the third phase of the study, five pupils from MG and three pupils from AV were interviewed. Their think-aloud protocols in answering questions from the MCT were studied to reveal their differences in problem solving strategies. It was found that MG tended to spend more time to decode a problem and make suitable analogical transfers. Similarly the five pupils from MG and two pupils from U were interviewed to reveal their differences in attitude towards mathematics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The current instrumental single case study examined teachers’ perceptions of the barriers to identifying gifted African American students for participation in elementary gifted and talented programs. A total of 139 certified teachers voluntarily participated in the study and completed a short 10-item survey, “Why Do We Identify So Few Gifted African American Children?” The study included interviews with teachers of the gifted. The interviews focused on gaining further in-depth knowledge on the use of district-wide screenings as a part of a gifted education identification process. The results of the current study indicated that despite the implementation of a district-wide screening process, African American students remained underrepresented in the studied district’s gifted and talented programs. Survey and interview data supported the findings of the study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Educators lack an efficient means to predict academic success at the high school level. Analysis of assessment scores may provide prediction patterns to help districts raise the percentage of students who persist to graduation, provide support for students who exhibit characteristics of academic risk or giftedness, and move populations closer to meeting Adequate Yearly Progress. To consider assessment data as potential indicators of academic transition success from middle to high school, this study examined the correlation between middle school Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) scores and high school Grade Point Average (GPA). MAP Communication Arts and Mathematics were independent variables. The dependent variable was cumulative freshman-year GPA. Stepwise multiple regression analysis determined a positive correlation between each independent variable and freshman-year GPA. Calculation of the Pearson Coefficient determined that MAP Mathematics demonstrated the strongest relationship. A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the value of MAP Communication Arts and Mathematics scores as predictors of the range of GPA likely to be achieved. Using conditional probabilities, a prediction model was constructed and applied to analyze characteristics of data across a two-year time span. Preliminary identification of student MAP achievement in the Advanced and Proficient categories allowed a comparison to the subsequent GPA range. Ranges were defined by dividing the traditional 4.0 GPA into five categories. Scores in the Advanced and Proficient ranges from each MAP category yielded an excellent accuracy rate for predicting a GPA of 2.5 & above, and a strong accuracy rate for predicting a GPA of 3.0 & above. The Mathematics and Communication Arts categories demonstrated an excellent prediction success rate for the GPA category of 3.5 & above. Results indicate that educators may benefit from adding middle school MAP Mathematics scores to the portfolio when evaluating strengths and weaknesses relative to academic transition to high school. Before deciding upon the usefulness of this tool, a district would benefit from a similar examination of its own data. Factors not considered in this study, such as choice of school improvement model (Professional Learning Community vs. Accelerated Schools) and type of scheduling (block vs. traditional), may yield differing results district-to-district. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

It has been more than three decades since the Marland Report (1972), the first major report commissioned by the U.S. government on the gifted and talented, incorporated the identification of students with potential or demonstrated talent in the arts in federally legislated definitions of giftedness. Many educational researchers have supported the idea that the products in art education and the multifaceted approaches involved in visual expression are measurable constructs (Hardiman, Liu & Zernich, 1992; Clark & Zimmerman, 1992). Because most standardized tests are not appropriate for identification of students with high abilities in the visual arts, researchers have suggested that the identification of such students should be based on diverse multiple-criteria systems with emphasis on student potential and portfolios of products as well as measures of various aspects of students' background, behaviors, skills, and abilities (Clark & Zimmerman, 1992). Researchers in this area have usually approached the problem of identification from a selection standpoint rather than from a classification viewpoint. Therefore, they usually conduct a multiple regression analysis with the assumption that a linear combination of the several predictors is appropriate in forecasting success. The approach used in such studies requires definition of a criterion by which individuals are assigned to one of at least two categories along a criterion continuum (Tiedeman, 1951). Considering the multifaceted nature of artistically gifted and talented individuals, it is very challenging, if not impossible, to collect information about a student in a manner that enables ordering and linear scaling of the overall capability of each person, much less establishing a criterion for individuals to meet. On the other hand, if the program attempts to analyze the set of measurements collected on each applicant who mayor may not be gifted or talented in visual arts, these measurements should then successfully differentiate the level of performance between the subsequently formulated performance groups to which the student belongs. This classification approach to identification eliminates the continuous criterion problem by focusing on both the problem of whether or not the performance of each individual on various variables tends to isolate perceived performance the categorical groups from one another. For the purpose of the study, three groups were created by the researcher to represent students who are (a) exceptional; (b) superior; and (c) eminent. Students with highest giftedness quality were assigned to the eminent group, and least gifted individuals were assigned to the exceptional group by a group of teachers. The first set of data were analyzed with Fisher's discriminant function using group membership as grouping variable and audition, portfolio, and interviews as independent variables. The eigenvalues of the characteristic equation of Sw-1S B were lambda;1 = .136 and lambda;2 = 0.10. One statistically significant discriminant function, called Z1 here, was identified. The chi-square test of Wilks' lambda for Z1 was significant (2 = 19.092 and p<0.005 with df = 6) suggesting that the differences in the mean discriminant scores of the three groups were greater than what could be attributed to the sampling error. The canonical correlation between the three predictor variables and the discriminant scores produced by the first function, (eta; = .346 and eta;2 = 0.120 which is within rounding error of lambda;1 = 0.136), implies that 13.6% of variance in the weighted, combined independent variables is aligned with separation of the three groups of gifted individuals (the dependent variable). These results were cross-validated by the second set of data. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The purpose of this study was to determine if distinct subgroups of high achieving children could be identified using a recently redeveloped intelligence measure-The Woodcock-Johnson Tests or Cognitive Ability, 3rd edition (WJ-III). Students were referred for further testing based on their scores on the Indiana State Test of Educational Progress (the ISTEP+). Students were included in the study if they scored at or above the 90 th percentile on the ISTEP+ Cognitive Skills Index, or the reading and/or math portions. Using these criteria, 202 students were referred for further testing. These students were clustered with Ward's method of cluster analysis using their scores on the seven CHC factors of the WJ-III. Their individual scores on two other intelligence measures (the Stanford-Binet IV and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test), as well as other scores from the WJ-III were used to further describe the clusters that emerged. The following three subgroups were identified: (a) decidedly gifted, (b) problem solvers, and (c) slow-paced achievers. Not all subgroups obtained the gifted score ranges expected on the three measures employed. The clusters were better described as displaying a slight levels effect, in that the groups were most different from one another in terms of the overall intelligence quotient and mean CHC factor scores, with one group scoring in the superior to high average ranges, one in the high average to average ranges, and one in the average range overall. This study provided evidence for the use of intelligence measures in describing gifted individuals' specific strengths and weaknesses. It also has significant implications for the use of intelligence measures in assessing giftedness within an applied setting. This study is useful as a validation study for the three intelligence measures employed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study was conducted to investigate differences between Korean and U.S. gifted and general students perceptions of classroom quality. The Student Perceptions of Classroom Quality (SPOCQ) (Gentry & Owen, 2004) was used to assess student perceptions on their classes on the five constructs: Appeal, Challenge, Choice, Meaningfulness, and Academic Self-Efficacy. The sample included 882 10 th and 11 th grade high school students (221 Korean gifted and 220 Korean general students, 221 U.S. gifted and 220 U.S. general students). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) was used to check measurement equivalence between the original version and the Korean version of the SPOCQ; then 2×2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to examine differences between gifted and general students, and between Korean and U.S. students. Finally, a second 2×2 MANOVA was conducted to examine differences between Korean gifted institutions and grade levels. Results indicated that the original and Korean versions of SPOCQ had the same constructs but did not show invariance across countries. The result of the MANOVA for giftedness by nationality revealed that differences existed between gifted and general students, as well as Korean and the U.S. students. Follow-up discriminant function analysis (DFA) indicated that the Challenge, Choice, and Meaningfulness factors predicted gifted status well; and Appeal, Choice, and Meaningfulness factors made significant contributions for discriminating nationality. The MANOVA for Korean gifted institution by grade level showed that differences existed between a Science Academy and a Foreign Language High School, as well as between 10th and 11th grade students at the Science Academy. DFA revealed that the Choice and Meaningfulness subscales were strong factors to discriminate between the science academy and the foreign language high school; and the Self-Efficacy, Challenge, and Choice subscales predicted grade levels. The findings provide researchers with information on cross-cultural use of SPOCQ and educators with insight into ways to improve their classroom to encourage students' learning and achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This study investigated characteristics of five IMO winners and influences from their formal and informal educational experiences. In particular, this study provides in-depth understanding of former Korean IMO winners' characteristics and environmental influences. Also, implications including education for parents of the gifted, professional development for pre- and in-service teachers, and changes in schools to accommodate the needs of exceptional students are discussed. Mathematical giftedness is in the focus of educational research for decades. One important contribution was made by Krutetskii (1976) who outlined five elements of gifted "readiness for an activity" –positive attitudes, characteristic traits, positive mental state, knowledge, and ability - to understand characteristics of the mathematically gifted. Efforts have been made to understand various influential factors on their talent development. One of the recent examples of such studies important for designing this study was conducted by Muratori et al. (2006). They conducted an in-depth study of two successful mathematicians' development and careers. A flexible school system, parents, and mentors were revealed as highly influential for their talent development. This study employed the case study design and aspects of ethnographical methodology. Partially structured interviews were conducted them, parents of three Olympians, and a professor who led the Korean IMO teams. The grounded theory was employed for data analysis. Results of the study confirmed Krutetskii's (1976) findings of characteristics of the mathematically gifted. Various combinations of readiness for an activity were found in each Olympian. In terms of formal education, deficiencies in supporting and encouraging the mathematically gifted within various aspects of Korean compulsory education were found. Among aspects of informal education, parents' support and participation in competitions were found to be the most influential in identifying students' interest, in guiding students talent development, and in keeping them on the right track. Also, distinctive educational practices such as group tutoring institutions, called Ha-Gwon, and weekly mathematics workbooks were acknowledged while the influence from mentors and peers was minimal. Findings and contributions of this investigation may be of help for teachers and parents of mathematically gifted students assisting them in building environment that will develop students' talent to the fullest. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This case study research was designed to examine the referral process for Washington Gifted Middle School in Peoria Public School District 150 in Peoria, Illinois. The purpose was to determine if perceptions of fourth wade classroom teachers who recommended students to the school were a contributing factor in the disproportionate number of African American students attending the gifted school. The participants were 50 fourth grade teachers in the district who completed the Teachers' Perception of Giftedness Survey (Houghton, 1994) adapted for this study. The survey instrument consisted of three sections. Section 1 included 30 items on a six-point Likert scale that were commonly accepted characteristics of giftedness, characteristics of African American giftedness, and distracters. Numbers were assigned to the ratings to compute the mean, median, and standard deviations. Section II consisted of 10 characteristics associated with giftedness and characteristics of giftedness inherent in African American students. Teachers ranked their highest two choices and lowest two choices. These extreme scores were used to analyze the teachers' perceptions regarding these characteristics. Data collected from the surveys was formatted through the use of a database, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Interviews were conducted with 10 teachers to gain a deeper understanding of their responses to Section I of the survey. During the period of this study, 120 African American students were referred compared to 327 Anglo American students. The results indicate that African American gifted characteristics were viewed as less important than general characteristics of giftedness. Teachers appeared to have varied perceptions regarding gifted characteristics, and those interviewed used very specific definitions of gifted characteristics. Teachers need training to distinguish among the characteristics of giftedness, African American gifted characteristics, and distracters in order to identify and refer more African American students to the gifted school. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has impacted the educational community since its inception in 1983. The theory became the framework for Gifted and Talented Education, in that it broaden the scope of giftedness to be defined in the context of students being identified with nontraditional gifts and talents as well as combinations of giftedness and learning disabilities. The Howard Gardner School has emerged to address the needs of the gifted and talented population in an alternative high school setting based upon the theory of multiple intelligences (MI). The purpose of this portrait was to understand and describe the creation and evolution of the Howard Gardner School (HGS) as it was established to provide an innovative approach to educating the bright and creative student. The study included a review of the literature regarding educating gifted and talented students, MI theory and its practical application, and alternative schools and alternative programs. The investigation attempted to understand how the Howard Gardner School achieved its mission and whether it has remained true to the success factors of an alternative school as well as to the tenets of the theory of multiple intelligences. Data for this study was collected during unstructured interviews, observations, and analysis of documents and artifacts. Findings from this study provided insight for school systems, educators, parents, students, policy makers, and researchers about the unusual or unique situation at the Howard Gardner School and implications for educating gifted and talented secondary students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This is a qualitative study that examined the attitudes and practices of five leaders of minority urban Christian schools in the eastern United States. Each school had to be a member of the Association of Christian Schools International, be at least 75% African American and/or Hispanic, have at least 90 students, enjoy at least 75% reenrollment, and have the same leader for the last three years. The study found the leaders empowered by a strong sense of spiritual calling (responsibility and appropriate giftedness) expressed in missional service to their local communities. Students reenrolled because of satisfying relationships, safety, and good academics at these schools. Knowledge of civil rights history and other urban issues were relatively secondary in the leaders' motivations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

This qualitative study examined the effects giftedness and ADD/ADHD has on the talent development process of gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD. There is abundant research on the negative influences ADD/ADHD has on academic achievement and psycho-social functioning (Barkley, 1998); however, there is a dearth of research on gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD. Talent development and gifted research have found both environmental catalysts, such as a supportive environment, and internal characteristics, such as an internal locus of control and persistence, as contributing to the development of talent (Bloom 1982). These characteristics are the opposite of the characteristics of an individual with ADD/ADHD (i.e. external locus of control, lack of persistence) (Brand, Dunn, & Greb, 2002). The effects of the confluence of these catalysts on the talent development for gifted individuals with ADD/ADHD are less known. The participants of this study were one female and three male college graduates, ages 27–36 years-old, from middle class families from diverse communities. All were identified gifted in elementary school, and two were diagnosed ADD/ADHD as children and two as adults. Data were collected through interviews with the participants and their parents, and assessments. Analysis was conducted through coding, pattern matching, display matrices, and descriptive analysis. Findings revealed the following to be major influences in the talent development process for these individuals: (a) the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, (b) personal support, (c) quality of acceleration, and (d) internal coping mechanisms. More research is needed to determine other factors that may affect talent development in this population and to generalize findings to the wider population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The primary goal of this study is to use Borkowski's model as a guide to explore the role of metacognitive and executive functions skills to help develop a cognitive profile of gifted students. The specific variables to examined included: (1) grade point average (GPA) and achievement level, (2) students'/parents' perceptions of students' metacognitive and EF skills, (3) students' demonstrated EF skills, (4) achievement motivation/personality characteristics and (5) attitudes towards school. The secondary goal was to determine whether gifted students demonstrate superior metacognitive and EF skills. Participants were grade nine and ten gifted students recruited during spring and fall from a high school with a large specialized gifted program. The participants consisted of 59 gifted high school students (35 females, 24 males). In addition to providing information (age, grade, gender), all students completed three paper and pencil questionnaires; (1) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, parents also completed a parent version of this test, (2) Achievement Motivation Profile, and (3) School Attitudes Assessment Survey-Revised. Fall participants were individually administered three subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Students' grade point averages (GPA) were provided by a parent which allowed for categorization as either achievers or underachievers. Results revealed girls had significantly higher GPA than boys and underachievers had significantly lower GPA compared to their achieving peers. Parents and students had similar assessments of students' metacognitive skills: however, parents reported higher levels of Monitoring than students. This gifted sample demonstrated superior EF skills in verbal fluency, however, other demonstrated EF skills fell in the average range. Parents reported that boys had significantly more problems compared to girls in their ability to initiate, monitor, use working memory and plan/organize. Underachievers reported significantly lower levels in their ability to follow-though in achieving and completing tasks, while girls had higher levels in their achievement, motivation and planning/organization. Students had average positive attitudes towards teachers/classes and highly positive attitudes towards school. Results suggest that gender and verbal fluency skills may play an important role in the cognitive profile of this gifted high school sample. These results will also help educators in understanding gifted underachievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

What explains the persistent disparate enrollment of black students in gifted and talented education programs? The bulk of the literature attributes these enrollment patterns to teacher bias against black students, a lack of knowledge about how giftedness manifests itself in black youth, and the apathy of black parents in the identification process. I argue that disparate enrollment persists because of a participation paradox in education. Politicians and policymakers encourage black parents to become involved in the identification process. However, educators are resistant when members of the black community advocate for access to GATE in the same ways that white parents do so because these forms of participation threaten educators' status as identification experts. More specifically, I argue that the distribution of GATE enrollments is a function of how state and federal governments structure the relationship between education advocates (parents and community members) and educators (teachers and administrators). I find that educational outcomes are less a function of teacher bias and parent motivation than they are a function of strategic professional responses to political pressure. I develop the theory of proprietary threat which addresses the question of how democratic responsiveness is achieved in the areas of government where bureaucratic agents are poised to provide the most immediate response to the public. The theory of proprietary threat elaborates on the policy implementer's decision-making process when facing competing claims for public goods within environments with various power-sharing arrangements between national, state, and local governments. The theory posits that policy implementers who want to maintain their status as the primary experts in their fields will be preemptive in policy implementation when members of the public are likely to engage in activities that copy and compete with their services. I employ a multiple-level mixed methods research strategy. The analysis includes an in-depth case study state legislations and statistical analyses of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Survey. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)