Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik

Elementary and Middle School Student Participation in Gifted Programs: Are Gifted Students Underserved?

Most researchers agree that special educational programming is advisable for academically gifted students, although the best type of programming is a matter of controversy. Evidence suggests that effective programs combine ability grouping with curricular modification, but little research has addressed the extent to which high-ability students receive special services in their schools. Here, third through sixth graders scoring at or above the 95th percentile on standardized achievement tests reported on their educational experiences. The most common experience was the pull-out program, but many students stated that they were involved in no special programming. Separate analyses for mathematics instruction yielded similar results. Gender, grade level, type of school (public vs. private/parochial), and above-level EXPLORE scores explained little of the variance in special accommodations. The lack of services reported by many participants is particularly surprising given that members of the sample were both highly able and highly motivated.

The Talent Search Model of Gifted Identification.

The Talent Search model, founded at Johns Hopkins University by Dr. Julian C. Stanley, is fundamentally an above-level testing program. This simplistic description belies the enduring impact that the Talent Search model has had on the lives of hundreds of thousands of gifted students as well as their parents and teachers. In this article, we compare the Talent Search model to school-based models of gifted education. The comparisons are both broad and narrow. Broad contrasts are made in the discussion of the historical impetus, whereas specific differences are presented in the discussion of numbers of students served and costs. Bridging the Talent Search model and K-12 gifted education models is addressed. Assessment information from Talent Search above-level testing offers valuable information for parents and teachers and recommendations for advocacy are presented. Finally, we highlight major findings from Talent Search research emphasizing that Talent Search research has made a significant contribution to our understanding of gifted and talented students. We conclude with a strong endorsement to recognize the founder of the Talent Search model, Julian C. Stanley, by referring to the impact of the Talent Search model as the Julian Stanley Effect.

Gender differences in above-level EXPLORE scores of gifted third through sixth graders

We examined gender differences in EXPLORE scores when taken by gifted 3rd through 6th graders. Boys performed better on Mathematics and Science Reasoning, and girls performed better on Reading, but effect sizes were negligible. In English, boys scored higher in third grade, and girls scored higher in subsequent grades. More boys than girls scored at or above a cutoff of 14 on Mathematics, and more girls than boys scored at this level on English and Reading. Using a cutoff of 25, the male advantage in Mathematics and Science Reasoning increased, but there was no gender difference in English or Reading. These findings parallel those from studies of gifted seventh and eighth graders: Test performance of boys in Mathematics was somewhat stronger than that of girls, regardless of how performance was measured, but results favoring girls in verbal areas were weaker and less consistent.

Elementary student talent searches: Establishing appropriate guidelines for qualifying test scores

Traditionally, talent searches administer college entrance examinations to seventh and eighth graders who score in the top 3-5% on in-grade achievement tests. Research dating back to the 1970s indicates that talent searches effectively provide a specific assessment of ability level in these gifted students. More recently, the talent search model has been applied to third-through sixth-grade gifted students. The Elementary Student Talent Search, for example, uses EXPLORE (a test designed for eighth graders) as an above-level test. Very little research has been conducted on the talent search model as applied to elementary students, however. Our data indicate that talent search participants earn EXPLOR-E scores that are approximately normally distributed and that they compare favorably to eighth-grade norms. EXPLORE scores at or below chance level are rare. Raising the requirements for Talent Search eligibility would increase the number of false negatives more than it would decrease the number of false positives.

Evidence of extreme mathematical precocity: Case studies of talented youths

Case studies of elementary students who are extremely talented in mathematics illustrate a series of principles for educating gifted youths. Parents of such talented youngsters may have to advocate vigorously to ensure that educational accommodations are made. Objective information, such as that obtained from diagnostic testing, can be used in the planning process. The challenge is to find a match between the childs abilities and the curriculum, while balancing academic, social, and physical activities.