Carol A. Carman

Socioeconomic Status Effects on Using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) to Identify the Gifted/Talented

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is said to be a culturally neutral measure of ability that assesses both majority and minority students equally. Although research has examined the effects of ethnicity and gender on NNAT performance, little published research has examined the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and NNAT performance. Correlations and multiple regression were used to examine the relationships between ethnicity, SES, and NNAT performance in a large kindergarten sample. The results suggest a significant relationship between ethnicity, SES, and NNAT performance. Even after adjusting for ethnic differences, children from low-SES families were half as likely as other children to be identified. Putting the Research to Use Does the NNAT really identify students with low-SES backgrounds at the same rate as students from average to high SES backgrounds? Although many believe using a nonverbal test levels the field for all students, the research we present does not support this belief. In this sample, students from average to high SES families were twice as likely to be identified than those from low-SES families. Since nonverbal tests are one of the most used methods of screening for G/T in our schools, if districts wish to continue to use the NNAT, it should not be as a solo measure of ability, but rather as part of a multiple measure process. In addition, districts using the NNAT should calculate the differential of any particular test administration on the basis of gender, ethnicity, SES or other variables to determine if any adjustments need to be made to ensure that elusive level playing field.

Comparing Apples and Oranges Fifteen Years of Definitions of Giftedness in Research

The lack of a unified definition of giftedness leads researchers to use very different operationalizations when selecting a sample of gifted individuals for use in research. We found 104 empirical articles from 38 journals that differentiated between gifted and nongifted students which were analyzed to determine the most common methods of identifying individuals in research. Results of the analysis show a lack of consensus as to what qualifies a person to be defined as gifted for the purposes of research. This lack of consensus leads to lower generalizability of research about giftedness and to an inability for researchers in the field to compare results of studies. An agreed-upon unified definition of giftedness for the purposes of research will lead to a more homogeneous group of participants, which in turn would lead to multiple benefits, including higher external validity in research designs.

Adding Personality to Gifted Identification: Relationships among Traditional and Personality-Based Constructs.

One of the underutilized tools in gifted identification is personality-based measures. Previous research has shown the Overexcitability Questionnaire II (OEQII) is able to differentiate between gifted and non-gifted respondents; however, the OEQII is difficult to administer and has questionable reliability. The Sensory Profile measures a similar construct to the OEQII without those issues. A multiple confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to examine the relationships between traditional identification methods (grade point average, achievement test, intelligence test, high school class rank) and personality-based measures (OEQII and Sensory Profile). The pattern of correlations between the four latent variables indicate this model could be measuring two constructs, one related to traditional intelligence-related aspects of giftedness and the other related to personality-related aspects of giftedness. If that is the case, a personality-based measure could prove to be a good measure of “personality-related” giftedness. Multiple discriminant analyses were then conducted to determine if the identification method would discriminate between gifted and nongifted in a sample of adult students at a large Midwestern university. Traditional identification methods and the OEQII were able to discriminate between gifted and nongifted but the Sensory Profile was not. One potential reason is that both the OEQII and Sensory Profile measure psychomotor and sensual overexcitabilities but only the OEQII measures imaginational, intellectual, and emotional overexcitabilities. Future research finding a personality-based instrument that is easy to administer and reliably measures the imaginational, intellectual, and emotional overexcitabilities is encouraged.

PSAT Component Scores as a Predictor of Success on AP Exam Performance for Diverse Students.

While studies have shown the positive effect of the Advanced Placement (AP) program on college readiness, there are still barriers preventing minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) students who possess high academic potential from participating in the opportunity that AP courses offer. One tool that could help identify students for participation in AP courses is their Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) results. Results from multiple regression analyses suggest that portions of the PSAT are significant predictors of AP test performance above and beyond student ethnicity and/or SES.

Examining the Relationship between TELPAS Reading and TAKS Reading for Students with Limited English Proficiency.

In the performance-driven culture of education today, though arguments regarding the definition of student success abound, few argue its importance. This issue is complicated with an additional dimension for those who are learning English as a second language. For those students who lack proficiency in the English language, academic content must be learned concurrently with the acquisition of the English language. The issue of language acquisition became part of the national education dialogue with the Supreme Court Decision Lau v. Nichols in 1974. It has continued to be a serious issue throughout the country and particularly in the southeast region of Texas. This article will examine how English-language learners (ELLs) are assessed. Specifically, it will focus on the relationship between the standardized academic exam administered to almost all students in Texas and the language acquisition exam for reading administered to almost all ELL students in the state. Furthermore, this article will examine the results of a regression analysis performed to determine the predictive value of using raw scores on the reading test for ELLs to predict raw scores on the standardized academic exam taken by those students at Grades 3, 5 and 8 in the same academic year.

The Relationship between Faculty Diversity and Graduation Rates in Higher Education.

Abstract This study examines the relationship between faculty racial/ethnic diversity and graduation rates of undergraduate students, in particular those from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority populations. Using IPEDS data, the researchers calculated a Diversity Score for each institution. Findings suggest U.S. faculty diversity is lower than in the U.S. national population. Overall graduation rates for underrepresented minority students of all races/ethnicities are positively affected by increased diversity of their faculty.

Using the cognitive abilities test (cogat) 7 nonverbal battery to identify the gifted/talented: An investigation of demographic effects and norming plans

The nonverbal battery of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is one of the two most common nonverbal measures used in gifted identification, yet the relationships between demographic variables and CogAT7 performance has not yet been fully examined. Additionally, the effect of using the CogAT7 nonverbal battery on the identification of diverse demographic groups based on various norming, cutoff, and modifier plans has only just begun to be explored. In this study, we analyzed the CogAT7 nonverbal battery scores of kindergartners from a very large urban school district with a high minority, low socioeconomic status, and high English language learner population to determine the relationships between demographic variables and CogAT performance. The results suggest relationships between CogAT scores and multiple demographic variables, similar to other nonverbal instruments. We also examined the effects of various norming practices, including school-level and group-specific norming, on identification using the CogAT7 nonverbal battery.

Relationship Between Course Length and Graduate Student Outcome Measures

One method to increase flexibility in class offerings is through the use of compressed courses, classes that have the same number of contact hours but over a shorter time period (e.g., 8 weeks vs. 15 weeks). Before offering these courses, it is important to determine whether they lead to equivalent or better student outcomes. This study examined 11 traditional-length and 8 compressed sections of the same graduate-level statistics course. Results indicated students in the compressed class scored significantly higher on both the third exam and final course grade. Student course evaluations were also significantly higher in the compressed courses. Graduate students rated traditional-length and compressed courses similar in difficulty. Implications for course offerings are discussed.

Does Literacy Skill Level Predict Performance in Community College Courses: A Replication and Extension.

ABSTRACT Previous research has found a positive relationship between students who had completed a sequence of developmental reading and writing courses and success in a reading-intensive college-level course. This study replicates and expands upon the previous research of Goldstein and Perin (2008) by utilizing a differently diverse sample and an additional literacy-demanding course in an attempt to broaden the findings. Binary logistic regression and multiple regression analyses were performed on data gathered from a large urban community college. The purpose was to predict success and performance—from literacy, demographic, and academic variables—in two literacy-demanding courses, psychology and geography. A number of variables, including literacy skill level, positively predicted successful grades in the courses. This study found that students who had originally tested into a developmental reading and/or writing course upon entrance into a community college and had taken the sequence of developmental courses prior to taking a content course were more successful than students who had placed into a developmental course, but had not taken the developmental sequence. These findings also suggest the more literacy skills a student has gained through completion of higher levels of English courses, the more likely the student will successfully complete a content course in which those skills are required.