Julia Link Roberts

Peer Relations and School Adjustment in Ungraded Primary Children.

Researchers have reported a significant relationship between peer relations and school adjustment in same-age classrooms, but little is known about the contribution of peer relations to school adjustment in mixed-age classrooms. The present study investigated the contributions of peer acceptance, friendship, social status, and age relative to mixed-age classmates to childrens attitudes toward school and to achievement in ungraded primary. Childrens attitudes toward school were positively related to composite achievement scores. Achievement was predicted from demographic variables, childrens attitudes, peer acceptance, and friendship status. With the effects of gender and race controlled, differences in school adjustment were related to both childrens social status and whether they had friends.

Relationship between levels of giftedness and psychosocial adjustment

This study compares two groups of gifted students, highly (N=74) and moderately (N=163) gifted, on a number of scales including self‐concept, emotional autonomy, and anxiety. Although a measure of academic ability was used to create distinctive ability groups, the results did not support the hypotheses that highly gifted students would be more likely to display lower self‐concepts and more adjustment problems than the moderately gifted group. These findings are examined in light of past research on differences in highly and moderately gifted students.

Effect of Social Setting, Self-Concept, and Relative Age on the Social Status of Moderately and Highly Gifted Students.

This study compares the social status of highly gifted (N=42) and moderately gifted (N=86) students across academic (classroom) and social (dormitory) settings. Giftedness was not significantly related to social status in either setting. Two social statuses, popular and rejected, were significantly stable across settings. Furthermore these statuses were related to peer nominations for getting along, fighting, and being shy, to social and academic measures of self‐concept, and to age relative to the peer group. These findings are examined in light of other research on gifted‐ness and social status.

The Gatton Academy: A Case Study of a State Residential High School with a Focus on Mathematics and Science

This article describes the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, a residential high school for juniors and seniors supported by the state budget. The school opened in 2007 after 10 years of advocacy and planning, including the retrofitting of Schneider Hall to be the home of the Gatton Academy and The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University. Students at the Gatton Academy earn a minimum 60 college hours and a high school diploma. This article describes the mission, the curriculum, benefits to the sending school and school district as well as to the student, support for students, and the recognition for students and the Gatton Academy. This special school is 1 of 15 state residential high schools with a focus on mathematics and science that are supported by the state budget.

Lessons Learned: Advocating for a Specialized School of Mathematics and Science

Ten years of advocacy targeted at establishing a statewide residential school of mathematics and science offers valuable lessons. These lessons learned from one advocacy journey can be applied to other advocacy efforts and generalized beyond this particular example. Therefore, this article provides more than a description of one advocacy story. Rather, it highlights 11 lessons learned from this case study. These lessons can be used to guide planning to build advocacy in order to reach other goals as well.

Extending Educational Opportunities.

The events of the middle school years have a profound effect on what young gifted students accomplish during high school. In subscribing to the importance of the middle school experience, the Western Kentucky University Javits project focuses on ways to extend educational opportunities for gifted middle school students. The project was a collaborative effort of Western Kentucky University, the Kentucky Department of Education, and seven school districts selected to represent all regions of the state. This encouraged opportunities for staff development and dissemination across the state. In addition to the geographical spread, districts were selected with superintendents willing to provide support for project goals and represented urban and rural areas as well as small and medium-sized towns. An overarching concern was addressed as gifted middle school students were asked for suggestions for making middle schools more interesting and challenging. The opinions offered by the students called for: • More creative teaching; • Advanced classes; Fewer worksheets; Less repetition and review; More challenging classes; Mentoring program; More independent study; Treating academics like sports; and Less lecture. Two questions provided focal points for ongoing planning and staff development during the project. First, in what ways can appropriate educational opportunities be extended for middle school students who are gifted? Second, in what ways can teachers, teacher educators, and parents shape opportunities to meet the needs of students who are talented in one or more specific content areas?

Teachers as Advocates: If Not You--Who?.

Teachers, including teachers of children and young people who are gifted and talented, care about educational issues; and, consequently, they need to advocate for issues impacting their students. Strategies for advocating are described—strategies for advocating with colleagues at the school level, in the community for district-wide issues, and at the state and national levels for policy and legislative issues.

Development of a Student Interest in Mathematics Scale for Gifted and Talented Programming Identification

The study’s purpose was to develop and validate a scale for assessing interest in mathematics among elementary students as part of an identification protocol for gifted and talented programming. Lohman recommends assessment of interest as a critical element within the ideal approach to identification. Hidi and Renninger’s Four-Phase Interest Development Model was identified as the theoretical model most closely aligned to identified interest factors. Their model along with current research literature informed and guided the creation of the measure. Items were created to assess emotion, value, perceived knowledge, and behavioral engagement in and outside of school. Three waves of data were collected utilizing second through sixth graders. The first exploratory factor analysis (EFA) resulted in the deletion of one factor. The second EFA reaffirmed the four-factor structure; in addition, the number of items was reduced. The confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a good model fit, supporting factor validity.

Differentiating Inservice Through Teacher Concerns About Education for the Gifted

Gifted students require differentiated curriculum, and teachers of gifted students require differentiated inservice which addresses their needs with those students. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) developed at the Texas Research and Development Center for Teacher Education provides a framework for developing differentiated inservice. This article describes the use of one CBAM dimension, Stages of Concern About The Innovation, to match inservice opportunities to the needs of teachers.

Current Status of Twice-Exceptional Students: A Look at Legislation and Policy in the United States.

ABSTRACT Educational legislation and policy can lead to effective educational practices, especially for student populations that have had equal access to education addressing their needs, such as students with disabilities and gifted students. This study was an examination of state legislation and policy related to twice-exceptional learners in the United States. Forty-two administrators from state departments of education completed questionnaires, and 131 state policy and legislation documents were reviewed to reveal mention of twice-exceptional learners. Results indicate the (a) lack of state legislation and policy related to twice-exceptional students; (b) need for collaboration among general, gifted, and special education professionals; (c) importance of specific definitions and characteristics for twice-exceptionality; and (d) existence of models for initiatives related to twice exceptionality. The researchers intend for these results to lead educators to advocate for the inclusion of twice-exceptional learners in law and policy at state and national levels.