Thirty years ago, researchers published what was to become an extremely controversial finding: 12-year-old males were 13 times as likely as females to score over 700 on the SAT-Math, putting them at the top 0.01% (one in ten thousand) in mathematical ability. The controversy was in part about whether these differences were the result of nature (biology/genetics) or of nurture (socialization). The debate has continued throughout the past 30 years. … [Read more...] about Test Advantages Found in Males and in Females
Testing
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement (AP) courses and tests offer college level material to students while they are still in high school. The 37 AP courses currently offered prepare students to take a standardized test of the knowledge and skills acquired in the course. Colleges and universities throughout the U.S. accept the test results as evidence of learning at a level that is largely comparable to what is taught in their classes. … [Read more...] about Advanced Placement
Proficiency and Gifted Students
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has received significant fanfare and criticism over various effects it has had on education. One component that has received substantial attention is the focus on progress toward proficiency. Several reports have been published on the effect this move toward proficiency has had on gifted students. This article synthesizes the issues surrounding proficiency and gifted students. … [Read more...] about Proficiency and Gifted Students
What Does It Mean to Be Gifted?
Successful intelligence is being able to take advantage of one’s strengths, compensate for one’s weaknesses. Successfully intelligent people can adapt, shape, and select their environment to best suit their needs and goals. This perspective may be a useful reference when considering what can be done for gifted kids beyond their school curriculum. … [Read more...] about What Does It Mean to Be Gifted?
“High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB:” A Summary of the Fordham Report
Since its inception in 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) appears to be meeting one of its major objectives: to close the achievement gap between high- and low- achieving students nationwide. The situation, however, is a bit more complicated. While much national attention has focused on laudable improvements among low-performing students, a study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute of NCLB’s effects on high-achieving students indicates less than stellar progress among the nation’s … [Read more...] about “High-Achieving Students in the Era of NCLB:” A Summary of the Fordham Report
First Ever AP Course Audit Benefits Stakeholders
The College Board’s first ever audit of its Advanced Placement (AP) courses is complete, and all stakeholders—the College Board, colleges and universities, AP teachers, and ultimately students—will benefit. … [Read more...] about First Ever AP Course Audit Benefits Stakeholders
AP for Gifted Students Still a Good Choice
The recent audit of Advanced Placement courses mandated by the College Board (see “First Ever AP Course Audit Benefits Stakeholders” in this issue) may cause some parents to question whether AP classes are still a good choice for their gifted children. They are, assures Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska, the Jody and Layton Smith Professor of Education and executive director of the Center for Gifted Education at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. … [Read more...] about AP for Gifted Students Still a Good Choice
Benefits and Drawbacks of State-level Assessments for Gifted Students: NCLB and Standardized Testing
If it seems like students have a lot more standardized testing these days than when you were in school, you are absolutely right. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) mandates annual testing in math and reading for all students in grades 3-8 and, at least once more, in grades 9-12. In addition, many states are piloting standardized testing in science, because NCLB will begin to require such testing in the 2007-08 school year. … [Read more...] about Benefits and Drawbacks of State-level Assessments for Gifted Students: NCLB and Standardized Testing
ACT and SAT: Optional?
Will universities stop requiring students to submit an SAT or ACT score as part of their application? Some universities are finding that scores on these tests are poor predictors of collegiate success. … [Read more...] about ACT and SAT: Optional?
Teaching to the Test and Gifted Learners
Recent educational initiatives have focused on raising the academic ceiling for all students, including the minimum expectations in each subject area at each grade level. State tests assess whether minimum competencies are met, and curricular resources help schools and teachers address each standard and reach established goals. The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented at the University of Virginia recently undertook a two-year study of the implications of such initiatives for the … [Read more...] about Teaching to the Test and Gifted Learners