Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Teaching Middle School Students Math Using The Gifted Supplementary Curriculum “Mawhiba” On Students’ Academic Achievement And Attitude Toward Math In Public Schools In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed M. Alreshidi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of a supplementary math curriculum, “Mawhiba,” that was designed for gifted students, would be appropriate for regular students in a mixed-abilities classroom. The researcher investigated the effects of implementing the Mawhiba enriched supplementary math curriculum on students’ achievements in mathematics and on students’ attitudes toward mathematics in Hail State, Saudi Arabia. The research design was an experimental randomized subject pretest, post-test, control group design. Two schools were chosen (a female middle school and a male middle school). The sample consisted of 121 students (60 males and 61 females). The …

Twice-Exceptional College Students Identified As Gifted And Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comparative Case Study, Connie J. Tagtmeyer

Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

This comparative case study investigated the college experiences of twice-exceptional college students identified as gifted and diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (GTASD). Increasing numbers of students with ASD are entering universities (NCES, 2008; Shattuck et al., 2012) making the identification of supports for their academic success imperative. However, little is known about their college experiences and their challenges in transitioning to higher education settings. This study examined the college experience from the perspective of the GTASD college student. Based on ecological systems theory, five cases were designed that included ten participants. Each of the five cases contained one GTASD college …

Imsa360: Fall 2017, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! It’s a special academic year in that we begin the school year with a full budget! Over the past three years, our colleagues in public schools (K-12), who are under the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), began their school year with a full budget while IMSA and the rest of the universities, which are under the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), began and operated most of the past two years without a full budget.

Excerpt: From the President

Developing Appropriate Challenge And Rigor In The Classroom: Perceptions Of Gifted Middle Schoolers, Noelle Regan

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Gifted education is often overlooked in schools. Reasons for the lack of programming include standardized testing causing teachers to teach to the middle, untrained and underprepared teachers, mistaken ideas of equality, and a lack of funding. Even in schools which offer gifted programming, the education offered gifted students often does not meet the educational needs of the gifted student. Although much literature exists regarding the lack of rigor afforded gifted students, the students themselves are often left out of the reporting of results. This is especially true at the middle school level. Utilizing the perceptions of students, this study examined …

Learning Opportunities 2017/2018, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of five courses (2.5 credits) for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail) not including Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count towards graduation credit.

Perceptions Of Peer Group Interactions On Self-Efficacy And Academic Identity Of African-American Students In Advanced Placement Classes., Tinisha Yvette Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The last several decades have seen numerous efforts to close the achievement gap and minimize educational disparities between for students of color. This study explored the participants of one state-based initiative to increase the number of marginalized students (e.g., low socioeconomic status, students of color) in gifted classrooms. Research suggests that the educational experiences of gifted students of color is vastly complex, even multidimensional and is particularly influenced by sociocultural factors. For gifted African-American students these issues may be exacerbated as they struggle with identity development due to ostracizing from peers for their pursuit of academic excellence (Fordham & Ogbu, …

Investigating The Use Of A Structured Self-Determination Curriculum With Students With Gifts And Talents, Rebecca Carolyn Norton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of K-12 education in the 21st century is to graduate students fully prepared for college and careers. The skills necessary for a successful transition from postsecondary education to adulthood are the skills of self-determination. These skills include: (a) goal setting, (b) self-evaluation, (c) collaboration, (d) listening and communication, and (e) problem solving. Though elementary students with gifts and talents express an interest in career exploration, and often choose careers that require postsecondary education, they do not receive the guidance or skills to prepare them for life beyond school. No curriculum currently exists to teach these skills to students …

The Plight Of The Gifted Student: A Call To Action, Krista M. Shilvock

Empowering Research for Educators

With so many needs in today’s public education classroom, we cannot forget the needs of those who excel in the classroom, too. Gifted students face severe neglect in class due to the appearance of their competence and maturity. However, we quickly face losing the contributions of a major group of students as this neglect causes them to lose interest in their own education. As teachers, we must challenge ourselves to help gifted students reach their potential just as we attempt to do for all subgroups of students. A poll of 22 gifted students confirms these frustrations and needs of students. …

Gifted Culturally Linguistically Diverse Learners: A School-Based Exploration, Robin M. Greene

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explore educators’ perceptions of characteristics, needs, and practices relating to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners. The research questions guiding the study included the following: What are educators’ perceptions of the characteristics, needs, and practices related to gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners? How do educators describe their understanding of culturally responsive teaching as it relates to diverse gifted learners? What are school-based practices for gifted culturally linguistically diverse learners that support or hinder learning?

This study focused on an elementary school within Colorado. Seventeen …

Motivating Students With Different Needs, Elizabeth L. Boyd

Honors College Theses

The study that was conducted focused on the similarities and differences in the way the teachers of gifted students, the teachers of students with special needs, and the teachers who teach on­-level students, motivate their students. The teachers that were interviewed will teach students from one or more of the different ability levels, in order to achieve a range of data. The gap that this research filled is the more specific and detailed ways that teachers believe can be used to motivate students and what methods work across multiple ability levels. Studies have shown that teachers have an exceptional influence …

A Study Of Parent Perceptions Of Advanced Academic Potential In The Early Grades, Jennifer L. O'Brien

Honors Scholar Theses

Parents are key stakeholders in children’s education; this project, which is part of a larger study about early identification of high potential, focused on parent awareness of the behaviors that indicate high potential and the kinds of resources that would support developing academic potential in the early grades (grades K-2). This project consisted of an online parent survey and a parent workshop with a card sort component in which parents indicated what kinds of resources would be priorities. The study took place in three school districts with large populations of families from low-income backgrounds. A total of 38 parents completed …

2017 Imsaloquium, Student Investigation Showcase, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMSAloquium Event Booklets

"This is IMSA's 30th year of leading in educational innovation and the 29th year of the Student Inquiry and Research Program (SIR)! Welcome to another year of profound investigation and discovery! In these pages, you will find exciting abstracts on a variety of fantastic studies done by IMSA's great minds."

Asynchronous Gifted Students & Human Rights Education: A Residential Life Curriculum Guide Aimed At Supporting Subcultures And Underrepresented Populations, Derek M. Lough

Staff Publications & Research

This Masters Field Project for the International & Multicultural Education Department at the University of San Francisco serves to provide an incomplete, but fairly comprehensive guide to studies that describe the general educational situations of subcultures and underrepresented populations within the context of gifted education and the framework of human rights education. The programs within it adhere to the standards set for Residential Life at the Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy, follow Dr. Monisha Bajaj's six steps for a complete human rights education in the field while also incorporating Dabrowski's Theory of Disintegration.

The Effects Of Contract Activity Packages On Boredom In A Sixth-Grade Accelerated Math Class, Joanna Bartlett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is currently a lack of research aimed at determining the boredom level experienced by sixth grade students participating in an accelerated math class, as well as suitable strategies aimed at helping students avoid it. This quantitative quasi-experimental static-group comparison study investigated boredom levels with the implementation of Contract Activity Packages (CAPs), a strategy specifically related to combatting boredom for gifted and talented students, into a sixth-grade accelerated math class. Data were collected from 138 sixth-grade students participating in an accelerated math class via the boredom scale of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire – Mathematics (AEQ-M) and analyzed using a two-way …

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Trailblazer Award, Claudia Flores '93

Alumni Trailblazer Award

Ms. Flores is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) at The University of Chicago Law School. IHRC works to promote and protect the human rights of individuals and communities globally. Prior to The University of Chicago Law School, Flores was a partner in the civil rights practice of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. Additionally, she served as constitutional and legal advisor for the United Nations in East Timor and Zimbabwe. She also managed a program of the American Center for International Labor Solidarity to combat human trafficking in Indonesia …

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award, Vincent Enriquez '99

Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award

Major Enriquez served as part of Operation Enduring Freedom with deployments in Afghanistan and PACOM Theater. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Sapper Tab, Ranger Tab, and Special Forces Tab. His foreign awards include the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), and Australian, Korean, and Thai Airborne Wings. Army Ranger and Special Forces “Green Beret” Major Vincent Enriquez graduated from the United States Military Academy with a …

Recipient Of The 2017 Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award, Julie Comerford '98

Alumni Distinguished Leadership Award

Dr. Comerford is Assistant Professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she works on observations of kpc-scale separation dual supermassive black holes in merger-remnant galaxies. These objects are observable when one or both of the supermassive black holes accrete gas as active galactic nuclei (AGN), in systems known as offset AGN and dual AGN, respectively. She uses research as a tool for education, teaming up with PhD Comics to create a video “Black Holes Explained,” which has received over 50,000 views on YouTube. Additionally, she has been working to improve equity …

“Living The Imsa Values: Respecting Our Cultural Differences” : Remarks To All School Assembly, José M. Torres

Keynotes, Speeches, and Lectures

Last September, during Labor Day weekend, I took my 6-year old grandson, Malachi bowling. Of course, we had to have the bumpers up against the railing, which helped me immensely with my own gutter balls. During one of the games, when Malachi threw his ball it got kind of stuck between our lane and the one next to ours. The ball was almost at the other lane when I instantaneously dashed toward the ball. I didn’t realize, or had forgotten, that the lanes are greased and very slippery. Upon crossing the line, I immediately went up about 3 feet in …

Imsa360: Winter 2017, Imsa Fund

IMSA Fund Reports

IMSA is nurturing a strong and diverse pipeline of innovative leaders for Illinois and the world, preparing them to solve the most complex social problems of our time.

Innovation is part of IMSA’s legacy. In fact, IMSA alumni have been driving the technology sector over the past decade. Andrew Baptist ‘94, Greg Dhuse ‘99, Dusty Hendrickson ‘01 and Ethan Wozniak ‘99 are responsible for 212 of 350 patents generated by data storage leader, Cleversafe. Sam Yagan ‘95 relocated his tech company, ShopRunner, to Illinois and also co-founded OkCupid, SparkNotes, Techstars Chicago and Corazon Capital. Jessica Droste Yagan ‘95, CEO of …

2017 Intersession Catalog, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Intersession Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Imsa 2017 Profile, Office Of College And Academic Counseling

IMSA Profile

"The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy® (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students (grades 10-12) in its advanced, residential college preparatory program. 99.5% of graduating seniors matriculate to colleges and universities."*

*Excerpt from the IMSA 2017 Profile

A Description Of Early Access In Colorado, Ruthi Manning-Freeman

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Early access, as defined in Colorado statute, remains optional. There is a shortage of administrative units engaged in an early access process to admit gifted young learners ahead of neurotypical age peers. Only 21 school districts currently use their addendum as evidenced by the receipt of Colorado state funding. Indeed, “there exists a basic lack of awareness of the effectiveness of the intervention, the impact on the student’s social-emotional development, as well as concern for the lack of consistent procedures for making this decision” (Assouline, Colangelo, Van Tassel-Baska, & Lupinski-Shoplik, 2015, p. 54). In this retrospective mixed-methods study, the researcher …

Uncovering The Gifts In English Language Learners, Sheri J. Collier

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

This research study addresses the problem of practice of the underrepresentation of English language learners (ELL) in gifted and talented (GT) services. The literature provided several reasons for the underrepresentation of ELL students being identified as gifted. One reason cited in the literature was teachers’ lack of referrals or understanding the characteristics of ELL students who may be gifted (Barkan & Bernal, 1991; de Wet & Gubbins, 2011; Esquierdo & Arreguín-Anderson, 2012; Ford & Grantham, 2003; Harris, Rapp, Martínez, & Plucker, 2007). The literature also stated assessment play a major role in identification practices (Anguiano, 2003; Barkan & Bernal, 1991; …

Fandoms In The Lives Of Gifted Individuals With Imaginational Overexcitabilities, Jessica B. Delallo

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Fandoms are communities, either officially or unofficially organized, that are dedicated to the love of a particular person, team, fictional series or character (Barton & Lampley, 2014). According to the Belonging theory (Gailliot & Baumeister, 2006), people yearn for belonging because it provides them with a sense of identity, self-esteem and self-worth. Gifted individuals often have unique social-emotional characteristics, such as overexcitabilities (OE), which set them apart from their non-gifted, non-OE counterparts because they actually experience life in a very different way (Neihart et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the role of fandoms in the …

Seeing The Unseen: An Educational Criticism Of A Gifted School, Kate A. Bachtel

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

There is systemic oppression of gifted children in many traditional school models resulting in disenfranchisement (Chu & Myers, 2015; Delisle, 2014). Yet, how can teachers be responsive to aspects of student development that they cannot see or do not understand? All students deserve instruction responsive to their unique strengths and needs, inclusive of gifted students. This study explores the aspirations and practices of a school designed to empower diverse gifted children. The selected school site is located in an urban area in the western United States and has been serving gifted students with a creative approach for more than 25 …

Affective Learning Opportunities For Gifted Adolescents, Jessica Anne Howard

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

The importance of teaching children and adolescents about affective content has recently become more of a priority in the realm of education, especially when working with gifted learners. The Colorado Department of Education requires that students on Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) write an annual academic and affective goal. The problem of practice guiding this research is the lack of services and support for gifted adolescents to achieve healthy affective development and to write affective goals. It appears that opportunities for students, especially secondary students, to learn about affective content are limited. This multiple case study examined factors contributing to gifted …

The Relationship Between Advanced Academic Services And College Readiness Among Public High School Students In Rural Remote Appalachian Kentucky, Franklin Brian Thomas

Online Theses and Dissertations

The importance of college to the individual and society has prompted recent policies and accountability systems to emphasize college readiness as the primary benchmark for high school success. Advanced/honors courses, Advanced Placement (AP)/dual credit courses, and gifted programs are the most common advanced academic service options available in public schools to ensure college readiness. This study investigated 2014-2015 school year data associated with 2,792 students in five high schools in five different school districts in rural remote Appalachian Kentucky. The goal was to see which advanced academic service was most associated with college ready students. College readiness was measured in …