Identification of Students for Gifted Programs and

Assessment of Gifted Students for Programming:

What’s the Difference?

Presented at the

Pennsylvania Department of Education Conference

by

Susan Assouline, Ph.D.

Associate Director of The Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education

Presentation Goals• Identification and Assessment – are they synonymous?• Identification in the K-12 systems• Ability/ Achievement continuum • The discovery model of University-based talent searches• Group vs. individual tests as a component of assessment• Special Issues

• General vs. specific aptitude• Students who are still learning English – are nonverbal tests

the answer?• Twice-exceptional learners – a case example of the

importance of a comprehensive assessment

Identification and Assessment – are they synonymous?

Identification: Testing

to determine qualification for

A program

Assessment:Testing

to answer a referral question

Identification and Assessment – are they synonymous?

• IdentificationIdentification typically means selecting typically means selecting students for a program should be based students for a program should be based on program criteria. It usually includes on program criteria. It usually includes testing testing as a major component to the as a major component to the decision-making processdecision-making process

• Assessment Assessment includes includes testing testing as one of as one of four components of a comprehensive four components of a comprehensive process focused on responding to a process focused on responding to a referral question referral question

Identification (K-12)typically means selecting typically means selecting

students for a program and students for a program and should be based on program should be based on program

criteria.criteria.

Why Test/AssessTesting produces facts. Assessment

adds meaning to those facts within the context of the person/ group who is/are being assessed.

Placement vs. ProgrammingFor gifted students, placement may be

part of the goal, but this should not be in the absence of programming.

Definitions of Giftedness andProgramming

What role does a definition play in identification ?What role does a definition play in identification ?

Who is served by the definition?Who is served by the definition?

Who is NOT served by the definition?Who is NOT served by the definition?

What is your personal definition of giftedness? What is your personal definition of giftedness?

Which comes first – the definition or the student?Which comes first – the definition or the student?

Does your district have a definition of giftedness? Does your district have a definition of giftedness?

How does the definition relate to the program?How does the definition relate to the program?

• Program definitionProgram definition

• Take a few minutes to describe your district’s Take a few minutes to describe your district’s program. Is it:program. Is it:• Enrichment . . . pull-out from regular classEnrichment . . . pull-out from regular class• Self-contained gifted programSelf-contained gifted program• Subject acceleration (e.g., math)Subject acceleration (e.g., math)• Autonomous Learner Model (ALM)Autonomous Learner Model (ALM)• Classroom DifferentiationClassroom Differentiation

Identification

Program goals: add depth and breadth to the regular curriculum. Delivery systems include:

Resource room, special interest clubs, summer programs, etc.

Approaches to instruction focus on:Process, Content, Product

Enrichment Programs (K-12)

• www.nagc.org/CMS400Min/index.aspx?id=37

• www.nagc.org/CMS400Min/index.aspx?id=677

• www.penngifted.org/

Pennsylvania TAG

• Total Student Population (K-12): Total Student Population (K-12): 1,820,1361,820,136

• Number of Identified Gifted Students Number of Identified Gifted Students 76,54976,549 ((Gifted Gifted identification only; there may identification only; there may be others who have a primary be others who have a primary identification of identification of disabled.)disabled.)

• State Funding for Gifted and Talented State Funding for Gifted and Talented EducationEducation

• $2.5 million$2.5 million Gov. School & RSSE (2003- Gov. School & RSSE (2003-2004) and (2004-2005)2004) and (2004-2005)

• Mandate for ID and ServicesMandate for ID and Services, early , early entrance permittedentrance permitted

• Dual enrollment and alternate high Dual enrollment and alternate high school certificate – school certificate – local decisionlocal decision

Pennsylvania TAG: Statistics and Policies

Gifted Education – K-12 or precollege• In-School Programming

– Goal of SEM = a comprehensive menu of challenging opportunities

– Identification of students for SEM = above-average achievement, creativity, and motivation

– (Gifted students with disabilities may be inadvertently excluded from participation)

• Outside-of-School Programming

1972 the Talent Search is established (Gifted students with disabilities may be

inadvertently recruited for participation)

Program goals: add depth and breadth to the regular curriculum:

Resource room, special interest clubs, summer programs, etc.

Identification of students = above-average achievement, creativity, and

motivation

Which of these three is easiest to measure?

Identification for K- 12 Programs

What is the relationship between ability, aptitude, and achievement testing?

Ability Aptitude Achievement

IQ Talent Search ITBS

Grade-level tests can not provide sufficient information to plan for excellence

What Happens When Students with Scores at the Upper Percentiles Take an Above-level test?

There is a new bell curve.

Some students who were at the upper percentiles on the grade level test also score well on the above-level test;

others do not do as well

What is a talent search?

Why is it a system of discovery rather than identification?

How do students benefit from a talent search?

What have we learned about talented students who have participated in talent searches?

Talent Search as a Discovery Model of Gifted Students

Alternatives to Acceleration• Enrichment• Pull-out Resource• Classroom Differentiation• Independent Projects• Cooperative Learning• Special-topic Projects• Field Trips• Competitions

• Some students’ needs can be met be these approaches

• Anything that helps is a plus

but:These Alternatives are

Weaker• Because, for high ability

students none of these approaches has produced the compelling research evidence of acceleration.

18 forms of acceleration identified in A Nation Deceived

Those 18 forms fall into one of two broad categories:

Subject-based acceleration Students typically remain with peers of same age and grade

Grade-based acceleration (“grade skipping”)Students typically do not remain with same-age peersAppropriate for most highly talented students

Types of Acceleration and Identification of Gifted Students

Provides student advanced content, skills, and understanding before expected age or grade level

• Single-subject acceleration• Compacted curriculum• Distance learning• Talent search programs• Independent study/Mentoring• AP courses

Subject-based Acceleration

Shortens the number of years a student remains in the K-12 school system

• Early entrance to kindergarten or first grade• Grade skipping• Multi-grade classrooms• Grade telescoping (2 years in one)• Early admission to college

Grade-based Acceleration

“Not only was academic achievement more positive for the grade skipped learners, but also their social adjustment and academic

self-esteem were more positive.”

Karen B. RogersUniversity of St Thomas (Minnesota)

Grade-based Acceleration

Pacing: Rate of Instruction

Salience: Prominence to Others

Peers: Degree of Social Separation

Access: Availability of Offerings

Timing: Age of Options

From Nation Deceived Chapter 1 (Southern & Jones)

www.nationdeceived.org

Dimensions to Acceleration

Assessment and Acceleration Decisions: Ability Tests

• Supplemental– Cognitive Abilities Test– Otis-Lennon School

Ability Test– Raven’s Progressive

Matrices– Slosson Intelligence Test– Other

• Required– Cognitive Abilities Test– Differential Ability Scales– Kaufman Assessment

Battery for Children– SB:V– WISC-IV– Woodcock-Johnson

Cognitive Ability Scale

Assessment and Acceleration Decisions: Aptitude and Achievement Tests

• Achievement– Group Administered

• California

• ITBS

– Individually Administered• Stanford Diagnostic

Mathematics or Reading

• Woodcock Johnson III- Achievement

• Aptitude• EXPLORE• ACT• CAT• PLUS• SAT• SCAT• CTP-IV

Verbal and Non-verbal tests: Which is the better predictor?

What is the proper role of testing in identification of gifted students who are not fluent in English?

Students for whom English is not their first language/ or the dominant language in the home:

Can students be gifted and disabled?

Javits Twice Exceptional Project

The SLD component:– Diagnosis of SLD has doubled since it was

introduced as a category in 1975– Extensive number of articles, mainly

anecdotal case studies, and not necessarily with gifted students

Twice Exceptional Students

Gifted StudentsStudents with

Disabilities

Special Education• 1975 Federal Legislation• Evolution of the categories (currently 13) as

understanding increased• Dramatic increases in numbers

– From 1991 to 2000 an increase of 28.4% in the number of students ages 6 to 21 receiving services; in 2005, 13.8%

– In 1976, only ¼ of students were considered LD, but by 1990, LD represented ½ and LD has maintained its first-place rank

IDEA 2004• Gifted and Talented Students with a

disability are recognized as one of the groups of students whose needs have priority in US DOE grants to guide research, personnel preparation, and technical assistance

Specific Learning Disabilities

• Students with “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations including conditions such a perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental apahasia.” (Similar to federal definition)

Disorder of Written Expression

• Writing skills below expectations given age, IQ, and age-appropriate education

• Interferes with academic achievement or writing grammatically correct sentences and organized paragraphs

• If sensory deficit present, difficulties in writing are more than what is associated with the deficit

The Assessment ProcessComprehensive assessment to rule-out Comprehensive assessment to rule-out

Specific Learning Disorder includes:Specific Learning Disorder includes:

Individualized Intelligence Test -(WISC-IV)

2 Individualized Achievement Tests (e. g., WJ-III and the WIAT)

Behavioral Assessment (BASC-2) Self Report, Parent, and Teacher Scales

Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, (VMI)

Grooved Pegboard Test

Results -- AbilityIQ Scales (Wechsler) Median RangeVerbal Comprehension (VCI)126 112-150Perceptual Reasoning (PRI) 121 108-138Processing Speed (PSI) 91 83-112

General Ability Index** 124 101-148

*** WJ-Cog for 3 students not reported

Results -- AchievementWJIII Scales Median RangeBroad Written Language 96.5 80-115 Spelling 97 65-129 Writing Fluency 93 66-114 Writing Samples 99 70-119 Editing 103 91-116

Cognitive ProfileAbility and Achievement DiscrepanciesAbility and Achievement Discrepancies

Processing SpeedBroad WL

General AbilityVerbal Ability

Case Example: Specific Learning

• A.L.—A bright student with problems completing assignments

• Age 17, Junior in High School• Current classes include

– AP Language and Composition– Physics– Chemistry– Anatomy and Physiology– Pre-Calculus

• Interests– Reading (science fiction, suspense)– Computers

Disability in Written Language

Brief background• Developmental

– Healthy – Genetic vision abnormality (esotropia) Dx age 9 mos.

(glasses)– Developmental milestones normal, except reading (age 8)– Periodic complaints of eye fatigue and headaches

• Educational– Home-schooled through 3rd grade– Public school beginning in 4th grade– 4th Grade ITBS: Reading 98, Language 64, Math 99

Brief background

• Previous evaluation by AEA– Prompted by

difficulties in written language in 6th grade

– Assessment: Woodcock-Johnson Written Language (Grade percentiles)

Spelling 73Writing Fluency

30

Writing Samples

97

Editing 69Punctuation/Capitalization

88

Brief background

• AEA Interventions during 6th grade• Direct instruction in writing & editing

strategies– Promotion of writing fluency– Instruction on ways to manage frustration– Recommendations for future use of

dictation/computer

7th Grade ITBS Scores

• Total Scores (National Percentiles)

Reading 99

Language Capitalization Punctuation Usage/Expression

90517999

Math 99

Social Studies 99

Science 94

Composite 99

10th Grade ITED Scores

• Total Scores (National Percentiles)

Reading 99

Revising Written Materials

79

Math 94

Social Studies 98

Science 97

Composite 97

ACT (11th Grade)

• Total Scores (National Percentiles)

English 70

Math 81

Reading

87

Science 90

Composite

89

Assessment Results (WAIS-III)

Index Standard Score

Percentile

Verbal Comprehension Index

138 99

Perceptual Organization Index

109 73

Working Memory Index

108 70

Processing Speed Index

96 39*Full Scale IQ=119

Assessment Results (WJIII)

Composite Score Standard Score

Percentile

Broad Reading 117 87

Broad Math 119 90

Broad Written Language

105 62

Oral Language 123 94

Assessment Results (WJIII):

Written Language Composite (Standard Score/ Percentile)

105 62

Spelling 111 77

Writing Fluency 93 32

Writing Samples 111 77

Editing 111 77

Written Language

Assessment Results

Composite (Standard Score/Percentile)

99 47

Spelling 103 58

Written Expression 96 39

WIAT-II Written Language

Beery VMI: Standard Score=94, 34th percentile

Grooved Pegboard: Dominant hand (Right) > 2 S.D. below Mean,

Non-dominant hand WNL

Conclusions• Uneven cognitive profile (Very Superior

verbal abilities; Average in other areas)

• Learning Disability in Written Language

- VCI 138 vs WJIII WL Index 105 and WIAT-II WL Composite 99

- Much more apparent when asked to compose written essay than when responding to structured or multiple choice items.

• Previously able to compensate, now increased expectations for amount and complexity of written work

1. Support talent areas as well as special needs in written language

2. Establish 504 Plan to provide services in WL

3. Consider strategies:

1. Promotion of keyboarding skills

2. Use of voice recognition software

3. Direct instruction of organizational skills for writing assignments

4. Use of graphic organizers or webs

5. Record lectures

Selected Recommendations

Selected Recommendations4. Obtain tutoring in AP Language Arts

5. Continue participation in TAG and AP courses in appropriate areas

Conclusions about assessing twice- exceptional students

Comprehensive evaluations are necessary to identify twice-exceptional students with SLD in WL

RTI – helpful to know interventions attempted to guide recommendations

Students’ performance not because they are lazy or unmotivated – because of a disability

Clinical evaluation needs an educationally tailored report

Questions/Comments?

Thank you