Joyce VanTassel-Baska, College of William and Mary National Science Board August 24, 2009 Washington DC

  The general educational landscape The intersections with gifted education  Research on giftedness and talent development  Applications to policy and practice  Special issues and problems

 Content standards have been reduced to lower level skill attainment in many states.

 Instruction is driven by the use of low level materials implemented with rigidity to prepare for state assessments.  Equity and excellence are still viewed as dichotomies.

 Individual differences are obscured by group norms.

 Little teaching of science, social studies or the arts occurs.

 Discouragement of innovation/experimentation in teaching practices,  Attention focused on a few students who may make AYP,  Students losing valuable instructional time in unchallenging curriculum dominated by reading,  A climate of fear for teachers and principals with little reward, less so in our current economy.

 Languid performance on NAEP across the last ten year period (Loveless, 2008)  Lack of attention from teachers (Farkas & Duckett, 2008)  Little differentiation of curriculum or instruction being actualized (Westberg et al, 1993, 2004)  Gifted services have been cut or curtailed in many states. (State of the States, 2006-7)  US students lag in advanced math and science course taking and achievement (TIMMS, 1995)

    Challenging curriculum, instruction, and assessment Teacher quality International competitiveness Working with students from poverty

What do we know?

GIFTEDNESS

Aptitude Domains

Intellectual { ___ ___ ___ Creative { ___ ___ ___ Socioaffective { ___ ___ ___ Sensorimotor { ___ ___ ___ Others { ___ ___ ___

INTRAPERSONAL CATALYSTS MOTIVATION

Initiative Interests Persistence

PERSONALITY

Autonomy Self-Confidence Self Esteem, etc.

TALENT

Learning/Training/Practice

SIGNIFICANT FACTORS

Persons Places Interventions Events Chance

Fields of Talent

(sample) Arts Athletics & Sports Business & Commerce Communications Crafts & Trades Education Health Services Science & Technology Transportation

ENVIRONMENTAL CATALYSTS

 Younger students can perform at levels comparable to older students in a shorter amount of time in areas of strong aptitude (Stanley, 1976; Olszewski-Kubilius , 1998; Colangelo , Assouline & Gross, 2004).

 Accelerative, short term, and intensive learning experiences are retained well by gifted learners and allow them to advance academically in math, science, the humanities and social science coursework (Lynch, 1992; Stanley et al. 1991; Stocking & Goldstein, 1992; Swiatek , 2007).

 Scoring in the top 1% of students in ability on the SAT at middle school and accelerating one’s studies predicts creative achievement over 30 years later, career tilt, and areas of accomplishment (Wai, Lubinski & Benbow,2009; Lubinski , 2009).

     Early exposure to the field Right teacher at the right time (romance, rigor, master) Role of schools as facilitative or blocking (not directly nurturing) Progressive development characterized by high standards, much time and much hard work Role of home environment in developing work ethic and sense of excellence (parental modeling)

   Talented students have personality traits conducive to concentration (e.g., achievement and endurance) as well as to being open to experience (e.g., awareness, or sentience, and understanding) Families providing both support and challenge enhance the development of talent.

Talented teenagers liked teachers best who were supportive and modeled enjoyable involvement in a field.

 Early exposure to like-minded children and adults is propitious for talent development (Cox, 1926; Simonton, 2000)  Serious study with a tutor/mentor/coach followed by intensive practice over time leads to high performance in selected domains (Bloom, 1985; Gardner, 2004; Ericcson, 2007)  Psychological states and habits of mind positively or negatively impact the talent development process (Csiksenmihalyi, 2000; Oschle, 2000; Dweck, 2007).

 Enhanced use of critical and creative thinking and student-centered work produces higher academic achievement for gifted students across years (Moon & Feldhusen, 1994; Delcourt, 1994; VanTassel-Baska et al., 2004).

 Compacting and grouping studies continue to suggest the benefits of both approaches (Rogers, 2007; Reis et al, 1998; Gentry & Owen, 1999).

 Using instructional approaches that match aptitudes produces stronger learning effects for the gifted (Rogers, 2007; Sternberg, 2006)  Using inquiry-based approaches to learning enhances both motivation and achievement (Gallagher, Stepien & Rosenthal, 1992; VanTassel-Baska et al., 1998)

      Early models and mentors Challenging school programs and opportunities Competitions Collaborators Access to science resources Internal curiosity, commitment, and spirit of creativity --Subotnik et al, 1993; Simonton, 1992; Feiss, 2004

  

Cite the factors that most inhibited the development of your science talent:



Inability to accelerate, parents believe more in having fun than in working hard, advanced courses unavailable before high school, no opportunity for me to do extensive research near home.



The elementary schools gifted program consciously avoided any accelerated learning. When I was young, I connected the idea of school less with learning than with laborious projects that must be meticulously colored in.

   What doses of intervention (intensity) are necessary for gifted learners to thrive in a school learning context?

How late can interventions occur and still have an important impact on life trajectory?

What combination of interventions is most propitious for the gifted at differential stages of development?

Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow. --T.S.Eliot

    Only 18 states have an endorsement or certification for teachers of the gifted.

Only half the states have a fulltime person working in gifted education.

Only a handful of states include a policy on acceleration as part of their service delivery mechanisms.

Only a few states include special provisions for the identification and service of students from low income backgrounds.

 State of the States, 2006-2007

    Advanced Placement Dual enrollment Waivers for coursework Testing out

 School systems that align all facets of the school (e.g., finance, curriculum, instruction, decision-making) produce higher achievement gains among students (Hoy & Miskel, 2001).

 Systems of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development must work together to enhance achievement (Clune, 1993; Ball & Cohen, 2000; McLaughlin & Mitra, 2001).

   Little intensive time is committed to the professional development of teachers (2 days per year on average in their specialty area) Professional development is often not related to other aspects of the instructional system.

Lack of follow-up at the school and classroom level hinders teacher change in practices.

--Stanford and NSDC Report, 2009

   New knowledge is constructed based on existing conceptions and beliefs Usable knowledge is connected and organized around important concepts that support transfer of learning The use of deliberate learning strategies to scaffold instruction - National Research Council, 2000

     Using concept maps Articulation of thinking Promoting higher level thinking Making connections Using metacognition Source: William and Mary curriculum units of study, 1996-2009

Content Standards Differentiated Task Demands Differentiated Product Demands Use of Overarching Interdisciplinary Models Acceleration of Standards

      Coherence in design is necessary (blueprint).

Tryouts and pilots are critical.

Providing training directly on materials helps implementation.

Use of cognitive learning models helps students internalize higher level thinking.

Fidelity of implementation is essential to assess an innovation.

Differentiated curriculum and instruction matter!

--VanTassel-Baska, 2008

     Fidelity Lack of sufficient and consistent professional development Teacher knowledge and skills in content pedagogy Leadership Sustained innovation

Special Issues and Problems

How to provide advanced learning for students in need at all levels How to assess authentic learning of our top students How to ensure that all promising low income students can access talent development processes

Features:   Acceleration Complexity   Depth Creativity

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 Proficient Student A Student B Standard 3 4 5 6 7 8 We must expect progress for all students.

   Off-level testing with high ceiling Performance-based assessment Portfolio of work

Educational Attainment Occupational Attainment Adult Creative Productivity

  High achieving students from poverty less likely to graduate and go on to college or graduate school than more advantaged counterparts.

Students from poverty more likely to choose careers commensurate with background rather than ability or achievement.

--The Achievement Trap,

2007

    Traditional measures (ability and achievement) Non-traditional measures (nonverbal tests and performance-based assessment) Nomination by knowledgeable community members (e.g. pediatrician, social worker) Use of individual profile data

     Early identification and nurturance Personalized Learning  Tutoring, mentoring, counseling Value-added Learning Opportunities  Extended time, out-of-school opportunities Family Involvement Access to intellectual, cultural, and social capital

Learning is not attained by chance. It must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.

– Abigail Adams

Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.

Professor Emerita 427 Scotland Street Williamsburg, VA. 23185 (757)221-2362 [email protected]

www.cfge.wm.edu