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Article Excerpt
Talent search programs have been in existence for over 30 years and have successfully assisted hundreds of thousands of students by identifying their abilities, nurturing their talents through educational programs, and connecting schools and families to appropriate resources, services, and programs (VanTassel-Baska, 1998). As documented in numerous articles (e.g., Assouline & Lupkowski-Shoplik, 1997; Benbow, 1992b; Brody, 1998; Jarosewich & Stocking, 2003; Olszewski-Kubilius, 1998a; VanTassel-Baska), talent search was initiated in the early 1970s by Dr. Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University as part of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY). Its primary goal at that time was to identify mathematically talented pre-high school-aged students using the Scholastic Aptitude Test-Math (SAT-M). Talent search has expanded to include other above-grade-level tests that assess both mathematical and verbal areas in elementary and middle school-aged children.
The idea of talent search came from the belief that children need to take tests commensurate with their abilities, developmental rates, and pre-existing knowledge and skills, not their chronological age or grade. Several major university-based gifted institutes, such as the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University, the Talent Identification Program at Duke University, the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, and the Rocky Mountain Talent Search at the University of Denver, conduct talent search programs annually in order to provide students in grades 7 or 8 who score at the 95th percentile or above on nationally normed tests with more accurate information about their academic abilities.
According to Olszewski-Kubilius (1998a), talent search programs include the following major components: the diagnosis and evaluation of the area and level of students' abilities via off-level tests such as ACT, SAT, or EXPLORE; educational placement for individual students based on test scores; access to further talent development opportunities, such as weekend programs, summer programs, contests, competitions, and distance education programs; and guidance via newsletters, magazines, and conferences. There is a rather substantial body of research about talent search, specifically the predictive validity of off-level scores. For example, research studies show that talent search students score comparably to college-bound students on the SAT and/or ACT (Bartkovich & Mezynski, 1981; Benbow, 1992a; Olszewski-Kubilius, 1998b), that scores on these tests in middle school are good predictors of academic achievement in high school and college (Barnett & Durden, 1993; Benbow, 1992a, 1992b; Benbow & Arjmand, 1990; Burton, 1988), and that talent search scores have predictive validity within the gifted population discriminating different patterns of achievement for students scoring at the top versus bottom quartile of the top 1% (Benbow,1992a, 1992b).
Research has documented the effect of talent search participation on students' attitudes and academic performance in school. For example, after participation in talent search, students perceived that they had better knowledge about the nature of their academic abilities (Ablard, Mills, & Hoffhines, 1996; Assouline & Lupkowski-Shoplik, 1997; Brody, 1998; Jarosewich & Stocking, 2003; VanTassel-Baska, 1989) and had higher educational and career aspirations (Benbow & Arjmand, 1990; Brody; Burton, 1988; VanTassel-Baska; Wilder & Casserly, 1988).
As for education patterns and subsequent achievements of talent search students, Barnett and Durden (1993) compared students who participated in talent search with students who participated both in talent search and subsequent educational programs. Though a higher degree of academic acceleration and a greater participation in academic opportunities were found for students who participated in both talent search and subsequent educational programs, Barnett and Durden found that students who participated in talent search alone were as academically successful as the former. A sizeable percentage of these talent search (only) students accelerated in specific subject areas such as math/computer (48.4%) and English (23.6%); performed well (usually A to B+) on college-level math or computer courses taken in high school (see also Kolitch & Brody, 1992); graduated from high school almost one year earlier than their age-equivalent peers; and earned substantially high grade-point average (3.4 on average) in college.
The testing in talent search has spawned educational program models such as fast-paced summer classes in which 120 hours of honors level high school instruction are compressed into 75 hours (Olszewski-Kubilius, 1998a). Using SAT and ACT scores comparable to the average high school college-bound seniors, fast-paced summer programs serve middle school-aged students whose reasoning abilities are advanced by four to five years. The effect of these types of programs on students' talent development is a function of the degree to which students partake of educational opportunities subsequent to talent search as well as the quality of the programs. The academic performance of students in these talent search educational programs and their effects on students are strong, substantial, and positive (Ablard, Mills, & Hoffhines, 1996; Assouline & Lupkowski-Shoplik, 1997; Barnett & Durden, 1993; Benbow, 1992b; Benbow & Arjmand, 1990; Brody, 1998; Burton, 1988; Jarosewich & Stocking, 2003; Kolitch & Brody, 1992; Olszewski-Kubilius & Grant, 1996; VanTassel-Baska, 1989). Students in fast-paced, 3-week long accelerated summer classes perform as well as or better than high school students who typically take the courses for a full academic year at school. For example, mathematically talented 7th graders who scored about 600 or above on the SAT-Math successfully completed two high school precalculus math courses in less than 50 hours of instruction (Bartkovich & Mezynski, 1981) and achieved at high levels in a special program in which 4 years of high school math were compressed into 2 1/2 years (Benbow, Perkins, & Stanley, 1983). Junior high school-aged students who took high school science classes in a 3-week summer program scored at or above the 70th percentile on standardized tests in biology, chemistry, and physics, compared to norms for high school juniors or seniors who had a full year of instruction (Lynch, 1992). They also performed well in subsequent science courses in their schools (Lynch).
Other documented effects of participation in talent search summer programs include experiencing greater academic challenge (Enersen, 1993; Mills, Ablard, & Lynch, 1992); taking more rigorous advanced courses including AP and honors levels (Barnett & Durden, 1993); greater acceleration during high school (Barnett & Durden; Olszewski-Kubilius & Grant, 1996); higher educational aspirations (Olszewski-Kubilius & Grant); greater participation in math related extracurricular activities (Olszewski-Kubilius & Grant); a higher likelihood of getting a National Merit Letter of Commendation and pursuing professional degrees or careers in math (Kolitch & Brody, 1992; Olszewski-Kubilius & Grant); more awards and honors in high school (Barnett & Durden); selection of more academically rigorous institutions for higher education (Barnett & Durden; Swiatek & Benbow, 1991); and greater feelings of acceptance by peers and increased positive self-image (Enersen; VanTassel-Baska, Landau, & Olszewski, 1984). Parents also perceived positive effects of participation in these programs for their children including better study skills, new friends, and increased support for achievement (Enersen; Olszewski-Kubilius, 1998b).
Relatively few studies exist regarding how students, parents, or educators "utilize" talent search scores in real school settings to obtain appropriate service. For example, three major studies (e.g., Jarosewich & Stocking, 2003; Swiatek & Lupkowski-Shoplik, in press; Wilder & Casserly, 1988) investigated parents' and educators' perceptions of the value of talent search, reasons...
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