Alternative Identification and Curricular Models for Rural, High-Poverty Schools

• In Event: 25.058 - Challenging All Advanced Learners: Research Insights From Projects Funded by the Jacob K. Javits Program

Abstract

There are both achievement and opportunity gaps for low-income students when compared to their economically advantaged peers and, for rural students, these excellence gaps may be even more pronounced. For this poster session, we draw from our ongoing work in a five-year federally-funded, focusing on promoting gifted education in rural schools.
Objectives/Purposes: We first focus on the issue of using alternative assessment procedures to identify historically under-represented students and the measurement of self-efficacy, student engagement, and stereotype threat. We describe an alternative process for identifying gifted students in rural schools including use of opportunity to learn interpretation of test scores and use of teacher rating scales with a focus on training teachers to recognize manifestations of gifted characteristics in rural students. We then discuss our process for examining the psychometric quality of newly created/revised outcome measures and the results of those efforts.
Perspectives: The pervasive issue of under-representation as well as the excellence gap can only be addressed if we can gather sound data on the efficacy of identification strategies as well as the effectiveness of intervention with the subpopulations that are under consideration. Hence, one critical step is to examine the instruments and procedures used in programs addressing these issues.
Methods of Inquiry: The discussion of the identification strategy is based on descriptive statistics that illustrate the effectiveness of the strategy in increasing numbers of identified students. In addition, quantitative data is provided to evaluate the reliability and validity of assessment tools to be used with gifted elementary school age students.
Methods: Data to examine validity of the stereotype threat instrument was collected from 85 identified 3rd and 4th grade elementary school students in a first pilot and then 191 students in a second pilot; data for examining the self-efficacy scale and the student engagement scale were collected from the pool of 191 students.
Results: The identification process has been implemented in 8 rural school divisions in Virginia. We have added 99 students to existing pools of 84 identified students representing an increase of more than 100% percent.
The results of the investigation of the instruments were: On the stereotype scale, the reliability estimates for ranged from .517 (Rural Background Identification) to .889 (Reading and Writing Identification). For the self-efficacy scale content validity was examined through a review by experts in gifted education and assessment. Overall reliability estimate (internal consistency) of all 11 items was .869 (Cronbach alpha). Factor analysis and the overall high internal consistency suggests one single scale measuring self-efficacy in reading and writing. Initial reliability estimates (internal consistency assessed by Polychoric ordinal alpha) on the engagement scale for four scales identified by the scale’s authors ranged from .73 to .91. Reliability estimates for the collapsed two factors (Engagement and Disaffection) were .91 for the Engagement factor and .92 for the Disaffection factor. Factor analyses indicated modification is necessary to ensure validity with gifted young children across the scales.

Authors

• Carolyn M. Callahan, University of Virginia

• Amy Price Azano, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Annalissa V. Brodersen, University of Virginia

• Melanie Caughey, University of Virginia