Talent Development in Rural Contexts: Predicting Reading Performance From Primary School Achievement, Creativity, and Motivation

• In Event: Diverse Populations and Psychosocial Skills

Abstract

Rural students from economically disadvantaged households are identified as gifted at lower rates than their rural or suburban counterparts. To improve the number of students served, this study explored how well third grade state reading scores were predicted by early literacy scores and teacher evaluation of student abilities in a low socio-economic, rural district. Results indicated approximately 50% of third grade state reading scores could be predicted by prior achievement and teacher evaluations. Centered in Talent Development in Achievement Domains (TAD; Preckel et al., 2020), these results provide a context for meeting the academic needs of rural students while illustrating that eventual student performance is not wholly predetermined when students enter school, and that talent should be cultivated over time.

Authors

• Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez, Texas A&M University

• Maryann R. Hebda

• Carla Brigandi, West Virginia University

• Jiangmei May Yuan, West Virginia University