Research Base - NAGC

the academic achievement of 273 elementary students from low socioeconomic environments. They reportedthat students were on grade level by the end of the project. In addition, students who participated in theproject gained in their problem solving abilities, creativity, and social skills, and were referred and placedmore often in gifted programs than students who did not receive the project’s benefits. They concluded thateducators need to create supportive environments and involve parents in order to nurture the children inmore challenging circumstances.Reilly, J. M., & Welch, D. B. (1994/1995). Mentoring gifted young women. The Journal for Secondary GiftedEducation, 6, 120-128.The Mentor Connection is a community-based learning experience for 11th and 12th grade girls enrolled insuburban high schools. Students who participate complete an application and must show evidence ofperseverance, ability, creativity, and have an identified area of study. This study reported the reactions of 162former students to their mentoring experience. The participants reported these effects: the identification of acareer; more confidence in their professional and personal abilities; an increase in ability to interact with otherprofessionals; an understanding of the importance of networks; a relationship to their current career choice;and an overall enthusiasm for the high school experience.Standard 2: Development and Characteristics of LearnersGT2K4Advanced developmental milestones of individuals with gifts and talents from earlychildhood through adolescence.Research-based ReferencesAblard, K. E., & Tissot, S. L. (1998). Young students’ readiness for advanced math: Precocious abstractreasoning. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 21, 206-223.This study examined above grade level abstract reasoning abilities of 150 academically talented studentsranging from 2 nd through 6 th grades. Understanding of various abstract concepts varied by age for only 4 ofthe 8 subscales: probability, proportion, momentum, and frames of references. In general, the studentsperformed like students who were four grade levels higher. Those in third grade performed at five gradelevels higher. The authors conclude that there may not be one age at which children acquire abstractreasoning. They are ready for advanced mathematics at a much earlier age.Carter, K. R. (1985). Cognitive development of intellectually gifted: A Piagetian perspective. Roeper Review,7, 180-184.Relationships between intellectual giftedness and performance within Piagetian stages of 673 gifted students(10-16 years old) were investigated. Results showed that intellectually superior children out-performedchildren of normal ability at all age levels. Intellectually superior subjects out-performed bright-normalsubjects at lower ages, but no differences were found during later (ERIC abstract).Carter, K. R., & Ormrod, J. E. (1982). Acquisition of formal operations by intellectually gifted children. GiftedChild Quarterly, 26, 110-115.The cognitive development of 125 gifted 10-15-year-old students was compared to that of 98 normalsubjects. Results supported the invariance of stage progression but revealed that gifted subjects progressmore quickly and demonstrate earlier transition to succeeding developmental stages. (ERIC abstract).Gross, M. U. M. (1992). The use of radical acceleration in cases of extreme intellectual precocity. Gifted ChildQuarterly, 36, 91-99.This paper reviews the school histories of five extremely gifted children, of IQ 160-200, who have beenradically accelerated. Prior to their acceleration, the children were retained in the regular classroom in alockstep curriculum based on their chronological age and grade placement. They suffered severe intellectual33