Relationships between gifted selection criteria and performance in sixth-grade gifted science
Abstract
This study examined the relationships between gifted selection criteria used in the Dade County Public Schools of Miami, Florida and performance in sixth grade gifted science classes. The goal of the study was to identify significant predictors of performance in sixth grade gifted science classes. Group comparisons of performance were also made. Performance in sixth grade gifted science was defined as the numeric average of nine weeks' grades earned in sixth grade gifted science classes. The sample consisted of 100 subjects who were formerly enrolled in sixth grade gifted science classes over two years at a large, multiethnic public middle school in Dade County. The predictors analyzed were I.Q. score (all scales combined), full scale I.Q. score, verbal scale I.Q. score, performance scale I.Q. score, combined Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) score (Reading Comprehension plus Math Applications), SAT Reading Comprehension score, and SAT Math Applications score. Combined SAT score and SAT Math Applications score were significantly positively correlated to performance in sixth grade gifted science. Performance scale I.Q. score was significantly negatively correlated to performance in sixth grade gifted science. The other predictors examined were not significantly correlated to performance. Group comparison results showed the mean average of nine weeks grades for the full scale I.Q. group was greater than the verbal and performance scale I.Q. groups. Females outperformed males to a highly significant level. Mean g.p.a. for ethnic groups was greatest for Asian students, followed by white non-Hispanic, Hispanic, and black. Students not receiving a lunch subsidy outperformed those receiving subsidies. Comparisons of performance based on gifted qualification plan showed the mean g.p.a. for traditional plan and Plan B groups were not different. Mean g.p.a. for students who qualified for gifted using automatic Math Applications criteria was highest, followed by automatic Reading Comprehension criteria and Plan B Matrix score. Both automatic qualification groups outperformed the traditional group. The traditional group outperformed the Plan B Matrix group. No significant differences in mean g.p.a. between the Plan B subgroups and the traditional plan group were found.
Subject Area
Science education|Educational evaluation|Special education|Elementary education
Recommended Citation
Miller, Roxanne Greitz, "Relationships between gifted selection criteria and performance in sixth-grade gifted science" (1997). ProQuest ETD Collection for FIU. AAI9813425.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/dissertations/AAI9813425