ERIC ED350736: H.U.G.S.: Helping Underachieving Gifted Students. A Guide to Implementation. A Research and Development Project, November 1990-June 1991.

71 Pages·1991·1.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
EC 301 542
ED 350 736
H.U.G.S.: Helping Underachieving Gifted Students. A
TITLE
Guide to Implementation. A Research and Development
Project, November 1990-June 1991.
Springfield City School District, OH.
INSTITUTION
Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus.
SPONS AGENCY
PUB DATE
91
NOTE
71p.
Descriptive (141)
Reports
PUB TYPE
Reports
Tests/Evaluation
Evaluative /Feasibility (142)
Instruments (160)
MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Ability Identification; *Academically Gifted;
DESCRIPTORS
Cultural Differences; *Economically Disadvantaged;
*Gifted Disadvantaged; Grade 3; Individualized
Programs; *Intervention; Primary Education; Student
Development; *Underachievement
*HUGS Project OH; Springfield City Schools OH
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This project sought to identify and assist
third-grade underachieving gifted students in four elementary schools
in Springfield, Ohio. The four schools chosen for the project
demonstrated a significant discrepancy between ability and
achievement test scores among higher ability students within their
culturally/economically disadvantaged student population. Twenty-nine
students were included in the Helping Underachieving Gifted Students
(HUGS) project. The project priorities were to establish a process
that would identify gifted potential in students with learning style
or cultural/socioeconomic handicapping conditions that generally
hamper achievement in the school setting, determine individual
requirements to enable these students to function in the classroom at
a level commensurate with their ability, and implement an
intervention program for these students that would include activities
to assist in improvement of school adjustment and achievement.
Selected students met with the HUGS teacher each week to "fill in the
gaps" between perceived student potential and actual achievement.
Project components included individualized intervention plans,
individual projects, mentoting, group activities, and field trips.
Appendices (which comprise the bulk of the report) include a teacher
position description, student identification checklist, evaluation
data, and survey forms. A bibliography lists approximately 90 items
for parents, students, and professionals. (JDD)
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*
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
*
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
U.S. UtAirtiluew
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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT:
Division of Gifted /Talented
Education
Springfield City Schools
49 East College Avenue
Springfield, Ohio 45504
With special thanks to Barbara
Newell
for help in preparing this manuscript
ti
Original Cover Design
by
HUGS Student
Chris Cox
G.
S.
U.
H.
Helping Underachieving Gifted Students
Implementation -
- A Guide to
A Research and Demonstration Project
funded by the
Ohio Department of Education
November 1990-June 1991
The Springfield City Schools
James A. Frantz, Superintendent
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
K. Michael Crumley, Assistant Superintendent
Jeannine Fox, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Division of Gifted/Talented Programs
Dorothy Cusack, Coordinator
Sara Lowe, Coordinator/Project Director
Margaret VanGundy, Project Teacher
Marlene Bireley, Ph.D.
Advisor
Project Assessment Consultant and Technical
CONTENTS
Project Overview/Introduction
iv
Project HUGS Key Personnel
vi
Staff Development
I
1
Identification: Testing and Placement
II
2
Intervention Plan
III
4
Evaluation and Reporting
IV
11
Appendices
HUGS Project Position Description
A.
17
HUGS Identification Checklist
B.
18
HUGS Lesson Sheet
C.
20
HUGS Parent Survey
D.
21
Pre- and Post-test Scores on the WISC-R
E.
23
Pre- and Post-test Kaufman Factor Scores
F.
24
and Year 2 Grade Level Achievement on Brigance
Year 1
G.
Diagnostic Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills
25
and Year 2 Personality Types on Murphy-Meisgeier
Year 1
H.
Type Indicator for Children
28
and Year 2 Cognitive Abillities Test Standard Scores
Year 1
29
I.
and Year 2 Iowa Test of Basic Skills Standard Scores
Year 1
J.
30
Comparison of Grades
K.
32
HUGS Students Questionnaire
L.
33
Additional Forms and Letters
M.
34
Bibliography and Materials Listing
50
1
1
b
iii
HELPING UNDERACHIEVING GIFTED STUDENTS: HUGS
Project Overview/Introduction
district of approximately
12,000
Springfield
Schools,
City ADM,
is
a
district
in west central Ohio between Dayton and
Columbus.
The
located
population is 72% Caucasian and 26% Black, with a small number of Asian and
economic, and
social
broad
cultural,
Hispanic
There
are
students.
population which ranges from upper middle class
to
differences within the
are served in thirteen elementary
Students
chronically
unemployed.
the
three
are
and two high schools.
There
middle
schools,
five
schools,
programs Severe
buildings offering alternative educational
additional
and Pre-Vocational
Adolescent Parent Program,
Handicapped,
Behaviorally
Experience.
underachieving
work was begun to identify third grade
1990,
January,
In
gifted students in four elementary buildings within the city. A preliminary
survey of all elementary buildings had shown as many as 8% of students with
Test
were
Ability
as measured by the Cognitive
ability
potential
high
During the
performing below these levels on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
beginning with the
state-mandated identification of gifted students,
Ohio
socio-economically
it was also found that schools in
1988-89 school year,
reported
fewer
city
minority sections of the
cultural
and/or
deprived
would have
been
than
students
cognitive-ability
superior
numbers
of
finally
The four
schools
for .the
size of their populations.
expected
between
discrepancy
significant
project demonstrated a
the
chosen
for
within
students
and achievement test scores among higher ability
ability
student
population,
disadvantaged
culturally/economically
their
a
Grade
which traditionally does not score well on group tests.
population
group
which
for
chosen because it was the lowest grade level
three
was
There was a
ability and achievement standardized test data were available.
participating
four
population of 303 students in the
grade
third
total
the
to be included
of those students met the criteria
in
buildings;
29
were able to continue into the
school
1990-91
Twenty-six
HUGS
project.
were
they
where
moved
the
from
school
three
remaining
The
year.
identified.
Priorities for the HUGS project were:
gifted
potential
identify
would
that
process
in
1. Establish
a
cultural/socio-economic
or
styles
learning
with
students
the
that generally hamper achievement in
conditions
handicapping
school setting.
enable
these
would
needs which,
met,
2. Determine individual
if
to function in the classroom at a level commensurate with
students
their ability.
would
that
intervention program fog, these students
3. Implement
an
adjustment
assist in improvement of school
activities to
include
and achievement.
(A copy of
teacher for the HUGS project was selected with great care.
The
coordinators
Project
A .)
job description can be found in Appendix
the
'iv
realized that the teacher had to have an in-depth knowledge of the needs of
to
students as well as the cultural/socio-economic groups expected
gifted
The HUGS teacher also had to be a person who interfaced
represented.
be
flexible
and
and
was
building
staff,
teachers other
and
with
well
fortunate
to
We were
in dealing with students and parents.
resourceful
have a teacher on staff who possessed these characteristics and was willing
to take on the task.
developing
an
and
deal of time in researching
great
spending
After
a
project staff brought the proposed method to the
identification procedure,
extensive
inservice.
of the buildings involved through an
members
staff
were made aware of the
Principals, psychologists, counselors, and teachers
gifted
students,
and needs of typical and underachieving
characteristics
the -identification
opportunity to react to items on
given
were an
and
checklist.
HUGS
with
the
selected students met
testing,
and
screening
Following
"filling
each week to begin the process of what was thought to be
teacher
achievement.
actual
the gaps" between perceived student potential and
in
This guide is a detailed description of that process and an analysis of the
results.
1
1
Project HUGS Key Personnel
The HUGS staff consisted of four individuals, two of whom (the
assessment consultant and the project teacher) were hired with
The teacher was a full-time employee, while the
grant funds.
assessment consultant worked on a contracted-time basis.
the
other two members of the team were employed by the Springfield
of
Coordinators
state-funded
School
District
City
as
brief description of these key
A
Gifted/Talented
Programs.
personnel follows:
Dr. Marlene Bireley
1.
she has
independent consultant for Gifted/Talented,
Currently
an
a
She developed, supervised and taught in the Masters
in psychology.
Ph.D.
and
Curriculum for Gifted/Talented at Wright State University
Program
in
has made numerous presentations at international, national, state and local
She is currently authoring a book on
learning
conferences and workshops.
adolescent
gifted.
is co-editor of a book on
Dr.
and
gifted
disabled
intelli-
administered the primary assessment including individual
Bireley
gence pre- and post-tests and the.Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic
project
served
as
also
She
participation.
student
prior
Skills
to
inservice
consultant and had a major role in professional staff
technical
and project evaluation.
Dorothy Cusack
2.
the
Gifted/Talented
Coordinator
of
in
funded
state
been
Has
a
worked
years
as
and
has
the past five
Schools
for
Springfield
City
Ohio and
programs
gifted in other
the
teacher
in
of
and
coordinator
Pennsylvania for the past fourteen years.
Gifted/Talented
a dual Masters Degree in Curriculum for
has
Dorothy
state
and
presented workshops at many
local
She
has
Supervision.
and
in Ohio and Pennsylvania on the characteristics and needs
conferences both
gifted/talented children as well as conducted workshops for teachers on
of
extensively
Dorothy has
worked
these students in the classroom.
serving
parents of gifted/talented children to help them in organizing parent
with
She has also been a speaker for many parent groups on the
support groups.
Atypical
of
"Early Identification," "Identification and Needs
of
topics
Problem
of
Children," and "Parents of Gifted Children as Teachers
Gifted
the
the writing of
She assisted in
and Decision Making Skills."
Solving
results, and
conducting professional staff inservice, evaluating
project,
writing of project guide
Sara Jane Lowe
3.
Has been a state funded Coordinator of Gifted/Talented for the Spring-
Special
She has a Masters Degree
in
Schools for two years.
City
field
supervised
She
Studies.
concentration in Gifted
with
Education
a
for 12 years
teachers of the gifted for a six-district county school system
vi
as supervising university students working with the gifted
well
as
in
a
practicum setting.
Mrs. Lowe has conducted numerous workshops for parents
teachers
in Ohio and surrounding states on topics
and
as "Special-
such
for the Gifted," and "Meeting the
Gifted,"
Needs
"Individual Programming
Emotional She
Social Needs of Gifted Students."
and
written
and
has
administered
several grants designed to more fully serve gifted
students
in the regular classroom setting.
As Project Director, she was responsible
the
primary project
served
supervison
of the HUGS teacher and
for
as
She was involved in writing and evaluating the project and
contact person.
project
guide
as well as conducting professional inservice workshops
and
presentations.
4. Margaret VanGundy
Gifted/Talented
currently a state funded Resource Room Teacher of
Is
She received her B.S. in Education from
for the Springfield City Schools.
Wittenberg
University.
University State
She has
and her M.A. from Ohio
grades K through 8 for the past
five
taught gifted
years.
students
in
She has served
numerous
Previously she taught in the primary grades.
on
of
including State Evaluator
Colleges
committees
and
for
state
local
Education in Ohio, State Evaluation Team for Standards for Gifted/Talented
has participated in inservice programs at
Certification
Programs,
and
a
local, state and national level.
teacher
the
project,
room
full-time resource
served
She
as
in
designing and implementing the curriculum based on the individual needs of
targeted
four Springfield
Schools'
City
students the
particpating
in
role
with
primary interfacing
She
elementary
buildings.
took
in
a
of
presentation
and in development and
and parents,
teachers
classroom
writing
She also assisted
professional inservice sessions and workshops.
post-tests
administered
student
the project guide,
evaluating
and
and
except for the individual intelligence test, the WISC-R.
vii