Selection Into Advanced Courses in Middle and High School Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Youth

This study assesses the excellence gap by examining those who enroll in advanced, honors, and advanced placement (AP) classes among a low-income and a majority-Latinx population. Prospective longitudinal data come from a diverse, urban sample ( N = 32,885) where 82.2% of the students received free or reduced price lunch. We examined numerous predictors (i.e., demographics, school readiness skills, prior academic competence) for eventual enrollment in an advanced course (middle school advanced, honors in middle and high school, and AP courses in high school) via multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results suggest that demographic factors (socioeconomic status, ethnicity, English-language learner status) often played a smaller role in advanced course enrollment after controlling for school-entry skills and prior academic competence with the exception of AP courses, where demographic effects persisted. Implications include targeted early intervention to get qualified students in poverty enrolled in academically advanced courses.

College Choice: Considerations for Academically Advanced High School Seniors

When choosing a college, high school students and those who guide them through the process must consider the complex interactions between student-level and institution-level variables in order to achieve an optimal person–environment fit. Ten academically advanced high school students who had chosen and committed to attending a college participated in semistructured interviews in which they rank-ordered and discussed the college choice considerations they used in the decision-making process. This qualitative study describes six themes that were identified across participants. The college-going identity of these academically advanced students was influenced by pressure to attend a highly selective school, social comparisons, and early career exploration opportunities. Additionally, when evaluating institution characteristics, these academically talented high school seniors questioned the relationship between quality, cost, and prestige, appreciated flexible learning options, and sought opportunities for immersion in a domain.

What Boosts Talent Development? Examining Predictors of Academic Growth in Secondary School Among Academically Advanced Youth Across 21 Years

We examined 482,418 students who took the ACT in the seventh grade and again in high school, taking an exploratory analytic approach to examine academic growth trends from 1996 to 2017. Predictors included sociodemographics, interests, high school (HS) characteristics, HS coursework and GPA, and extracurriculars, which explained 25% of the variance in academic growth. Overall, growth improved from 2005 to 2017, but growth for low-income and Hispanic students was stagnant. Catholic and private school students had the highest growth; homeschooled and high-poverty public school students had the lowest. High growth was associated with STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) elective HS courses and advanced AP, accelerated, and honors courses. Students with investigative and conventional interests had higher growth. Some extracurriculars had significant relationships with academic growth, though the effects were small.

An Analysis of the New Trends in National Curriculum of Physics at the Secondary Level

This research study analyzes innovative trends in the National Curriculum of Physics at the Secondary level and compares the same curriculum with the curricula of three academically advanced countries namely Turkey, Malaysia and UK. The study aims to examine the policy objectives of the National Curriculum in Physics at the Secondary level and explores its strengths and weaknesses, ending in recommendations for the removal of these weaknesses. The study practiced mixed-methods designed. The primary data were collected through interviews held with key informants and opinionnaires fielded to subject teachers. Review of literature and reliable documents along with the curricula of three developed countries furnished Secondary data for the study. Qualitative and quantitative treatments were given for analysis of the data. The outcomes of the research study highlight that objectives of curricula in Malaysia, Turkey and UK are more comprehensive than Pakistan. These curricula contain latest and novel concepts. The present curriculum likewise needs to instill the tendency for analytical and critical examination of facts at any circumstance in students. The existing examination system is, therefore, not appropriate as it measures only the lowest domain of learning i.e. rote learning. In order to discourage rote learning, textbooks of Physics at the Secondary level need revision to promote creativity.

Bridging the Gap 10 Years Later

The need for a shared vision concerning exemplary curricula for academically advanced learners must be a priority in the field of education. With the advent of the Common Core State Standards adoption in many states, a new conversation has been ignited over meeting the needs of students with gifts and talents for whom the “standard” curriculum is not a good fit. The purpose for this article is to highlight the current need for high-quality curriculum, discuss how the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Curriculum Awards rubric has been updated to reflect the research in the field, and look at additional ways to use the NAGC Curriculum rubric as a tool to support the development of quality curriculum and to select and award exemplary curricula for addressing advanced academic needs of students with gifts and talents.

Effects of Motivation, ACT/SAT, GPA, and SES on College Choice for Academically Advanced Students and Other Students

<p><em>The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the effects of </em><em>motivation factors on college choice between academically advanced students and other students.</em> <em>College choice ranged from no college, two-year college, four-year college, moderately selective four-year college, and highly selective four-year college. </em><em>Restricted data from the nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 were used for the analysis. Using the ELS questions, 8 motivation</em><em> constructs (general intrinsic motivation, math intrinsic motivation, reading Intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, general academic self-efficacy, math self-efficacy, English self-efficacy, and educational expectation) were developed. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of the factors on college choice. The results indicated that although ACT/SAT scores, followed by GPA, are the most important factors for both academically advanced students’ and other students’ choices of more selective colleges, their choices are mediated by their intrinsic reading motivation and math self-efficacy. Compared to other students’, academically advanced students’ extrinsic motivation more negatively affected, while </em><em>S</em><em>ocio</em><em> E</em><em>conomic </em><em>S</em><em>tatus (SES) less negatively affected, their choices of more selective colleges</em><em>. Other students’ high general academic self-efficacy and educational expectations positively affected their ACT/SAT scores, GPA, and choices of more selective colleges, which did not affect academically advanced students.</em></p>

Effects of Motivation, ACT/SAT, GPA, and SES on College Choice for Academically Advanced Students and Other Students

<p><em>The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the effects of </em><em>motivation factors on college choice between academically advanced students and other students.</em> <em>College choice ranged from no college, two-year college, four-year college, moderately selective four-year college, and highly selective four-year college. </em><em>Restricted data from the nationally representative Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 were used for the analysis. Using the ELS questions, 8 motivation</em><em> constructs (general intrinsic motivation, math intrinsic motivation, reading Intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, general academic self-efficacy, math self-efficacy, English self-efficacy, and educational expectation) were developed. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the direct and indirect effects of the factors on college choice. The results indicated that although ACT/SAT scores, followed by GPA, are the most important factors for both academically advanced students’ and other students’ choices of more selective colleges, their choices are mediated by their intrinsic reading motivation and math self-efficacy. Compared to other students’, academically advanced students’ extrinsic motivation more negatively affected, while </em><em>S</em><em>ocio</em><em> E</em><em>conomic </em><em>S</em><em>tatus (SES) less negatively affected, their choices of more selective colleges</em><em>. Other students’ high general academic self-efficacy and educational expectations positively affected their ACT/SAT scores, GPA, and choices of more selective colleges, which did not affect academically advanced students.</em></p>