Will We Ever Close the Gender Gap Among Top Mathematics Achievers? Analysis of Recent Trends by Race in Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Analyzing the test scores of more than 10,000,000 students who participated in the Advanced Placement (AP) math exams from 1997 to 2019, this study examined the direction and magnitude of the trend in gender disparity by race in participation in and top achievement on AP Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Statistics exams. The results of this study indicated that, in general, females’ representation in all three AP exams increased significantly. Although the findings indicated that the female-to-male ratios (FMRs) in participation in the AP math exams increased significantly from 1997 to 2019 and favored females for all races, the gender disparities among top achievers for all math exams are still substantial. The relationships between the FMRs in participation and top achievement for all AP math exams were also analyzed within races, and the possible impacts of these findings within the context of the underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields were also discussed.

The Coming Out Experiences of Gifted, LGBTQ Students: When, to Whom, and Why Not?

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the coming out experiences of gifted LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer) alumni from a residential gifted high school. First, we found that gifted LGBTQ alumni ( N = 106) realized their sexual orientation/gender identity around 16.6 years old, which is similar to the general population. The year of high school graduation did not correlate with the age of initial realizations, or when they shared. On average, when the participants did share, they waited 2.1 years to share with friends and 3.4 years to share with family. Furthermore, they felt more comfortable sharing within the residential gifted high school than in their home schools. In general, LGBTQ alumni felt more autonomous, competent, and connected to the residential school. Finally, participants reported many barriers to coming out, including both internal struggles (e.g., uncertain themselves) and social fears (e.g., fear of alienation or harassment). These findings can provide guidance for school personnel as they develop effective, support systems.

Reflections on Experiences at a Residential Science and Math High School: An Alumni Survey

Residential Science High Schools (RSHS) for academically talented students that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) provide opportunities for high school students to accelerate their education. This study examines the results of a retrospective survey from one RSHS, including alumni for more than 20 years after graduation. The results indicate that the alumni have high levels of educational attainment and careers in STEM fields. In addition, the alumni perceive their experiences at the RSHS to have been positive, and that the RSHS prepared them for their educational pursuits, careers, social experiences, and future leadership positions. Finally, although the alumni did report a drop in academic self-concept while they were in the program, this drop did not appear to have an effect on their long-term goals or educational attainment. The implications for this study are to support the use of radical acceleration in the form of residential schools for an educational intervention for academically talented high school students.

Problem Finding, Divergent Thinking, and Evaluative Thinking Among Gifted and Nongifted Students

Investigations of differences between gifted and nongifted students have examined cognitive abilities, including intelligence quotient (IQ) differences, higher order thinking skills, and divergent thinking (DT). However, little is known about differences in problem finding (PF). Moreover, previous works on gifted students have never explored associations between PF and evaluative thinking (ET). Both PF and ET play a role in the creative process. The present study tested relationships between PF, DT, and ET and examined differences between gifted ( N = 175) and nongifted students ( N = 188). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant differences between gifted and nongifted students’ PF, DT, and ET, with effect sizes (η2) ranging from 0.048 to 0.192. Gender differences were also analyzed; gifted girls scored significantly higher than gifted boys in PF fluency and originality, DT originality, and in ET in PF. Originality scores in DT and PF significantly predicted the accuracy of students’ ET ( R2 = 34%–42%). Finally, canonical correlation analyses showed moderate-to-strong correlations between DT, PF, and ET scores. Limitations of this study are discussed.

Inspirational Teachers’ Model: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study in Gifted Education

Adopting a constructivist grounded theory approach, 91 students from Years 9 to 11, in gifted educational programs from three schools in Melbourne, nominated their inspiring teachers. Eleven teachers, who received the highest number of nominations, were invited to an interview and an observation of their teaching. The emerged theoretical construct was identified as “Opening new possibilities: Inspiring teachers of gifted and highly able students,” which is further explained through three main categories: Being a knowledgeable and passionate teacher, creating an academically safe learning environment, and teaching beyond and above the regular curriculum. In addition, the theoretical process was explained through three phases: Expanding knowledge and understanding, Fostering positive attitudes, and Encouraging students to take action. Contextual determinants were considered to analyze and report the findings: students’ developmental characteristics, school culture, curriculum, and gifted educational provisions. Findings are discussed in the light of existing literature, as well as study limitations and ideas for future research.

Honors College Faculty Support for High-Impact Practice Participation

Much of the existing research on honors colleges or programs is focused on the student experience, with less information offered concerning the faculty perspective. This study presents findings from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), comparing support for high-impact practices between faculty who teach honors courses and those who do not. Along with core FSSE items, this study uses responses from 1,487 faculty members at 15 institutions on two experimental items about teaching honors courses. A series of ordinary least squares and binary logistic regression analyses suggest that faculty who teach honors courses are more likely to supervise undergraduates on research and internships and to think that it is important for students to participate in learning communities, study abroad, and research with faculty. These findings are interpreted within the context of previous research and current theory, bridging knowledge from the fields of higher education and gifted education.

Closing Poverty-Based Excellence Gaps: Supports for Gifted Students From Low-Income Households as Correlates of Academic Achievement

Previous studies on poverty within the gifted population have shown that economically vulnerable gifted students are underrepresented in gifted programs. Moreover, the majority of published studies on this topic were conducted in Western cultures. We explored the psychological, cognitive, academic, social, and environmental supports for economically vulnerable students in the Arab culture. The sample consisted of 142 male and female students who were randomly selected from 10 middle schools in rural areas in Egypt. To assess the supports of gifted students, researchers developed a self-report questionnaire. Grade point average was used as an indicator of academic achievement. Results from cluster analysis showed that there were three profiles for low-income gifted students. Multiple regression analysis indicated that environmental, social, and psychological supports explained 44% of the variance in academic achievement. Environmental supports played the most effective role in predicting students’ academic achievement, followed by social and psychological supports.

Lewis Terman in Context: An Analysis of Citations of Genetic Studies of Genius Inside and Outside the Field of Gifted Education

Scholars do not dispute that Lewis Terman is an influential figure in the field of gifted education. What is less well understood is the extent of that influence within the field and outside the field of gifted education. Citation analysis provides one method to quantify and analyze a scholar’s influence. In our analysis, we use citation analysis to categorize and analyze a sample ( n= 213) of scholarly works which cite one of Lewis Terman’s Genetic Studies of Genius or successive works produced by his students. Our analysis provided evidence that nearly half of all citations of Terman’s work are considered incidental and do not directly reference his work or legacy. Furthermore, we found that negative citations of Terman’s work were in the minority compared with positive and neutral citations.

Educational Paradigm Shifts and the Effects on Educating Gifted Students in the Netherlands and Flanders

Currently, in Western society, five significant paradigm shifts can be distinguished affecting Dutch and Flemish gifted education: (a) an inclusive approach of education, (b) response to educational needs, (c) new perspectives on giftedness, (d) social constructivism, and (e) evidence-informed teaching. In this review article, the positioning of the education of gifted students in primary schools in the Netherlands and Flanders is explained within the context of these five significant paradigm shifts. There are frictions between what is, from a theoretical perspective, desirable optimally and what can currently be realized in Dutch and Flemish education. The process of change demonstrates a need for competent specialists in gifted education. Because basic teacher competencies for the Netherlands and Flanders are already prescribed by law, the construction of a competency matrix is recommended for specialists in gifted education that combines the general teaching competencies with competencies that apply specifically for gifted education.

Gifted Classroom Environments and the Creative Process: A Systematic Review

As the expectations for including creativity in K–12 education continually grow, creative process skills equip students with thinking strategies to generate and evaluate ideas. This systematic review explored existing research on elementary and secondary gifted classroom environments that promote creative process skills. A database search yielded peer-reviewed literature, empirical and practitioner-focused, for systematic evaluation. A critical examination of literature published from 2011 to 2019 identified characteristics of educational environments that foster creative processes and highlighted key themes, including integrating creative process skills, adaptive environments, reflective classroom culture, and challenges to implementation. Implications for classroom application and suggestions for future research are discussed.