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The gifted rating scales--preschool/kindergarten form: an analysis of the standardization sample based on age, gender, and race.


The No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110), commonly known as NCLB (IPA: /ˈnɪkəlbiː/), is a United States federal law that was passed in the House of Representatives on May 23, 2001  (U.S. Department of Education, 2002) focuses attention and resources on our least educated and those students who are lagging Lagging

Strategy used by a firm to stall payments, normally in response to exchange rate projections.
 behind academically. There is considerably less attention, however, directed to America's brightest and most able students and no equivalent legislation that protects the gifted (Borland, 1996; Gallagher, 2003; Pfeiffer, 2002). In our society today, many continue to believe that gifted students will do well academically and in life after graduation without any special attention or recognition (Borland; Sternberg, 1996).

There are a growing number of leaders in American society who recognize that the gifted have unique developmental and psycho-educational needs, and that educating our most talented young citizens is a high-priority issue (Pfeiffer, 2001; Seligman, 1998; Seligman & Czikszentmihalyi, 2000). This is particularly true for young gifted children (Bloom, 1985; Jackson, 2003). Early recognition and appropriate environmental support increase the probability of future extraordinary achievement, and reduce the risk of later emotional and educational problems (Harrison, 2004; Morelock & Feldman, 1992; Pfeiffer & Stocking, 2000).

Many public schools, however, remain ill equipped to meet the needs of young students with precocious pre·co·cious
adj.
Showing unusually early development or maturity.



pre·cocity , pre·co
 intellectual and academic abilities and/or special talents. Too few educators are trained, or have the resources to identify or design effective programs that meet the psychosocial psychosocial /psy·cho·so·cial/ (si?ko-so´shul) pertaining to or involving both psychic and social aspects.

psy·cho·so·cial
adj.
Involving aspects of both social and psychological behavior.
 and educational needs of the young, gifted child gifted child

Child naturally endowed with a high degree of general mental ability or extraordinary ability in a specific domain. Although the designation of giftedness is largely a matter of administrative convenience, the best indications of giftedness are often those
 (Jackson, 2003).

One important, first step in serving gifted preschool or kindergarten kindergarten [Ger.,=garden of children], system of preschool education. Friedrich Froebel designed (1837) the kindergarten to provide an educational situation less formal than that of the elementary school but one in which children's creative play instincts would be  students is accurately and efficiently identifying them. A recent survey of gifted experts highlighted the identification process as the second most frequently cited issue facing the field. Forty-one percent of 64 international authorities in the gifted field agreed that identification of the gifted remains problematic (Pfeiffer, 2003). One of the problems is that the field of gifted education Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented. Programs providing such education are sometimes called Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) or  has too few technically sound screening instruments, especially tests, designed for the young, gifted child.

The IQ test is almost routinely used--irrespective of the particular cut off score that a school district or state adopts for inclusion--to determine whether a student qualifies for gifted placement. There are few screening tools available to complement the IQ test in providing a more comprehensive picture of a young student's abilities. A recently published article reviewed three of the more popular teacher rating scales designed to identify gifted students (Jarosewich, Pfeiffer, & Morris, 2002). The investigators selected the three most widely used and currently available instruments that employ the teacher as informant informant Historian Medtalk A person who provides a medical history . The three scales reviewed were: (a) the Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (SRBCSS; Renzulli et al., 1997), (b) the Gifted and Talented Evaluation Scales (GATES; Gilliam, Carpenter, & Christensen, 1996), and (c) the Gifted Evaluation Scale, Second Edition (GES-2; McCarney & Anderson, 1989). All three scales were designed for use with young, gifted students; the GATES and GES-2 norms begin at age 5 and the SRBCSS norms start for students in kindergarten. The review concluded that

Appreciation is extended to the Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Assessment Harcourt Assessment, previously known as "The Psychological Corporation" is a company that publishes and distributes psychological assessment tools and therapy resources. The company is currently in the process of being bought by Pearson.  Company, for permission to use the GRS-P standardization standardization

In industry, the development and application of standards that make it possible to manufacture a large volume of interchangeable parts. Standardization may focus on engineering standards, such as properties of materials, fits and tolerances, and drafting
 sample data, to PsychCorp for permission to use the GRS GRS Graduate School (universities)
GRS Great Red Spot (feature of Jupiter)
GRS Gender Reassignment Surgery
GRS Gamma Ray Spectrometer
GRS Graduation Rate Survey
GRS General Records Schedules
 standardization sample data, and to David L. Steiner, PhD, C. Psych psych also psyche   Informal
v. psyched, psych·ing, psyches

v.tr.
1.
a. To put into the right psychological frame of mind:
, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Research at the University of Toronto has been responsible for the world's first electronic heart pacemaker, artificial larynx, single-lung transplant, nerve transplant, artificial pancreas, chemical laser, G-suit, the first practical electron microscope, the first cloning of T-cells, , Canada, for his helpful suggestions regarding choice of diagnostic statistics.

all three scales had technical shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw.

Shortcomings may also be:
  • Shortcomings (SATC episode), an episode of the television series Sex and the City
 that limited their diagnostic usefulness. Specific concerns included nonrepresentative standardization normative samples, low interrater reliability, and lack of evidence for diagnostic accuracy (Jarosewich et al., 2002).

Recognizing that hundreds of thousands of school-age children in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area.  are referred annually for gifted consideration, and that the gifted field would benefit from a technically adequate screening tool to assist in the identification of young gifted students, we undertook to develop a new gifted screening instrument, the Gifted Rating Scales The GRS is a scholastic assessment for school children. It is used mostly for Gifted & Talented admissions. It is administered by a teacher who knows the child well. The teacher rates specific gifted behaviors that they have observed over time.  (GRS; Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003). The scales include a Preschool/Kindergarten Form (GRS-P) for ages 4:0 to 6:11 and a School Form (GRS-S) for ages 6:0 to 13:11. Both forms yield raw score totals on all scales, which are converted to age-based T scores and associated cumulative percentages. This article focuses exclusively on the GRS-P.

The present study explored whether possible differences exist on each of the five GRS-P scales for gender, race, and age. The analyses described in this study have not been reported elsewhere and are intended to extend the information reported in the user manual. A similar analysis of the GRS-S standardization sample appears in Gifted Child Quarterly (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007).

Method

Participants

Data used in the present study were obtained from the GRS-P standardization sample. Each child's preschool or kindergarten teacher was invited to participate in the development of the national standardization sample by completing a rating form. Teacher and parent informed consent was obtained (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003, p. 24). The full standardization sample was used for the multivariate analysis multivariate analysis,
n a statistical approach used to evaluate multiple variables.

multivariate analysis,
n a set of techniques used when variation in several variables has to be studied simultaneously.
 of variance (MANOVA MANOVA Multivariate Analysis of the Variance ). This sample consisted of 188 boys (50%) and 187 girls (50%). The age group of the sample was stratified stratified /strat·i·fied/ (strat´i-fid) formed or arranged in layers.

strat·i·fied
adj.
Arranged in the form of layers or strata.
 within five 6-month age bands: 4:00-4:5,4:6-4: 11,5:0-5:5, 5:6-5:11, and 6:0-6:11, with each age band comprising 20% of the standardization population.

During standardization sampling, the test publisher, The Psychological Corporation, intentionally stratified the GRS-P standardization sample to closely approximate important demographic characteristics of the U.S. population, such as race/ethnicity, parent education level, and regional representation (U.S. Bureau of Census Bureau of Census

A division of the federal government of the United States Bureau of Commerce that is responsible for conducting the national census at least once every 10 years, in which the population of the United States is counted.
, 2000). For example, the sample was 62.67% Caucasian, 16% African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. , 16% Hispanic, and 2.67% Asian American A·sian A·mer·i·can also A·sian-A·mer·i·can  
n.
A U.S. citizen or resident of Asian descent. See Usage Note at Amerasian.



A
. Tables 4.1-4.3 in the GRS test manual report data on race/ethnicity, parent education level, and regional representation of the GRS-P sample stratified within the five age bands (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003, p. 25).

Instrument

The GRS-P is designed for ages 4:0 to 6:11 and consists of five scales with 12 items each for a total of 60 items (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003). To facilitate compatibility, the GRS-P was colinked during standardization with the standardization of the new Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) is an intelligence test designed for children ages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 3 months developed by David Wechsler in 1967. , Third Edition (WPPSI-III). The items of the GRS-P represent skills and behaviors developmentally appropriate for preschool and kindergarten students, whereas the items of the GRS-S reflect more developmentally advanced skills or behaviors. The GRS-S includes a sixth scale, leadership, which is not included in the GRS-P. Both forms yield raw score totals on all scales, which are converted to age-based T scores and associated cumulative percentages.

The GRS-P is based on a multidimensional mul·ti·di·men·sion·al  
adj.
Of, relating to, or having several dimensions.



multi·di·men
 model of giftedness that incorporates the Munich Model of Giftedness and Talent (Zigler & Heller, 2000) and the typology typology /ty·pol·o·gy/ (ti-pol´ah-je) the study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type.

typology

the study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type.
 that appears in the U.S. Department of Education Report, National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's Talent (Ross, 1993). Below is a brief description of each of the five GRS-P scales:

1. Intellectual ability. This scale measures the child's verbal and nonverbal non·ver·bal  
adj.
1. Being other than verbal; not involving words: nonverbal communication.

2. Involving little use of language: a nonverbal intelligence test.
 mental skills and intellectual competence. Items on this scale rate the child's memory, reasoning ability, problem solving problem solving

Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error.
, and mental speed.

2. Academic ability. This scale measures the child's skill in dealing with factual and/or school-related material. Items rate readiness and advanced development/proficiency in reading, math, and other aspects of the early childhood curriculum.

3. Creativity. This scale measures the child's ability to think, act, and/or produce unique, novel, or innovative thoughts or products. Items rate the child's imaginative play, original thinking, and inventive approach to situations or problems.

4. Artistic talent. This scale measures the child's potential for, or evidence of ability in drama, music, dance, drawing, painting, sculpture, singing, playing a musical instrument, and/or acting.

5. Motivation. This scale refers to the child's drive, tendency to enjoy challenging tasks, and ability to work well without encouragement or reinforcement. The motivation scale is not viewed as a type of giftedness, but rather as the energy that impels a young child to achieve.

Each item is rated by the preschool or kindergarten teacher on a 9-point scale divided into three ranges: 1-3 = below average, 4-6 = average, and 7-9 = above average. The GRS-P manual provides a classification system that indicates not whether the child is gifted, but rather the likelihood that the young student is gifted, based on their T score. The higher the child's T score on one or more of the gifted scales, the higher the probability that the child is, in fact, gifted compared to her same-age preschool or kindergarten peers. The T scores were computed based on each age group and, thus, age adjusted so that the classificatory ranges may be applied across age bands. A T score below 55 (below 69%) indicates a low probability of giftedness, a score between 55 and 59 (69-83%) indicates a moderate probability of giftedness, a score between 60 and 69 (84-97%) indicates a high probability of giftedness, and a score above 70 (98+%) indicates a very high probability that the child is gifted.

Test development followed a carefully prescribed set of steps, including a review of existing rating scales; a survey of gifted experts and authorities in early childhood; focus groups consisting of school psychologists, gifted educators, and classroom teachers; and pilot and field testing. Standardization was co-linked with standardization of the new WPPSI-III (and WISC-IV in the case of the GRS-S). Final item selection was guided by factor structure, item mean scores, item bias (parent-education level, gender, and ethnicity), and interrater and test-retest reliability test-retest reliability Psychology A measure of the ability of a psychologic testing instrument to yield the same result for a single Pt at 2 different test periods, which are closely spaced so that any variation detected reflects reliability of the instrument . For example, an original Creativity item, displays an active imagination, was eliminated from the final version because its mean score of 6.03 fell above the a priori a priori

In epistemology, knowledge that is independent of all particular experiences, as opposed to a posteriori (or empirical) knowledge, which derives from experience.
 acceptable range set at 5.0-5.9. The test manual reports evidence of high reliability and validity. Based on the standardization sample, coefficient alpha reliabilities ranged from 0.97 to 0.99 and standard error of measurements ranged from 1.0 to 1.73 across the five scales and five age ranges. Based on a sample of 124 preschool and kindergarten students ages 4:0-6:11 (average age 5.4 years) with a median retest re·test  
tr.v. re·test·ed, re·test·ing, re·tests
To test again.

n.
A second or repeated test.
 interval of 18 days, test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .84 on the Creativity scale for the age range 5:0-5:11 to .97 on the Intellectual Ability, Academic Ability, and Creativity scales for the age range 6:0-6:11. Based on a sample of 56 preschool and kindergarten students rated by two teachers, interrater consistency was .70 for Artistic Talent, .80 for Academic Ability, and .84 for Intellectual Ability. The test manual also provides evidence to support internal structure, and convergent and divergent di·ver·gent  
adj.
1. Drawing apart from a common point; diverging.

2. Departing from convention.

3. Differing from another: a divergent opinion.

4.
 validity (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003). More detailed information on the reliability, validity, and normative data of the GRS-P appears in a recent review by Margulies and Floyd (2004).

Procedure

The test publisher provided the authors with a data file that included data for the entire GRS-P standardization sample. Analysis used the full standardization sample data, and a separate MANOVA was conducted to test for differences on each of the 5 GRS-P scales with respect to gender, race, and age. Given the small sample sizes in some of the cells, a single MANOVA to test for the interactions among the three independent variables was not conducted (Newton & Rudestam, 1999). A Bonferroni correction In statistics, the Bonferroni correction states that if an experimenter is testing n independent hypotheses on a set of data, then the statistical significance level that should be used for each hypothesis separately is 1/n  was applied to control for the inflation of Type I error. This estimate was calculated to be p < 0.016 for the main effects.

Results

Preliminary analyses indicated that multivariate The use of multiple variables in a forecasting model.  normality normality, in chemistry: see concentration.  and homogeneity Homogeneity

The degree to which items are similar.
 of variance assumptions were met. For all significant findings, [[eta].sup.2] was calculated to determine effect size. An effect size of [[eta].sup.2] = .01 was defined as a small effect, [[eta].sup.2] = .06 was defined as a medium effect, and [[eta].sup.2] = .14 constituted a large effect (Sprinthall, 2000).

Analysis of Internal Structure

Correlations among the GRS-P scales are presented in Table 1. Intercorrelations are moderate to high, ranging from .70 between Intellectual Ability and Artistic Ability to .93 between Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability. Among the eight possible intercorrelations, one was above .90 (Intellectual Ability-Academic Ability, as mentioned above), three were in the .80-.89 range (Academic Ability-Creativity; Intellectual Ability-Creativity; Academic Ability-Motivation), and the majority of intercorrelations, four, were in the .70-.79 range (Artistic Talent-Motivation; Academic Ability-Artistic Talent; Artistic Talent-Creativity; and Intellectual Ability-Artistic Talent).

Analysis of GRS-P Standardization Sample by Gender

The MANOVA corresponding to gender yielded a significant result, F(5, 329) = 3.22,p < .01 (Wilks' Lambda = 0.95) with a small effect size of [[eta].sup.2] = .05. Descriptive statistics descriptive statistics

see statistics.
 for each GRS-P scale for gender are presented in Table 2. Females obtained significantly higher scores on the Artistic Talent scale, F(1, 333) = 8.23,p < .01, [[eta].sup.2] = .02. The mean scores on the Artistic Talent scale were 52.67 for girls and 47.08 for boys, a 5.6 point difference in favor of females. There were no statistically significant differences by gender on the remaining four scales: Intellectual Ability, Academic Ability, Creativity, or Motivation.

Analysis of GRS-P Standardization Sample by Race/Ethnicity

The MANOVA comparing GRS-P scales based on race/ethnicity yielded a significant result at the p < .01 level, F(20, 1,092) = 2.36, p = .001 (Wilks' Lambda = 0.87), with a small effect size of [[eta].sup.2] = .04. Bonferroni post-hoc analyses indicated significant differences by race/ethnicity. On the Academic Ability scale, Asian Americans This page is a list of Asian Americans. Politics
  • 1956 - Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian immigrant elected to the U.S. Congress upon his election to the House of Representatives.
  • 1959 - Hiram Fong became the first Asian American elected to the U.S. Senate.
 were rated higher than Hispanics, F(4,333) = 9.02, p < .05, [[eta].sup.2] = .10, and Caucasians were rated higher than African Americans, F(4, 333) = 9.02, p < .001, [[eta].sup.2] = .10, and Hispanics, F(4,333) = 9.02, p < .001, [[eta].sup.2] = .10. The Artistic Talent scale yielded significant differences between Caucasians and both Hispanics, F(4,333) = 5.41, p < .01, [[eta].sup.2] = .06, and African Americans, F(4,333) = 5.41 ,p < .05, [[eta].sup.2] = .06, in favor of Caucasians. The Creativity scale yielded differences with Caucasians rated significantly higher than Hispanics, F(4,333) = 7.83, p < .001, [[eta].sup.2] = .09, and African Americans, F(4,333) = 7.83, p < .001, [[eta].sup.2] = .09. On the Intellectual Ability scale, Asian Americans were rated significantly higher than both Hispanics, F(4,333) = 7.31,p < .01, [[eta].sup.2] = .08, and African Americans, F(4,333) = 7.31, p < .05, [[eta].sup.2] = .08. Caucasians, similarly, were rated higher than Hispanics, F(4,333) = 7.31 ,p < .001, [[eta].sup.2] = .08, and African Americans, F(4,333) = 7.31 ,p < .01, [[eta].sup.2] = .08. Caucasians were also rated higher than Hispanics, F(4,333) = 5.10,p < .05, [[eta].sup.2] = .06, and African Americans, F(4,333) = 5.10,p < .01, [[eta].sup.2] = .06, on the Motivation scale.

Mean and standard deviation In statistics, the average amount a number varies from the average number in a series of numbers.

(statistics) standard deviation - (SD) A measure of the range of values in a set of numbers.
 estimates for each GRS-P scale by race/ethnicity are presented in Table 3. Teachers rated preschool- and kindergarten-aged Asian American students highest among the five racial/ethnic groups. The largest difference between groups was between the Asian American and African American and Hispanic groups--with mean differences averaging 7 points higher for Asian Americans. Differences between the Asian American and Caucasian and Native American groups were considerably smaller--with, for example, means averaging 1.5 points in favor of Asian Americans over Caucasians.

Analysis of GRS-P Standardization Sample by Age

The MANOVA corresponding to age group did not yield significant results, F(20, 1,092) = .68, p = .85 (Wilks' Lambda = .96). Mean scores and standard deviations for GRS-P scale scores by age are presented in Table 4. GRS means scores were consistent and stable across the 3-year-age span 4:0-6:11.

Discussion

The present study investigated correlation coefficients Correlation Coefficient

A measure that determines the degree to which two variable's movements are associated.

The correlation coefficient is calculated as:
 among GRS-P scale scores and age, gender, and race/ethnicity for the GRS-P standardization sample. The internal structure of the GRS-P, as depicted by the patterns of intercorrelations among scales, is consistent with and supports a multidimensional model of giftedness. Four of the seven intercorrelations were in the .70-.79 range. There is also evidence of multicollinearity--two or more of the scales sharing an underlying common factor. This is a reasonable hypothesis for the Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability scales. The particularly high correlation between the Intellectual Ability and the Academic Ability scales (.93) is consistent with previous findings between measures of intellectual ability and measures of academic ability in the general population (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007; Sattler, 2001 ; Sparrow, Pfeiffer, & Newman, 2005; Wechsler, 2002). Item level factor analysis conducted as part of the GRS-P (and GRS-S) test-validation process indicated that items on the Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability scales loaded on one principle factor (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003, p. 35).

It is not surprising that the highest correlation among GRS-P scales was between Intellectual Ability and Academic Ability, because these are believed by many to represent a similar if not identical underlying factor (Carroll, 1993; Flanagan, McGrew, & Ortiz, 2000). With a correlation of .93, these two scales have 86% shared variance. Also not unexpected is that in all instances the three lowest correlations among GRS-P scales included the Artistic Talent scale. For example, the Artistic Talent scale correlated with a coefficient value of .70 to the Intellectual Ability scale; these two scales have 49% shared variance. These findings are consistent with the correlation coefficients among the six GRS-S scales designed for elementary- and middle-school students (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007). Future research should incorporate large samples using confirmatory factor analyses Verb 1. factor analyse - to perform a factor analysis of correlational data
factor analyze

analyse, analyze - break down into components or essential features; "analyze today's financial market"
 to further elucidate e·lu·ci·date  
v. e·lu·ci·dat·ed, e·lu·ci·dat·ing, e·lu·ci·dates

v.tr.
To make clear or plain, especially by explanation; clarify.

v.intr.
To give an explanation that serves to clarify.
 the relationships among the GRS-P scales. Future GRS-P research may be able to help answer the related questions of whether we can reliably measure the multiple manifestations of giftedness and if one underlying "g" factor explains most of the reliable variance accounted for in a teacher's ratings of a preschool or kindergarten student's level of potential or actual giftedness.

In the standardization sample, GRS-P mean scores differed significantly by gender for only one of the five scales, Artistic Talent. The difference was approximately 1/2 SD in favor of females. However, the overall effect size for gender is small. All other gender differences were not statistically significant, and ranged from 1 to 3 scale score points. On the GRS-S designed for elementary- and middle-school students, girls obtained significantly higher mean scores than boys on 3 of the 6 scales (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007). The gender differences for these GRS-S scales were in all instances small (i.e., a mean difference of 2.5 points for Leadership Ability, 3.5 points for Motivation, and 4 points for Artistic Talent); however, they are noteworthy, particularly since girls' mean scores are higher than boys' mean scores for all of the scales on both the GRS-P and GRS-S. Nationwide standardization sampling of the GRS followed a carefully prescribed and rigorous set of norming procedures. It is unlikely that the GRS-P standardization sample is unrepresentative Adj. 1. unrepresentative - not exemplifying a class; "I soon tumbled to the fact that my weekends were atypical"; "behavior quite unrepresentative (or atypical) of the profession"  or biased in a way that might explain the significant gender difference on Artistic Talent for preschool and kindergarten students on the GRS-P, or the small but significant differences on the Artistic Talent, Motivation, and Leadership scales with elementary- and middle-school students on the GRS-S. A more likely explanation is that teachers from preschool through middle school, who serve as raters, perceive girls, overall, as somewhat stronger in terms of artistic talent, motivation, and leadership ability, when compared to their same-age male counterparts.

It is important to reiterate re·it·er·ate  
tr.v. re·it·er·at·ed, re·it·er·at·ing, re·it·er·ates
To say or do again or repeatedly. See Synonyms at repeat.



re·it
 that although the gender difference for Artistic Talent was statistically significant, it was small. Research indicates that gifted girls outperform Outperform

An analyst recommendation meaning a stock is expected to do slightly better than the market return.

Notes:
Exact definitions vary by brokerage, but in general this rating is better than neutral and worse than buy or strong buy.
 gifted boys in classroom achievement throughout the school years, maintaining higher grades in all subjects (Kerr, 1997). Adolescence, however, appears to present subtle, yet insidious insidious /in·sid·i·ous/ (-sid´e-us) coming on stealthily; of gradual and subtle development.

in·sid·i·ous
adj.
Being a disease that progresses with few or no symptoms to indicate its gravity.
, cultural influences that moderate gifted, female achievement (Kerr & Nicpon, 2003). Interestingly, girls did not obtain higher mean scores than boys on either the GRS-P Intellectual Ability or Academic Ability scales. Intrigued by these provocative findings, our research laboratory recently initiated a school-based longitudinal study longitudinal study

a chronological study in epidemiology which attempts to establish a relationship between an antecedent cause and a subsequent effect. See also cohort study.
 which will follow a large cohort of young children over a 10-year period to (a) explore the possible interaction of gender-by-age across the gifted domains measured by the GRS, and (b) discern whether boys and girls boys and girls

mercurialisannua.
 follow different trajectories of talent development. Another unanswered question is whether teacher gender differentially influences the ratings of young male and female students.

Analysis of the GRS-P standardization data identified significant differences by race/ethnicity, although the effect size was small ([[eta].sup.2] = .05). Asian American preschool and kindergarten students were rated across scales, on average, approximately 1.5 points higher than 4- to 6-year-old Caucasian and Native American children in the standardization sample and 7.0 points higher than 4- to 6-year-old African American and Hispanic children in the standardization sample. Interestingly enough, there were no significant differences for race/ethnicity among the 6- to 13-year-old elementary- and middle-school students in the GRS-S standardization sample (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003).

Although the present results were significant even when applying a Bonferroni correction, the results are not as powerful as they would be if we had used a single multivariate design. Future research should consider increasing the sample size in each of the three independent variables: age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Subsequent research may also want to examine the possible interaction of parent education level with race/ethnicity.

As mentioned above, it is unlikely that the small but significant race/ethnicity differences on the GRS-P are the result of sampling bias; the nationwide standardization sampling followed a carefully prescribed and rigorous set of norming procedures. The gifted field is concerned about fair and equitable identification practices, particularly since there is underrepresentation of African American, Hispanic, and Native American students in gifted education programs (Ford, 1998; Ford & Frazier-Trotman, 2001; Ford & Whiting, in press; Pfeiffer, 2002). Of course, every test is culturally loaded to some extent (Barona & Pfeiffer, 1992; Flanagan et at., 2000; Jensen, 1974; Rushton & Jensen, 2005). For example, picture vocabulary tests vocabulary test A component of IQ tests in which a person is asked to define words of varying level of difficulty, and use them in context, which provides the examiner with a measure of the person's intellectual achievement and aptitude. See IQ test.  and portions of the Verbal Scale of the WISC-IV and Stanford Binet are highly culturally loaded, whereas nonverbal matrix tests and digit span memory tests are less highly culturally loaded (Jensen, 1974, 2004; Naglieri & Ford, 2003; Sattler, 2001). Along the hypothetical continuum of cultural loading, results indicate that the GRS-P is not strongly biased but is more closely aligned with nonverbal tests low in culture loading. Average differences across racial/ethnic groups were in the 1.5-7.0 point range (all less than 1 SD). Educators will be reassured that the GRSP's low cultural loading provides greater opportunity for typically underrepresented minority underrepresented minority Social medicine Any ethnic group–African American, Hispanic, Native American–whose representation among professionals in biomedical sciences is disproportionately less than their proportion in the general population.  group children to be identified with a moderate-to-high probability of giftedness. The GRS-P manual emphasizes that the scale is designed as a screening tool to be used for identification purposes in conjunction with other measures, such as IQ tests, auditions, portfolio samples, and nonverbal tests, as part of a comprehensive test battery (Pfeiffer; Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003)--a tactic which is consistent with best practices in preschool screening (Gridley, Mucha, & Hatfield, 1995).

An encouraging finding was that mean scores did not differ by age group on the GRS-P standardization sample. Educators and school psychologists who are asked to identify gifted students in preschool and kindergarten can be reassured that the GRS-P works equally well across the age span 4:0-6:11. Similarly, mean scores did not differ by age group for the 7-year age span 6:0-13:11 with the GRS-S standardization sample (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2007).

Future investigators may be interested in validating the present results with independent samples and specific groups of young children (e.g., the twice exceptional--the student who is gifted and disabled). In the research lab of the first author, a number of validation studies are underway, both in the U.S. and internationally, to cross-validate and extend the present findings. Future studies will want to validate the long-range predictability of the GRS-P and the validity of each of the gifted scales. This will not be an easy undertaking, since establishing agreed upon Adj. 1. agreed upon - constituted or contracted by stipulation or agreement; "stipulatory obligations"
stipulatory

noncontroversial, uncontroversial - not likely to arouse controversy
 "gold standards" for the Creativity and Artistic Talent scales will require thoughtful ingenuity. The test manual provides preliminary validity evidence in support of the GRS-P scales and external criteria (Margulies & Floyd, 2004); however, considerably more scale validation work is warranted.

The present study underscores that the GRS-P holds potential as a new screening test that can play an important role in the identification of gifted preschool and kindergarten students. The need to identify and intervene with gifted children at an early age is critical if we hope to improve their chances for optimal development.

Manuscript submitted September 08, 2005.

Revision accepted January 23, 2006.

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  • Burleigh Grimes (1893–1985), US baseball player
  • Camryn Grimes
  • Charles Grimes
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Steven I. Pfeiffer, PhD, ABPP ABPP American Board of Professional Psychology
ABPP American Battlefield Protection Program
ABPP Agile Business Process Platform (I2 Technologies)
ABPP Activity-Based Protein Profiling
 is a Professor at Florida State University Florida State University, at Tallahassee; coeducational; chartered 1851, opened 1857. Present name was adopted in 1947. Special research facilities include those in nuclear science and oceanography. , where he serves as Director of Clinical Training of the doctoral program in Combined Counseling Psychology Counseling psychology as a psychological specialty facilitates personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns.  and School Psychology. Dr. Pfeiffer is on the board of SENG and chair-elect of the APA Consortium of Combined-Integrated Doctoral Programs in Psychology. Prior to his tenure at Florida State, Professor Pfeiffer was Executive Director of Duke University's Talent Identification Program. He was recipient of the 2001 Mensa MENSA. This comprehends all goods and necessaries for livelihood. Obsolete.  Education & Research Foundation Award for Excellence in Research. Dr. Pfeiffer is lead author of the test, "Gifted Rating Scales". E-mail: pfeiffer@coe.fsu.edu

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Branch of psychology concerned with changes in cognitive, motivational, psychophysiological, and social functioning that occur throughout the human life span.
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n.
An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree.

Noun 1.
 at Florida State in educational psychology, and measurement and statistics. His research interests include motivation in gifted and talented students and students with learning disabilities, and applications of hierarchical linear models to student reading achievement. E-mail: ympeetscher@gmail.com

Tania
  • Haydée Tamara Bunke Bider, communist revolutionary
  • Tania (queen)
  • Tania was an alias of Patricia Hearst
  • Tania Borealis and Tania Australis, stars in the constellation Ursa Major
  • Tania Emery, actress
  • Tania Lacy, comedian
  • Tania Libertad, singer
 Jarosewich, PhD, is President of Censeo Group LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.

LLC - Logical Link Control
 with headquarters in Cleveland, OH. Prior to her present position, Dr. Jarosewich held a position in program evaluation Program evaluation is a formalized approach to studying and assessing projects, policies and program and determining if they 'work'. Program evaluation is used in government and the private sector and it's taught in numerous universities.  at Indiana University Indiana University, main campus at Bloomington; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1820 as a seminary, opened 1824. It became a college in 1828 and a university in 1838. The medical center (run jointly with Purdue Univ. . She received her doctorate from Kent State University and completed a research post-doctorate at the Duke University Talent Identification Program. She is co-author of the test, "Gifted Rating Scales". E-mail: jarosewich@yahoo.com
Table 1
Correlation Coefficients for Relations
Among GRS-P Scale Scores

                Intellectual    Academic    Creativity

Intellectual       1.00
Academic           0.93 *        1.00
Creativity         0.85 *        0.86 *        1.00
Artistic           0.70 *        0.75 *        0.72 *
Motivation         0.83 *        0.85 *        0.76 *

                  Artistic      Motivation

Intellectual
Academic
Creativity
Artistic           1.00
Motivation         0.77 *        1.00

Note. * p < .01 (2-tailed).

Table 2
Mean Scores and
Standard Deviations
for GRS-P Scale Scores
by Gender

                   Girls (n = 187)             Boys (n = 188)

                      M            SD           M           SD

Intellectual        51.98         9.53        49.97       11.22
Academic            51.14         9.82        48.87       11.27
Creativity          50.62         9.92        49.09       11.03
Artistic            52.67         9.97        47.08        9.48
Motivation          52.75         9.34        49.51       10.55

Table 3
Mean Scores and Standard Deviations
for GRS-P Scale Scores by Race

                   Asian             African
                  American          American
                 (n = 15)          (n = 59)
                 M        SD       M        SD

Intellectual   56.01     9.04    47.39     9.42
Academic       53.73     8.56    45.61    10.27
Creativity     52.60     6.60    45.90    10.27
Artistic       52.00     9.17    47.25    10.46
Motivation     54.27    12.12    47.46     9.47

                 Caucasian          Hispanic
                 (n = 228)         (n = 66)
                 M        SD       M        SD

Intellectual   52.89    10.17    46.35    10.15
Academic       52.29    10.12    45.09     9.87
Creativity     52.07    10.32    45.15     9.21
Artistic       51.53    10.08    46.08     8.38
Motivation     52.13    10.08    48.39     9.25

                  Native
                 American
                 (n = 7)
                 M        SD

Intellectual   51.43    12.78
Academic       51.00    14.73
Creativity     49.29    14.58
Artistic       48.71    13.01
Motivation     52.00    14.13

Table 4
Mean Scores and Standard Deviations
for GRS-P Scale Scores by Age Group

                 4:00-4:05         4:06-4:11
                 (n = 75)          (n = 75)
                 M        SD       M        SD

Intellectual   50.73     9.67    50.81    10.57
Academic       49.65    10.03    50.05    10.42
Creativity     49.91     9.50    50.20     9.63
Artistic       49.85     9.57    49.43     9.73
Motivation     51.25     9.07    50.43     8.51

                 5:00-5:05         5:06-5:11
                 (n = 75)          (n = 75)
                 M        SD       M        SD

Intellectual   50.77    10.95    51.32    10.63
Academic       49.76    10.44    50.35    11.54
Creativity     50.91    11.46    49.37    10.94
Artistic       50.15    10.48    49.51    10.32
Motivation     51.12    10.67    50.45    10.99

                 6:00-6:11
                 (n = 75)
                 M        SD

Intellectual   51.24    10.66
Academic       50.20    10.62
Creativity     48.88    10.94
Artistic       50.39    10.65
Motivation     52.36    11.03
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Title Annotation:Sharpening Identification Tools
Author:Jarosewich, Tania
Publication:Roeper Review
Date:Mar 22, 2007
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