Since its inception, the
Center has been engaged in applied research and program
evaluations. The Center has been sponsored by the USDOE
under Javits Grant for curriculum development initiatives
and research for 15 years. The centerpiece of many of
our research studies has focused on the evaluation of
the William and Mary curriculum units and their effectiveness
in classrooms. In the meantime, the Center has also
contracted with state or local agencies for medium or
small scale research and evaluation studies; these studies
have been instrumental in helping key leaders and policy
makers at different levels in decision-making and developing
strategic plans for gifted program improvement.
For more information on Research and Evaluation initiatives,
contact the Center for Gifted Education . |
Project
Athena
Project Athena is an efficacy study examining
the effect of William and Mary English/language arts
curriculum units designed for high ability learners
in increasing the reading and critical thinking skills
of Title I elementary school students. Project Athena
was funded under the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented
Students Education Act. Project Athena involved
2771 Grades 3-5 students in 38 experimental and 37 comparison
classrooms from seven school districts across three
states. The study is in its fifth year of investigation,
using case studies to explore the relationship between
innovation and overall school reform success.
Employing a pre-post quasi-experimental longitudinal
design, the three year intervention results of Project
Athena suggest that curriculum-based assessment
growth is evident both short term and long term. The
W&M differentiated curriculum can be successfully
used with a broad range of learners. The study also
concurred with the research literature that critical
thinking is developmental and requires multiple years
of intervention to produce important change. Teacher
professional development requires multiple years to
produce important behavioral effects on instruction.
More about Project Athena.
|
Project
Clarion
The Center for Gifted Education (CFGE) at The College
of William and Mary received a five-year research grant
from the U. S. Department of Education for Project
Clarion. The five-year grant is part of the Jacob
K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act,
which was reauthorized as part of the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001.
Project Clarion seeks to enhance science concept
development among PreK-3 students. Employing a pre-post
quasi-experimental randomized design, this research
study examines the influence of the William and Mary
developed inquiry-based science curriculum units on
young children’s understanding of science concepts,
scientific investigation processes, and overarching
concepts including change and systems. The study is
currently being conducted in three Virginia school districts
involving students from 53 experimental and 53 comparison
classrooms.
More about Project Clarion. |
| SELECTED
COMPLETED RESEARCH STUDIES |
Project STAR Follow-up
Research Study
Following the development of Project STAR performance
tasks protocol in 1996 and the first follow-up study
with Project STAR performance task-identified students
in 2002, The Center for Gifted Education at the College
of William and Mary has recently completed a two year
research study with Project STAR identified students.
The purpose of this recent study is to analyze Project
STAR student identification and performance patterns
longitudinally and to study prototypical characteristics
of gifted learners of five research prototypes (i.e.,
low income African American students, low income minority
students, low income White students, high nonverbal,
low verbal students, and twice-exceptional students)
through in-depth interviews. See a summary of the study
results in Project STAR
Research Brief. |
Project Synergy
Project Synergy is a collaborative research effort
conducted by researchers from the Center for Gifted
Education and The College of William and Mary, the Singapore
National Institute of Education, and the Singapore Ministry
of Education Gifted Branch officers. This cross-cultural
research study examined secondary gifted class teaching
practices and beliefs in two cultures: Singapore and
the United States. The purpose of this study is to examine
the extent to which important features of teaching expertise
are carried out in gifted classrooms, to investigate
teaching and learning patterns, and to probe similarities
and differences of teaching practices and beliefs in
the two cultures through both observation and in-depth
interviews. See a summary of the study results in Project
Synergy Research Brief.
|
Project Phoenix:
A Social Studies Curriculum Model for
Challenging Economically Disadvantaged Learners
The purpose of Project Phoenix was to design, pilot,
and field-test exemplary social studies curriculum for
economically disadvantaged high ability learners in
grades 2, 4, and 7 in collaboration with Norfolk Public
Schools. Funded for three years (1998-2001) by the United
States Department of Education (USDOE), the project
also emphasized staff development, parent-community
involvement, and research and dissemination. An article
on project research is in preparation.
The curriculum units for Project Phoenix have all been
revised, based on feedback from teachers and student
performance results. Eight units are now available from
Kendall-Hunt. Visit the Curriculum
page for more information. |
Five State Analysis
of Gifted Education Policy
Gifted education policies provide the regulatory framework
that governs local programs. Without a federal mandate,
state policies tend to be less comprehensive and are
ceded to the local agency for interpretation. This study
compared five states designated as strong in gifted
education based on funding levels and state support.
The purpose of the study was to conduct an interpretative
and comparative analysis of policies that impact gifted
education within the context of state and national reform
agendas, and to determine the nature, extent, and relative
successes of policies governing programs for the gifted.
While findings reveal that policy development is uneven,
disconnected from other educational policies, and lacks
consonance with current NAGC standards, the creation
of state guideline manuals reflect best practice initiatives.
|
| SELECTED
STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAM EVALUATIONS |
| Idaho Gifted
Program Evaluation The Center
conducted a statewide evaluation of the gifted programs
in Idaho from 2001 to 2002. Using a comprehensive quantitative
and qualitative design, this evaluation study examined
the landscape of gifted programs in Idaho and the impact
of the State Training Grant on the development of gifted
programs statewide. The Center provides state leaders
concrete recommendations for strategic planning and
improvement of gifted program in Idaho.
Gifted Program Evaluation in Greenville,
SC
Between March and August, 2002, the Center
conducted an evaluation of the gifted program in the
School District of Greenville County, South Carolina,
also called Challenge Program. The purposes of this
evaluation were to document the strengths and weaknesses
of the gifted program, its impact on other school program,
and provide recommendations for future improvement.
The study covers gifted programs at grades 3-8.
|
Virginia Beach City
Schools
During the fall semester of the 2000-2001
school year, the Center for Gifted Education undertook
an evaluation of the Virginia Beach City Schools gifted
program across all three levels of the system (i.e.,
elementary, middle, and high school). The purpose of
this evaluation was to review and evaluate the effectiveness
of the academic gifted programs provided for students
in the school division and to identify the most appropriate
delivery model for each level using the existing resources.
Recommendations were provided to the system leadership
and relevant stakeholders.
Chesterfield Public Schools
From March 2000 to April 2001, the Center
for Gifted Education conducted an evaluation of the
Chesterfield Public Schools gifted programs covering
grades 2-8. This evaluation study examined the effectiveness
of the county’s gifted program, identified strengths
and weaknesses of the programs, and provided recommendations
for program revision and improvement. |
