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Helping Gifted Underachievers Succeed in WAVE

Julie S. Dyess Archer League City Intermediate

Program Overview

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The

transition from elementary to middle school can be overwhelming for some students. students can particularly struggle with the transition because school has always come easy for them. When school is no longer easy for these students, traits of being a gifted underachiever begin to surface. program was designed to identify the severe underachievers within 6th grade and help give them tools to once again become successful students.

Gifted

This

A few statistics on gifted students from the National Association for Gifted Children

A 2008 Fordham Institute report found that, while low-achieving students have made gains under NCLB, advanced-learners are "languishing" and that teachers need to spend the bulk of their time with struggling students even though they know that others in the classroom need attention as well. The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) found that many gifted elementary school students already know between 40 and 50% of the material to be covered in the class According to the NRC/GT, most gifted and talented students spend at least 80% of their time in a regular education classroom.
Why We Should Advocate for Gifted and Students

Talented http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=538

Characteristics of Gifted Underachievers

Lack of motivation
Uncomfortable with competition Lacks self-discipline Negative attitude about school Perfectionism Disorganization Lacking in study skills and academic curiosity Low test scores Incomplete work

* Adapted from http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/tag/Characteristics.pdf

Program Specifications

Participants

In order to give the most one-on-one attention, only 12 students were selected. Nine male and 1 female students were selected Students were selected by the sixth grade teaching team. Teachers nominated students after the first grading period based on the following criteria: Work regularly not completed Multiple zeros in the grade book Parents vocalized concerns about grades and disorganization Consistent disorganized Low test grades Easily distracted Negative or disheartened attitude about school

How did the program work?

Started in November and continued through April Took place during regularly scheduled 90 minute advisory period every Tuesday and Thursday Facilitated by campus GT liaison Catherine Holliday. Students worked on skills such as:

learning how to keep a calendar or planner how to prioritize assignments how to break large assignments into smaller chunks how to make to do lists.

Students used this template to email their parents at the end of each of these special advisory periods to let them know what was accomplished that day, and if they had zeros or missing assignments.

What was expected from teachers?

Create a list of what is due and the projects that are coming up or in progress Create a list of any zeros or work that is about to turn into a zero for the students Add her to teacher Blackboard sites so she could hold them accountable and have access to handouts Keep in contact with her and let her know if she could help the kids in any other way Provide a list of ways these students can be rewarded for progress as they move foreword

Results

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83%

success rate.

Successful

students were able to use techniques learned and apply them independently. students have all significantly brought up their grade from failing or close to failing to passing their classes with As and Bs. students were unable to pull the required work together and maintain a high enough grade average to stay in the WAVE program.

Successful

Two

References

Common characteristics of gifted underachievers. (n.d.). Portland public schools. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.pps.k12.or.us/files/tag/Characteristics
Why we should advocate for gifted and talented students. (n.d.). NAGC. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=538