Project stream:A 13‐year follow‐up of a pre‐college program for middle‐ and high‐school underrepresented gifted

Abstract

To cite this article: Donna Rae Clasen (2006) Project stream: A 13-year follow-up of a pre-college program for middle-and high-school underrepresented gifted , Roeper Review, 29:1, 55-63 To link to this article: http://dx. JL for sThis current, longitudinal study addresses two critical issues related to underrepresented gifted: identification and programming. As a follow-up of minority and low-income students identified as gifted in middle school, the study provides insight into the potential predictive value of specific gifted attributes on later academic performance: high-school graduation, matriculation in an institution of higher learning, and completion of a college degree. Findings support the value of multiple forms of identification, specifically in problem-solving, teacher identification of leadership ability, and grade point average. The study also evaluates the impact on academic outcomes of a longterm, university/school pre-college partnership program for middle-and senior-high-school underrepresented gifted. Results show a significant relationship between the level of student involvement in program activities and successful achievement of academic outcomes.

Developing Talents Among High-Potential Students From Low-Income Families in an Out-of-School Enrichment Program

“…Clasen (2006) completed a follow up on the participants of Project STREAM 13 years after their participation in the enrichment program. Clasen collected quantitative data to investigate participants' high school and higher education achievements, and she gathered qualitative data to examine their career choices and to explore how Project STREAM influenced their academic goals.…”

Giftedness and subjective well-being: A study with adults

“…Yet studies with gifted adults are rare and the available studies are often flawed by methodological shortcomings (imprecise definitions of giftedness; use of preselected groups; small samples; lack of adequate comparison groups; cf. Clasen, 2006;Davalos & Haensly, 1997;Hebert & McBee, 2007;Jacobsen, 1999;Lovecky, 1986;Rogers, 1998).…”

Project Promise

“…Project Promise and Project STREAM research suggest that students who participate for longer periods of time may be different and have better educational outcomes than those who participated for 2 years or less. Clasen (2006) also found that greater program involvement was correlated with better educational outcomes; for example, 88% of participants with 5 or more years of Project STREAM participation attended college compared with 5% of those who dropped after one or two activities. Woods (2005) investigated factors that correlated with persistence in attendance and degree of involvement in Project Promise and found that the likelihood of persisting was greatest for those who were (a) younger upon program entry, (b) from two-parent households, (c) from larger families from the lowest income level, (d) Hispanic males, or (e) possessed stronger English language and reasoning skills.…”

“…Project Promise participants demonstrated higher high school graduation rates (100% vs. 68%) and higher education attendance (90% vs. 60% of high school graduates) than Project STREAM participants. Those attending Project STREAM for 5 to 6 years demonstrated similar percentages to those attending Project Promise for 3 years (e.g., 97% high school graduation rate; 88% higher education attendance; Clasen, 2006). Although education is not the only way to measure success, it does frame an individual's trajectory in life.…”

“…Program funding, leadership, and vision must be obtained and continued for long periods of time (Olszewski-Kubilius, 2007). This consideration may be especially important to economically disadvantaged youth because many other aspects of their lives are unstable (Clasen, 2006). Enhanced trust may be fostered by demonstrated long-term commitment, resulting in stronger parental and school support for gifted programming for disadvantaged students (Olszewski-Kubilius & Thomson, 2010).…”