The Gifted Rating Scales-School Form

Abstract

This study analyzes the standardization sample of a new teacher rating scale designed to assist in the identification of gifted students. The Gifted Rating Scales–School Form (GRS-S) is based on a multidimensional model of giftedness. Results indicate no age or race/ethnicity differences on any of the scales and small but significant differences in favor of females on three of the six scales: Artistic Ability, Motivation, and Leadership Ability. Diagnostic efficiency statistics and receiver operating curve analysis support the validity of the Intellectual Ability scale in identifying intellectually gifted students. The Intellectual Ability scale was successful in both correctly identifying students with high IQ scores (test sensitivity) and correctly identifying students without high IQ scores (test specificity). The present findings extend the analysis of the standardization sample reported in the test manual and provide additional support for the psychometric qualities of the GRS-S as a valid gifted screening tool.

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

“…Asian American preschool and kindergarten students were rated across scales, on average, approximately 15 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 middleschool students in the GRS-S standardization sample (Pfeiffer & Jarosewich, 2003).…”

“…Educators will be reassured that the GRS-P's low cultural loading provides greater opportunity for typically underrepresented minority 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 & Jarosewich, 2003)-a tactic which is consistent with best practices in preschool screening (Gridley, Mucha, & Hatfield, 1995).…”

“…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 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).…”

“…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, Third Edition (WPPSI-III).…”

“…Specific concerns included nonrepresentative standardization normative samples, low interrater reliability, and lack of evidence for diagnostic accuracy (Jarosewich et al, 2002). R ecognizing that hundreds of thousands of school-age children in the United States 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 (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.…”