Insufficient sleep among high school students has become a pressing concern for its detrimental effects on academic performance, physical health, and mental wellness. This concern is amplified for students living away from their parents in a boarding school setting. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and improve the sleep…

Talent developmental experiences of economically disadvantaged students of Specialized STEM Talent Residential High Schools (SSTRHS) were investigated. Nine students who were preferentially admitted to SSTRHS due to their families' economic disadvantage were interviewed twice on their experiences from early childhood to college. The data were…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the coming out experiences of gifted LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer) alumni from a residential gifted high school. First, we found that gifted LGBTQ alumni (N = 106) realized their sexual orientation/gender identity around 16.6 years old, which is similar to…

There is no universally accepted definition of what it means to be an effective leader. Individuals understand leadership differently based on their own identities and lived experiences. The purpose of this investigation is to determine how one's ethnicity, class, and gender identities influence their understanding of effective leadership,…

This study examined the psychological changes that 272 students experienced while attending a residential school for gifted adolescents in the Midwest. This article shares the quantitative portion of a mixed-methods study. Outcome measurement data from the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report 2.0 (YOQ-SR) tracked students' level of…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the effect of a novel approach to mathematics instruction on gifted high school students' engagement, motivation, and metacognition. Participants in this study included gifted students who were enrolled in a 3-year, residential, specialized mathematics and science high school. Rather than respond…

This discourse is the qualitative component of a mixed-methods study that examined how students were psychologically affected while attending a 2-year residential high school (Academy) in the Midwest. This aspect of the study focused on the emic perspective of nine students using a phenomenological-type approach. To that end, interviews were…

As Director of the Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky for the past four and a half years, the author has had the distinct pleasure of leading an amazing group of students and staff in a residential program for high school juniors and seniors interested in advanced STEM careers. The years he has at the Gatton Academy…

The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is a publicly financed, residential early college entrance institute at the University of North Texas at Denton. Created in 1987, TAMS enables high-achieving students planning STEM careers to complete their last 2 years of high school simultaneously with their first 2 years of college. Admission…

The present article reports on a survey of the state of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in state-supported residential academies nationwide. Sixteen state-supported residential academies completed a comprehensive survey. Findings indicate that the great majority of public residential academies nationwide view…

Each year, academically gifted students leave home to live in a special school, one of 11 state-supported residential high schools for students gifted or talented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) academic domains. These schools attempt to take full advantage of the 24-hour day by engaging students in a rigorous learning…

Much of the research on the social coping of students with gifts and talents has relied on a single administration of an instrument while the participants were attending a summer program. This study attempts to understand how attendance at a residential high school (academy) may affect academically gifted students over time. Students in two…

State residential schools specializing in mathematics and science are schools of choice for gifted young people who are interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Fourteen states have such schools supported by state funding. These schools offer educational opportunities for high school young people who are…

This article presents results of a study that compared critical thinking in two writing samples (essays) from gifted adolescents who attended a residential school. The essays were written at the beginning of the junior year (when students were admitted to the school) and at the beginning of the senior year. All students in the study composed their…

Suicidal ideation assessment has been employed as an early screening method for identifying adolescents who are at risk for engaging in suicidal behaviors. While recent evidence has emerged that gifted adolescents do not have a higher rate of suicidal ideation, research on the psychological and personality characteristics of gifted youth have…