Using the empirically based evidence that has resulted from the previous five Talent Searches of the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, the article develops the rationale and success behind the talent-search concept as a useful strategy for identifying the intellectually gifted. (Author)

In this article, the author argues that using test scores as the sole indicator of students' and teachers' knowledge and skills is harming students and driving the best teachers from the profession. Research by the Abell Foundation indicates that clear links could be found between teachers' verbal and cognitive abilities and the achievement of…

Using state-level panel data, this study estimates a simple achievement function in the fixed-effects format to explore further the nexus between school expenditure and student achievement in the United States. Five main points are noted. First, the effect of per-pupil expenditure is positive and carries high statistical significance in some…

This study explored inter- and intraindividual immigrant group differences in children's English verbal ability over ages 6-16 in 4 racial/ethnic groups--White Americans, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans (N=2,136). Although all children's mean verbal scores increased with age, immigrant children (except for Black Americans)…

The results of the experimental effect of low-inference teacher clarity variables on achievement and on retention were determined by means of a randomized control group, posttest only, basic design. Members of an introductory education class viewed videotapes of lessons containing either high or low teacher clarity variables. Subjects who took a…

It is argued that aptitude and achievement tests designed for much older students are invaluable for finding extremely high ability at younger ages, particularly in mathematical and verbal reasoning. Results of the first two years of the Study of Mathematically and Scientifically Precocious Youth (SMSPY) are examined to show that considerable…

The study compared earlier identified (grades 2-4) to later identified (grades 5-8) learning-disabled students' test scores (Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) upon identification and over time in special education. No significant between-group differences were found at identification. Over time (two…

Indicates that under- and overachievement is related primarily to teaching and educational methods, and is independent of the subject matter area. (DS)

Argues that little or no progress has been made in improving student achievement in reading, mathematics, and science since publication of "A Nation at Risk." Supports argument with test scores from Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Third International Mathematics and Science Study…

The Picture Interpretation Test (Torrance and Grossman, 1967) was used in a battery of creative tests as part of a construct validity test. The test was administered to 46 boys and 37 girls in five first grade classrooms in a Clayton County, Georgia, elementary school. The purpose of the test was to measure the child's ability to "read a…

The Verbal Reaction Behavior Log (VRBL) is an instrument used for identification of teacher and pupil verbal behavior. The purposes for its use are (a) an increase in pupil-teacher interaction, (b) an enhancement of indirect and pupil-centered instruction, (c) focus of attention on the logic of classroom discourse, and (d) increased use of…

Forty-five 9- to 14-year-old children with learning disabilities were divided into three groups on the basis of their patterns of reading, spelling, and arithmetic achievement, and performances on 16 measures were compared. (Author/CL)

This study combines a trichotomous motivational variable (mastery goal, performance approach, and performance avoidance goal) with an information-processing variable referred to as depth of processing, to investigate the effects of motivation on the encoding and recall of verbal information with a sample of infants and primary grade students…

Scores on the Rotter I-E scale were correlated with scores on the verbal subtest of the College Qualification Test, cumulative grade point average, and attributions of performance to ability, effort, course difficulty, and luck. The I-E scores were unrelated to either verbal ability or grade point average. (Author/GK)