Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Iowa Acceleration Scale

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS) in Determining the Appropriateness of Whole-Grade Acceleration The Annual NAGC Conference November 10, 2007 Minneapolis, MN Leslie Forstadt, Susan Assouline, Nicholas Colangelo The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Purpose • Introduce the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS) Validation Study • Report results of the validation study • Discuss qualitative and quantitative results in the use of the IAS as a decision-making tool The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The Iowa Acceleration Scale • A more objective look at the student • An analysis of the major factors to be considered in making a decision • Guidelines for weighting the relative importance of the major factors • Documentation of the student’s strengths and concerns • A numerical range to guide the discussion and decision of acceleration • A standard of comparison with students who have had successful accelerations The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The Iowa Acceleration Scale • • The IAS was developed as an administrative tool to help educators and parents make a decision. Modeled after the Light’s Retention Scale Multiple versions: Yellow, Green, Blue 1 st, Blue 2 nd In process, Blue 2 R, 2008 The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Subscales • • • Academic Ability and Achievement Developmental Factors School and Academic Factors Interpersonal Skills Attitude and Support • GRAND TOTAL – 1 st edition max score of 97 – 2 nd edition max score of 80 – Recommendations: Excellent, Good, Marginal, Not Rec The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Effectiveness of the IAS • Decision-making process: It is not a test! • The items have numerical ratings as a means to provide structure to the process, but it is possible for educators (and others) to misuse the numerical ratings: • Internal Structure Evidence – Do the items contribute positively toward the recommendation ? – Do the different parts provide unique information? The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Effective Items (Lipscomb, 2003) Effective • • • School-related Extracurricular Activities Positive attitude about learning Peer relationships Student’s view School system support Prior Planning Moderately Effective • Motivation Not Effective • Non-school related extracurricular activities The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

2003… “New and Necessary” • Extensions of Validity Research – Decision • Who: The students for whom the IAS was used were already carefully selected as candidates – therefore it was likely that the IAS process would produce successful candidates • “Was the IAS more useful in generating a consensus among the decision-makers? ” – Decision making process The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Rationale for the Current Validation Study • evaluate the utility of the IAS in the acceleration decision-making process • collect post-acceleration achievement test information as an indicator of student success after an IAS-based decision The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The Validation Study • Surveys were distributed to teachers or coordinators of gifted programs, which addressed the experience of using the IAS as well as multiple outcomes for the students. Outcomes included social, extracurricular, and academic measures. • n = 136 (1 st Edition), 44 (2 nd Edition) The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Results • Recommended – Excellent (1 st Ed: n = 15, 2 nd Ed: n = 32) – Good (1 st Ed: n = 57, 2 nd Ed: n = 12) • Marginal – (1 st Ed: n = 16) • Not recommended – (1 st Ed: n = 1) The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Results The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Sex of Candidate The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Age of Candidates Median = 8 The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Grade Level at Time of Acceleration • Mean age = 8. 2 • Early grade accelerations • 63% of the accelerations between K-3 The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Not recommended (n = 1): A Profile • Female • Age 8 • Grand total = 40 – Academic Ability and Achievement subscale = 15 – Developmental Factors subscale = 4 – School and Academic Factors subscale = 11 – Interpersonal Skills subscale = 4 – Attitude and Support subscale = 6 • Decision: whole grade acceleration “All standards were met and she performed well academically and socially” The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Decision Made Based on IAS Decision • Excellent candidates higher rates of whole grade acceleration than good or marginal • Good candidates, higher rates of single subject acceleration than excellent The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Excellent and Good Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Excellent and Good Candidates (n = 116) • Males = 56% (n = 65) • Females = 44% (n = 51) • Average = 8. 6 • Median age = 8 years • 1 st Edition = 62% (n = 72) • 2 nd Edition = 38% (n = 44) • How do excellent and good candidates differ in their score profiles? The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Grand Total The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Developmental Factors The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

School and Academic Factors The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Attitude and Support Scale The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Academic Ability and Achievement The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Interpersonal Skills The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Excellent and Good Candidates: Outcomes The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Excellent and Good Candidates: Comments • (Whole-grade accelerated) His needs were very high in language, so along with fullgrade acceleration, he is receiving extended acceleration in language. • (Single-subject accelerated) Student was moving into a student government position and would have missed it if whole-grade acceleration had been decided upon. The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates: A Profile • Male = 73. 3% (n = 11) • Female = 26. 7% (n = 4) • Mean age = 7. 6 years • Median age = 7. 4 years • Grand total average = 49 The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates Acceleration Decision The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates: Comments • (Whole-grade accelerated) Even though this was a questionable acceleration, child was ready…Lack of above-level test scores depressed IAS Total. • (No change to curriculum) This was a parent request. . decision would not have changed had we not had the IAS. The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Marginal Candidates: Outcomes The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Was the process useful for participants? The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The Team • “The IAS provided an excellent framework for us to use for a thorough study. ” • “EXTREMELY beneficial. The team was glad it was used. ” • “Using the IAS helped evaluate the total child. ” • “We have learned that concerns raised during the IAS process continue to be problematic. ” The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The School System • “Collin’s success has made converts of the middle school staff involved. They now believe it can be good to whole grade accelerate. ” • “The IAS has been adopted as part of board policy on acceleration. ” • “It helped the school to recognize the magnitude of this child’s intellect. ” The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

The Family • “I have talked with the parents a number of times, and they are pleased. ” • “The parents decided not to transfer their son to private school because they felt this school sees their son clearly and has a definite plan to meet his needs. ” • “They felt that all areas of their child’s life were examined and taken into consideration-given the unusual nature of their child’s academic life. ” The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Suggestions from users • Maybe some type of social or emotional intelligence score? • Many early grades do not have extracurricular activities and young students may be penalized in their scores for “not participating. ” • Can you recommend other tests if schools don’t administer social studies or science subtests? The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

In Conclusion • The IAS does what it was intended to do: – “the process was comprehensive. . . parents, teachers, & administrators [commented] to me about how nice it was. . . This process did a great job explaining the data. . . not all questions were black & white and that allowed for some discussions about school vs. home life. ” • It is important to document its impact through research The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Present and Future • Acceleration Research as Proactive • Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA) http: //www. education. uiowa. edu/belinblank/acceleration • Current IRPA projects include: – National survey of attitudes, practices, and prevalence of acceleration – Use of national data sets to examine acceleration practice and outcomes – Acceleration among English Language Learners The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Ordering the IAS The Iowa Acceleration Scale 2 nd Edition A Guide for Whole-Grade Acceleration K-8 Published by Great Potential Press Fax: (602) 954 -0185 Toll-Free 1 -877 -954 -4200 giftedbook@earthlink. net www. giftedbooks. com The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development