Affirmative action in higher education is a necessary component for ethnic minorities to be afforded postsecondary educational access and opportunities to improve their socioeconomic status. The ban of affirmative action in undergraduate admissions, wherever instituted, has decreased the undergraduate enrollment of ethnic minorities. The broad objective of this research is to demonstrate how the elimination of affirmative action has lessened postsecondary educational access for minorities, who presently account for the majority or near-majority population in several states and will soon account for a much larger segment of the national population. This study will use two series of multiple regression models with scale-level variables to note the effect of the removal of affirmative action and the effectiveness of the Talented Twenty Program in maintaining student diversity at the University of Florida and the Florida State University. The major finding of this research is that the minority enrollment at UF and FSU was significantly related to the change in policy from affirmative action to the Talented Twenty Program. This study and the prior literature strongly suggest that the current diversity levels at these public universities are most likely a result of the university recruitment and outreach programs and population change.

Why do some gifted minds thrive in life while others fail to fulfill their potential? The spotlight on violence perpetrated by bright individuals questions what went wrong, could it have been prevented, and whether schools are meeting the needs of gifted individuals. Thus, it is important to examine the impact of participation in various gifted and talented programs on the socioaffective development of gifted adolescents. The purpose of this study was to understand (1) if gifted individuals’ social and emotional development were similarly developed as their academic and creative abilities, and (2) if a particular school environment led to differences in psychological developmental profiles. Using six psychometric scales, this quasi-experimental study examined the socioaffective development of 343 gifted and talented students (ages 16-18) enrolled in arts-integrated charter, creative arts charter, and public school programs in an ethnically diverse moderate-size city in the southeastern United States. Students’ performances on psychometric scales were compared over time and by type of program. Participants took pre- and post-tests over the first semester of an academic school year with BarOn EQ-I: YVassessing social and emotional development. Based on these assessments, quantitative differences in growth on psychological scales were examined. Change scores between schools were also compared. School artifacts provided insight as to environmental qualities of each school environment. Major findings include gifted and talented adolescents showed significant weakness in intrapersonal abilities and general mood compared to normative age-mates. Gifted females also showed significant weakness in interpersonal abilities and overall socioaffective development. Gifted and talented students displayed strengths only in adaptability (problem solving and flexibility). Study findings support the theory that giftedness heightens vulnerability to adjustment problems. Results also indicated that gifted and talented students in inclusive public school environments demonstrated greater overall socioaffective development across most psychometric scales than charter schools. Results of analysis found gifted and talented students in all five environments showed no significantchange in scores on BarOn EQ-i:YV psychometric scales from Time 1 to Time 2, indicating that no particular school environment impacted social development and emotional intelligence. Future research is needed to confirm the finding that gifted and talented females in this study showed weaknesses in every psychometric scale except for adaptability. Additional research is needed to further understand social and emotional development among minority, low income, and female gifted and talented students, particularly those enrolled in selective and exclusive environments.

Analysis of a particular north-central Texas public high school revealed a strong representation of Hispanic females in advanced academic programs, i.e., AP and GT in proportion to their representation in the overall student population. Research seems to indicate that a progressive approach to academic-potential identification; culturally effective mentoring, traditional Hispanic values, and newly emerging personal and social characteristics all seem to be contributing factors. This study seems to indicate that a new type of Hispanic female is emerging who is more assertive academically, more visible in the classroom, and less marriage-and-family oriented as might be believed by teachers, society, their peers, and perhaps even their parents.

The purpose of this study was to examine African-American male awareness of and application to honors programs at two selected state colleges in the southeastern region of the United States. The researcher also attempted to fill a current void in the literature and to present an emergent theory for attracting African-American males to honors programs in State College settings. A disproportionate amount of research focuses on remediation and underachievement among African-American males. The lack of information on the experiences of high ability African-American males leaves many unanswered questions about how to best recruit and serve the needs of this population of students. This study focused on high achievers rather than languish over the problem of underachievers. It examined the level of awareness of gifted African-American male students regarding honors programs at the collegiate level. It also analyzed how institutional atmosphere/reputation, facilities , personal influences, and incentives affect the decision of African-American males to apply to honors. The format for this study was a mixed method design. It included quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. To satisfy the quantitative nature of this study, IBM SPSS 21.0 was used for the purpose of data analysis via binomial tests. Furthermore, the researcher conducted four semi-structured focus groups. Qualitative data analysis procedures were used to understand and interpret the undergirding knowledge that may have played a role in the decisions made by African-American males in terms of whether or not to apply to honors programs. The study findings revealed that African-American male participants valued the atmosphere and reputation of an honors program more than facilities, personal influences, and incentives. However, awareness of this and others factors among African-American male honors applicants and honors non-applicants was often based on the personal influences in their lives. The results of this study and its emergent theory suggest that, rather than simply showcase gifted abilities, state colleges strategically place honors in a leadership role to increase the presence of persons of influence that motivate high achieving African-American males to enroll in its honors programs. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

<p>Gifted elementary students in a congregated educational program (n = 165) were compared to gifted peers in regular programming (n = 49) in an urban, Western-Canadian, public, school division. Mean scores on measures of self-concept (Multidimensional Self Concept Scale), classroom environment (Classroom Environment Scale), and student life satisfaction (Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale) were analyzed. MANOVAs revealed main effects of educational programming and no mediating effects of gender or grade level. Students in the congregated program had lower academic self-concept than students in regular programming, replicating the commonly found Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect (Marsh, 1987). There was also some weak indication that students in the specialized program had lower satisfaction with "self" than those in the regular program. In contrast, students in the specialized program thought their programming to be more innovative relative to how the other group perceived theirs was. However, all differences were of small-to-moderate magnitude (.5 SDs). Moreover, all scores for all measures were at, or slightly above, levels typically found in normally developing peers. </p>

La homosexualidad masculina, durante la primera guerra fría, se articuló en la literatura norteamericana en torno a dos ejes: las asunciones heroicas de masculinidad (subordinadoras de masculinidades alternativas) y la frontera como sitio y mito.La masculinidad heroica, otrora hegemónica, y la homosexualidad de los personajes de ficción analizados se presentan unidas en una época donde el discurso médico, jurídico, publicitario y político quiso divorciarlas. Esa unión se produjo en uno de los sitios más masculinistas de la tradición norteamericana: la frontera, fuera real, simbólica o imaginaria. Estos personajes no consiguen alejarse de las posiciones patriarcales que los oprimen como homosexuales. Por tanto, esa masculinidad que tanto ansían abrazar queda lejos de ser garante de pleno desarrollo individual, excepto en la frontera categórica con la realidad. Estas ficciones, escritas en el umbral de la posmodernidad, suponen una apelación a los procesos desintegradores y liberalizadores de la misma. / Homosexuality was articulated around two ideas during the first part of the Cold War: heroic assumptions of masculinity -subordinators of alternative masculinities- and the frontier as place and myth. The heroic masculinity -long ago hegemonic- and the homosexuality of the fictional characters analysed go hand in hand in a time when medical, legal, political and mass-media discourses meant to separate them. We can see that union in one of the most man-dominated places in American tradition: the frontier, be it real, symbolic or imaginary. These characters cannot get away from the patriarchal positions which oppress them as homosexuals. Therefore, that masculinity they long to hold onto does not guarantee their integrity as human beings, except in the categorical frontier with reality itself. For these fictions, written at the threshold of postmodernity, appeal to its disintegrating and liberating processes.

<p>Gifted elementary students in a congregated educational program (n = 165) were compared to gifted peers in regular programming (n = 49) in an urban, Western-Canadian, public, school division. Mean scores on measures of self-concept (Multidimensional Self Concept Scale), classroom environment (Classroom Environment Scale), and student life satisfaction (Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale) were analyzed. MANOVAs revealed main effects of educational programming and no mediating effects of gender or grade level. Students in the congregated program had lower academic self-concept than students in regular programming, replicating the commonly found Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect (Marsh, 1987). There was also some weak indication that students in the specialized program had lower satisfaction with "self" than those in the regular program. In contrast, students in the specialized program thought their programming to be more innovative relative to how the other group perceived theirs was. However, all differences were of small-to-moderate magnitude (.5 SDs). Moreover, all scores for all measures were at, or slightly above, levels typically found in normally developing peers. </p>

This paper presents an innovat ive cons t ruct ion of a probabilistic model for predicting chance situations. It describes the construction of a four phase model, derived from an intense qualitative analysis of the written responses of 94 mathematically talented middle school students to the probabilistic compound event problem: “How many doubles are expected when rolling two dice fifty times?” We found that the students’ comprehension process of compound event situations can be broken down into a four phase model: beliefs, subjective estimations, chance estimations and probabilistic calculations. The paper focuses on the development of the model over the course of the experiment, identifying the process the students underwent as they attempted to answer the question. We explain each phase as it was reflected in the students\' rationalizations. All phases, including their definitions and students’ citations, will be presented in the paper. While not every student necessarily goes through all four phases, an awareness and understanding of them all allows for efficient, effective intervention during the learning process. We found that guidance and learning intervention helped shorten the preliminary phases, leading to more relative time spent on probabilistic calculations.

Perfectionism has been investigated related to the consequences to mental health it might entail for gifted students and their socioemotional development. However, findings have been inconclusive. This exploratory study aims to discover the main characteristics of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism in gifted Chilean secondary students. For this purpose,  extreme cases were found using Frost´s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale to subsequently conduct semi-structured interviews with a sample of four students. Results pointed to parental and societal expectations as the main aspects involved in the development of perfectionism, which sheds light on how to support the manifestation of perfectionism both in educational and clinical realms. / El perfeccionismo ha sido investigado en torno a las consecuencias que este podría significar para la salud mental de alumnos talentosos y su desarrollo socioemocional. Sin embargo, los hallazgos han sido poco concluyentes. Este estudio exploratorio apunta a descubrir las principales características del perfeccionismo adaptativo y desadaptativo en estudiantes chilenos académicamente talentosos de educación media. Para ello se detectaron casos extremos con la aplicación de la Escala Multidimensional de Perfeccionismo de Frost, para luego realizar entrevistas en profundidad semiestructuradas en una muestra de cuatro casos. Los resultados apuntan a las expectativas parentales y sociales como los principales aspectos involucrados en el desarrollo del perfeccionismo, entregando así luces de cómo apoyar la manifestación del perfeccionismo en el ámbito educativo y clínico. / Apesar dos estudos sobre a cognição dos alunos com Altas Habilidades ser abrangente, investigar as questões sócioemocionais desse grupo se faz necessário. Uma das vertentes que vem sendo estudada é o perfeccionismo, pois apresenta significado para saúde mental e desenvolvimento desse grupo de pessoas. Contudo, as descobertas ainda são pouco conclusivas. Este estudo exploratório visa descobrir as principais características do perfeccionismo adaptativo e mal adaptativo em estudantes chilenos academicamente talentosos do Ensino Médio – 1º a 3º / Ensino Fundamental – 5º-9º através da Escala Multidimensional de Frost. Para isso, detectou-se casos extremos com a aplicação desse modelo e na sequência do trabalho foram realizadas entrevistas com profundidade em uma amostra de quatro casos. Os resultados apontam para as expectativas sociais e familiares como os principais aspectos envolvidos no desenvolvimento do perfeccionismo, tanto no âmbito educativo quanto no clínico.

<p>To what extent do Black/African American (Black), Hispanic/Latinx (Latinx), and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) students have access to being identified with gifts and talents? In places where they have access to identification, how equitably are they identified? And, to what extent are they missing from identification with gifts and talents due to lack of access or underidentification? This study used the Civil Rights Data Collection for the years 2000, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, and 2015–2016 to investigate underrepresentation of Black, Latinx, and NHPI youth with gifts and talents, nationally and by state. The data in these years were census data, meaning data from every child who attends public school is included. Data were also examined by Title I and Non-Title I school status and by locale (i.e., City, Suburb, Town, Rural) to determine how school poverty concentration and/or school locale affect identification of Black, Latinx, and NHPI youth. All states were analyzed for Black and Latinx youth, but due to the small NHPI student populations in some states this analysis was limited to a 20 state sample. Nationally, and in 37, 31, and all 20 states analyzed, respectively, lack of access to identification was not a major contributing factor to underrepresentation. The disparity in identification percentages between schools by Title I status showed 45% fewer Black students, 21% fewer Latinx students, and 15% fewer NHPI students were identified in Title I schools. Additionally, in every state and setting, Black, Latinx, and NHPI youth were underidentified with 92%, 92%, and 67%, respectively, of the equity ratios and 92%, 93%, and 61%, respectively, of the representation indices less than the minimum criterion of 0.80. In 2015-2016, there were 276,840 Black students with gifts and talents identified with an estimated 469,213 (62.89%) to 771,728 (73.60%) missing from identification; 588,891 Latinx students with gifts and talents identified with an estimated 658,544 (52.79%) to 1,164,363 (66.41%) missing from gifted identification; and among the 20 state sample, 6,594 NHPI students with gifts and talents identified with an estimated 7,236 (52.32%) to 9,253 (58.39%) missing from gifted identification.</p>