1. Students Who Are Gifted and Underachieving: Why & What Can We Do?Victoria B. Damiani, Ed.D., NCSPDirector, IUP Center for Gifted Education

2. Multiple Causes • Inappropriate expectations • Inadequate/Inappropriate educational programming • Family factors • Personal characteristics

3. Inappropriate Expectations • Incomplete assessments • Assessments misread or not read • Disabilities or emotional factors missed • Program doesn’t match assessment results

4. Educational Programming • Fails to challenge • Not academic • Study skills not developed • Not enough time spent with other capable students • Anti-intellectual climate • Student’s interests ignored • Crazy schedule

5. Family Factors • Disorganization • Conflict (often between father & son, but daughters can also be affected) • Modeling underachievement • Modeling devaluation of educational system • UA a form of aggression against parent • Parents take on too much responsibility • Parents have inappropriate expectations

6. Characteristics of Student • Lack of motivation • Negative feelings about school • Poor study/work skills • Inaccurate beliefs about self/school • Fear of success/failure • Poor concentration

7. But, Most Common Factors Are: • Inability to self-monitor in learning & performance • Lack of motivation • Emotional issues such as perfectionism and depression • Inappropriate educational programming

8. Intervention • Begin with educational program • Least intrusive • Required by regulation • Carries potential for prevention of UA in other students • Most research available • Expertise present among educators

9. To assess appropriateness of program for any student you must know at least: • Academic levels/skills in reading and math (Standardized & curriculum based) • Achievement history • Study & work habits • Results of any full MDT assessments Adjust program accordingly/Share with student & parents

10. Move Next to Related Services that are Educational in Nature • Career exploration • Real world experiences • Study/organizational skill instruction • Relationship with adult • Exploration of student interests • Educational time spent with other capable students • Variety of extra-curricular activities

11. Thirdly, fully evaluate self-monitoring, social, emotional, & family issues • Depression • Perfectionism • Anxiety • Family factors • Student’s self-regulation & self-messages

12. Depression • May present as disinterest • May present as anger/rebellion • Will be evident in other parts of child’s life • Is treatable • Requires careful psychological assessment that can be done at school • Will most likely be treated outside of school, but a school component is essential

13. Perfectionism • May begin work but not complete • May do one part of assignment well and others not at all • Pattern usually evident over time • May be familial connection • Interventions can be done at school if symptoms are not too severe

14. Anxiety • May be related to one subject only • May be related to one activity only, such as testing • May coexist with perfectionism • Can appear with or without a history • Can be addressed at school if focused and not generalized • If addressed outside will need a school component as well

15. Family Factors • Accurate information about student’s strengths & needs may help • May be related to family cognitions about giftedness • Will often be evident if parents & student are seen together • May generalize beyond academics • Can be addressed at school if focus is on school-related issues & intervener is appropriately trained

16. Student Self-regulation & messages • Cognitions regarding giftedness • Self-reports of thoughts & feelings when doing academic work • Metacognitive interview (Rafoth, 1999) • Time and materials report

17. Cogntive-Behavioral Interventions • Goal setting & Tracking (teach to record their own behavior) • Modeling (self-messages for organization) • Organization (step by step through a project) • Rubrics for self-evaluation

18. Cognitive Behavioral Interventions • Have student practice positive self-talk • Teach relaxation techniques • Teach self-reward • Use self-report rating scales to get baseline & assess progress • Student participation in development of plan is essential