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

Multiple Causes  Inappropriate expectations  Inadequate/Inappropriate educational programming  Family factors  Personal characteristics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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