. DOCUMENT RESUME ,, ED 040 519 EC 005 268 AUTHOR Bent, Leo G.; And Others TITLE Grouping of the Gifted: An Experimental Approach. INSTITUTION Bradley Univ., Peoria, Ill. SPONS AGENCY Illinois State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Springfield. PUB DATE 69 NOTE 208p. sr EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF-$1.00 HC-$10.50 DESCRIPTORS Enrichment Activities, *Enrichment Programs, 4,r *Exceptional Child Research, Experimental Programs, *Gifted, *Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Program Descriptions, Program Evaluation, *Student ......-. Development ABSTRACT While in 3rd grade, 487 studentswere selected for placement in special classes for the gifted fromgrades 4 through 8. Teachers of the special classeswere chosen by school administrators. Their teaching experience averaged 9years, and eight held advanced degrees. Sixteen attended specialsummer programs on the gifted and were given in service assistance. Results indicated that theprogram children equalle0 or surpassed the controls in academicachievement as measured by standardized tests despite the fact that their supplementary enriching activities reduced by aboutone half the time spent on regular classroom actir.ties. Further resultsindicated skill in foreign language, res arch, and criticalthinking as well as growth in social awareness andconcern, leadership, creativity, interests, and self reliance in school activities.Approval of the program by both teachers and parents was noted. (Author/JD) roupingof the ted AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH LEO G. BENT with the assiAakice of W. McD. Frederick, Richard A. Kalus, Charles W. Lewis. Frederick J. McDonald, John IS.M. Rothney Wilber D. Simmons, G. Wesley Sowards A Bradley University Publication 1969 O U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AI WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY. 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The program for the academically gifted in the Peoriaarea was funded by the Allied Foundation of Peoria. Full cooperation of the following institutions andpersons is acknowledged. Peoria, Illinois, Public Schools ri4 Rockford, Illinois, Public Schools 1.11 CO Peoria, Illinois, Catholic Schools Rockford, Illinois, Catholic Schools Bradley University (With assistance from the Office of the Superintendent of PublicInstruction, State of Illinois.) The following persons served as members ofa Program Committee for the Academically Gifted: Chairman Dr. Talman W. VanArsdale, Jr., President Bradley University Members Peoria Public Schools Dr. Mark W. Bills, Superintendent Peoria Public Schools (1963-1968) Dr. Claude E. Norcross, Superintendent Peoria Public Schools (1968- Carl Placher (1963-1967) Dr. Robert Lynn, Assistant Superintendent Peoria Public Schools (1967- ) Dr. Gilbert Maple, Principal Whittier Elementary School (1963-1965) Robert Stevenor, Principal Whittier Elementary School (1965-1967) Elsa Peck, Principal Whittier Elementary School (1967-1969) James Gustafson, Principal Kellar Elementary School (1965- Maria Thompson, Principal Kellar West Elementary School (1965- Dennis Gainey, Principal Hines Elementary School (1966-1967) Dale R. Etaugh, Principal Hines Elementary School (1968- ) ii Edward J. Williams, Principal Hines Elementary School (1967-1968) N. Lee Nugent, Principal Tyng Elementary School (1966- ) Juanita Walterscheid, Principal Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (1965- Peoria Catholic Schools Rev. John Sweeney, Superintendent Peoria Diocese Catholic Schools (1963-1965) Rev. Eugene Finnell, Superintendent Peoria Diocese Catholic Schools (1965- Sister Andreas, Principal Sacred Heart School (1963-1967) Sister Anne, Principal Sacred Heart School (1967- Bradley University Dr. George Harrison, Head of the Department ofElementary Education Allied Foundation Arthur G. Heidrich, Jr. Dr. J. C. Lockhart W. McD. Frederick Personnel that contributed greatly to the Programand the collection of data forpurposes of evaluation are: Rockford Public and Catholic Schools Thomas Shaheen, Superintendent Rockford Public Schools Ann Gustafson, Assistant to the Superintendent Elementary- Rockford Public Schools (now retired) Arthur Johnson, Assistant Superintendent forSpecial Education- Special Services Rockford Public Schools Blanche Martin, Director of Elementary Education Rockford Public Schools Sister Mary Celine, O.S.F., Rockford Diocesan Elementary School Supervisor Coordination of the programwas done by: Dr. Frances Halstrom (1963-1965) Dr. Harry Dunn (1967-1969) Mr. John Garrett (1969) Mr. George Burdette (1969) Special Consultant on Foreign Language: Dr. Roger Pillett, University of Chicago ill Director of Testing: C. E. Zebell, Educational Diagnostic Center Bradley University Graduate Research Assistants: Wilbur Simmons Charles W. Lewis Richard A. Kalus The evaluation of the Program was done by a Research Committee composed of: Leo G. Bent, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education Bradley University W. McD. Frederick, Ph.B., J.D., Allied Foundation Frederick J. McDonald, Ph.D., formerly Director of the Terman Gifted Child Research at Stanford University, now Associate Dean of Instruction, School of Education, New York University John W. M. Rothney, Ed.D., Director of the Research and Guidance Laboratory for Superior- Students, University of Wisconsin G. Wesley Sowards, Ed.D., formerly of Stanford University, now Chairman, Department of Elementary Education, Florida State University iv FOREWORD AND HISTORY A little over ten years ago several people in the Peoria area became interested in offering additional study pro- grams for some very bright students who were quite obviously not being sufficiently challenged by the regular classroom curriculum. This extra work involved the study of German, French, and an intensive literature reading program before and after school. It soon became apparent that the extra work was stimulating to these children and did riot appear to interfere with their regular work. At about this same time Father John Sweeney, the then Superintendent of Peoria Diocese Catholic Schools, contacted me as a representative of the Allied Foundation to request a grant to defray the expenses of a proposed Junior Great Books Program for the Catholic Schools. The participants, he said, would be limited to very bright youngsters in the seventh and eighth grade. This suggested plan seemed to fit exactly into our personal experience and to offer a real opportunity to reach a great many additional bright students. After the plan was submitted to members of the Allied Foundation, a small local family foundation, the Peoria Public Schools through its Superin- tendent, Dr. Mark W. Bills, the then President of Bradley University, Dr. Harold Rodes, and Father John Sweeney decided to commence a program of Junior Great Books for both the Peoria area Catholic Schools and the Peoria Public Schools, with Bradley University as the central control point.Participation was to be based on Stanford- Binet I.Q. Tests administered by Bradley University. At approximately the same time the members of the Foundation, the administrators of the school systems in- volved, and the President of Bradley University decided that a general program for gifted children in the Peoriaarea should be undertaken. k ne Foundation authorized a grant to permit teams to visit the existing Gifted Programs in school systems at Palo Alto, California; Portland, Oregon; Cleveland, Ohio; Evanston, Illinois; and Glencoe, Illinois; these teams were to determine what these programs for the gifted had developed and what we should propose for a program in Peoria. The late Carl Placher of the Peoria Public School System was a member of these teams and contributed substantially in setting up our program. These visits crystalized our thinking. In 1962 Dr. Frances Halstrom was employed as coordinator of the Peoria Program for Gifted Children. Dr. Halstrom, in addition to her duties as coordinator, becamea member of the faculty of the College of Education of Bradley University. A program in the spring of 1963 for preparing teachers for such a program anda summer school course at Bradley University were instituted under the supervision of the coordinator. In the spring of 1963 one hundred third graders were selected by the two school systems after testing by Bradley University.That first year fifty public school pupils and fifty Catholic school pupils were admitted into special gifted rooms in each school system to commence that fall. During the summer session in 1963 the Allied Foundation financed a lectureprogram at Bradley University. Dr. Paul Hanna of Stanford University, Dr. G. Wesley Sowards of Stanford University, Dr. John W. M. Rothney of the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Calvin Taylor of the University of Idaho, and Mrs. Natalie Robinson Cole of Los Angeles, California, were the highly informative and stimulating lecturers. The public reaction to these lectures was so enthusiastic that initial acceptance of the program was assured. After one of the lectures, Dr. Paul Hanna suggested that we had the unique opportunity to determine whether or not our program here actually produced better results for children of this type than would leaving them in their unselected classrooms with children of varying abilities. The idea ofa research program testing our experimental program was accepted as our responsibility. A research committee was formed to direct, control, and evaluate such research.It