Achievement

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Achievement Underachievement
The Connie Belin Jacqueline N. Blank
International Center for Gifted Education and
Talent Development The University of Iowa
College of Education

• Exceptionality Social Emotional Issues Examined?

Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D. Myron Jacqueline
Blank Professor of Gifted Education and Director,
Belin-Blank Center Belin-Blank Advanced
Leadership Institute The University of Iowa June
25-26, 2009
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Why do smart kids get poor grades in school?
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Is smart what you are or what you do?
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Thoughts on talent and character
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Current Best Sellers
Outliers Malcolm Gladwell
Talent is Overrated Geoff Colvin
The Talent Code Daniel Coyle
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Overachievement and Underachievement
Mismatch between performance and expectation
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Mismatches
Ability Score Standardized Test
Score Teacher/Parent Expectation Self
Expectation
Performance Score School Grades/Performance Scho
ol Performance/Attitude School Performance
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Overachievement
Assessment of Ability vs. Performance
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Overachievement
Mismatch between performance and expectation
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Gifted Underachievement
Assessment of Ability vs. Performance
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Gifted Underachievement
Definitions Non-producers vs. Underachievers
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Gifted Underachievement
Reasons are varied Outcome is uniform
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Gifted Underachievement

• Reasons (Causes)
• Environment
• Curriculum
• Interpersonal/Attitude About Giftedness/Family
• Intrapersonal
• Organization/Skills
• D / A / L
• Exceptionalities

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Environment

• Anti-Intellectualism

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Curriculum (Under-curriculum)

• Examples
• 5th Grade ITBS Math Item
• 8th Grade Explore Math Item
• Used in Talent Searches

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Curriculum

• 5th Grade ITBS Math Item
• What number is 100 greater than 2346
• 2446
• 2347
• 2356
• 3346

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Curriculum

• 8th Grade Explore Math Item
• Julia earned 5.20 per hour for 3 ½ hours and
  Suki earned 4.80 per hour for 5 1/4 hours. Who
  earned more money and how much more?
• Julia earned 7.00 more.
• Julia earned 17.00 more.
• Suki earned 7.00 more.
• Suki earned 17.00 more.
• They each earned the same amount of money.

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Interpersonal

• Relations with teachers/parents and personality
  conflicts
• Deliberate underachievement
• Relations with peers
• Motivation

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Intrapersonal

• Self-concept
• Perfectionism
• Fear of responsibility (Motivation)

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Organization/Skills

• Organization
• Study habits
• You may know it, but you still have to hand it
  in!

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D / A / L

• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Lifestyle (antisocial)

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Twice-Exceptionality

• Specific Learning disabilities
• Behavioral Disorders
• Emotional disorders
• Physical disabilities
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

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Gifted Students with ASD
(Foley Nicpon Assouline)
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Underachievement

• Doing well in school does matter!

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Underachievement

• I cant vs. I wont
• Responsibility for problem vs. responsibility
  for solution

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Gifted Underachievement

• A mismatch - A complex mismatch
• Minimize the barrier -
• Maximize the child