An analysis and evaluation of the procedures for student selection in state-supported residential schools of mathematics and science

The purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate procedures and policies of identifying and selecting gifted and talented students in state-supported residential schools of mathematics and science in the United States. The research design for the study was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative descriptive designs. Methods for data collection included pre- and post-admission data for 744 students from seven schools, ratings of 106 teachers, structured interviews with six directors and six coordinators of admissions, and analysis of schools\u27 promotional literature on identification and admissions. Results of correlation and regression analyses of pre-and-post admission data from seven schools indicated that the students\u27 home school adjusted grade-point average was the best predictor of first and second-year grade-point averages. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) came next to the adjusted grade-point average in terms of predictive power. These results are consistent with findings of prediction studies conducted at both the high school and college levels. With respect to file and interview ratings, results of this study suggest a great deal of fluctuation and inconsistency in their correlations with criterion variables. The way that the identification data were synthesized and combined was found to be ineffective and misleading. Composite scores functioned poorly and inconsistently for predicting first-year GPA across schools. Moreover, statistical prediction was found to be superior to professional judgment (Meehl, 1954; Sawyer, 1966). The identification and selection systems of residential schools were evaluated, on average, as moderately effective by teachers. Analysis of enrollment data indicated that Black, Hispanic, and American Indian students were under-represented, while Asian students were over-represented. No specific provisions or efforts were found to recruit gifted handicapped and exceptionally precocious students. Male students outscored female students on the mathematical section of the SAT. The use of multiple criteria was viewed by administrators and teachers as a major strength of their identification systems. The lack of minority representation was viewed as a major weakness. Demographics of the statewide student population and political pressures probably were unavoidable factors in the selection process, and they were influential in one way or another. The relatively high rate of attrition was also viewed as a weakness. Teachers in most schools were not directly involved in identification and selection processes. Results of the study are expected to guide admissions personnel in specialized schools as well as in academically oriented programs for gifted and talented students in public schools