Here are the slides I used when I presented at IAGC 2012. I hope you find them helpful.

1. Understanding and
Reversing
Underachievement in
Gifted Students
Lisa DaVia Rubenstein
IAGC 2012

2. "It is not impossibilities
which fill us with the deepest
despair, but possibilities
which we have failed to
realize."
— Robert Mallet

3. Importance
• McCall, Evahn, & Kratzer
(1992): School Achievement
Matters
• Peterson & Colangelo (1996):
Persistent Patterns

4. Problems?
• 18-25% of high school
dropouts are in the gifted
range (Solorzano 1983;
Renzulli & Park, 2000)
• Underachievement becomes a
pattern - only 26% of high
school underachievers are able
to reverse the pattern in
college (Peterson, 2000)

5. Identification

6. Most Popular Definition (Reis & McCoach, 2000)
“Underachievers are students who exhibit a severe
discrepancy between expected achievement (as
measured by standardized achievement test scores or
cognitive or intellectual ability assessments) and actual
achievement (as measured by class grades and teacher
evaluations). To be classified as an underachiever, the
discrepancy between expected and actual achievement
must not be the direct result of a diagnosed learning
disability and must persist over an extended period
of time. Gifted underachievers are underachievers who
exhibit superior scores on measures of expected
achievement (i.e., standardized achievement test scores or
cognitive or intellectual ability assessments).” (p. 157).

7. Are we all
underachievers in
some areas?

8. Identification
Problems
• Duration
• Degree
• Different for gifted students and regular students
• Standardized test scores/ IQ test scores
• Twice exceptionality
• Selectivity

9. 2006 Study Findings
5.00
3.75
Implementation
2.50 No Implementation
1.25
0
PreGrade PostGrade

10. 2011 Study Findings

12. Create an
identification
plan.

13. Understanding the Underachieving
Student

14. Characteristics
• Anecdotal reports from counselors
• Qualitative studies
• Quantitative studies

15. Possible
Characteristics of
Gifted Underachievers
May be dependent
May develop coping
mechanisms which
successfully reduce short term
stress, but which inhibit long
term success.
May be socially immature
May be antisocial or rebellious
..........

16. Characteristics of
Gifted Underachievers
The most common
characteristic is low self-
esteem.
Sometimes these students
don’t believe they are
capable of accomplishing
what their families and
teachers expect.

17. But wait...a challenge?
• McCoach & Siegle: academic
self-perceptions was equal
between the 2 groups
• Difference between qualitative
and quantitative
• Largest predictors: Motivation
and task valuation

18. A model of motivation:
Achievement
Orientation Model

19. Possess the
Adequate
Skills
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

20. Possess the
Adequate
Skills
Confidence in Ability
to Perform Task
Self Efficacy
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

21. Flexible
OR
Stable/Fixed

22. Types of Praise

23. Perfectionism

24. How to Build Self-
Efficacy
• Complement of skills they develop
• Practice lack-of-effort explanations for poor
performance
• Avoid the appearance of unsolicited help
• Recognize progress during a lesson
• Help students to set goals, document their growth
• Peer models and self-model

25. A Balancing Act
Interest
Ability Effort

26. Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception
Possess the
Adequate
Skills
Confidence in Ability
to Perform Task
Self Efficacy
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

28. School Climate
• Lack of respect for individual child
• Negative expectations
• Strongly competitive environment
• Inflexibility, rigidity
• Exaggerated attention to errors
• Unrewarding curriculum
• Peer pressure

29. School Perception
• Identify faulty cognitions
• I must perform well all the time.
• Everyone must treat me well all the time.
• Conditions must be favorable all the time.
• Categories
• What events occur
• Attributions about why events occur
• Expectancies or predictions of what will occur
• Assumptions about the nature of the world
• Belief what should be
• Is it valid and/or reasonable to have this thought?
• Are their distortions blocking what is true? (Examples
include overgeneralizations, minimization,
catastrophizing, absolute thinking)

30. School Perception
Choice Theory
• All behavior is chosen and the only person whose
behavior we can control is our own.
• No thing, event, or person makes us to anything.
Solutions
• Set good goals that are positive, in the student’s own
words, current, specific, and in the student’s control.
• Start small, in the present and focus on how to actively
change it. Point out successes. Follow up.

31. Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception
Possess the
Adequate
Skills Motivation
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

32. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
On Flow

34. From Get Off My Brain, by Randy McCutcheon, illustrated by Pete Wagner

36. Whenever there is a problem to solve…that
is good for me…. I get really interested in
current events and ethics and morality…
I remember when I first connected something from science
and literature and psychology. It was so exciting!...I was
seeing something, how things were working in the world,
and I wasn’t just looking for a test.
...where if you are playing a team that’s worse
than you, you kind of stoop down to their
level...that’s how I felt in a lot of my
classes...because the ones that didn’t challenge
me were the ones I didn’t try at all in.

37. I've ended up getting lower grades than my
classmates many times because I didn't feel
like the course was challenging enough to
try in. Then, when a test did come, there
were times I was unprepared because I've
always had a hard time believing I needed to
study for a test. That shaped my work ethic,
even in college to believing that I can get
through any class without external studying
or preparation.

38. Goal Valuation
Intrinsic Value
• Interest enhancing activities (games, challenges,
anecdotes)
• Choices
• Pre-assessment and matched challenges (AP)
• Immediate feedback
• Enthusiasm and equal treatment of students
Attainment Value
• Authentic and significant tasks
• Personally meaningful
• Provide models who value academic achievement

39. Goal Valuation
Utility Value
• Explain purpose
• Connect to current wants or future goals
• Real world applications
• Personal stories
• Connections between prior, current, and future learning
Rewards
• Reward for reaching a specific instructional goal
Conferences
• Constructive confrontation
• Active listening
• Clarify goals
• Make plans to achieve goals

40. Teachers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception
Possess the
Adequate
Skills Motivation
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

41. Classroom Practices
Study
Teachers reported that they
never had any training in
meeting the needs of gifted
students.
61% public school teachers
54% private school teachers
Archambault, F. X., Jr., Westberg, K. L., Brown, S. W., Hallmark, B. W., Emmons, C. L., & Zhang, W. (1993).
Regular classroom practices with gifted students: Results of a national survey of classroom teachers
(Research Monograph 93102). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented,
University of Connecticut.

42. Classroom Practices
Observational Study
Students experienced no instructional or curricular
differentiation in 84% of the activities in which they
participated:
Reading Language Arts
Mathematics Social Studies
Science
Westberg, K. L., Archambault, F. X., Jr., Dobyns, S. M., & Salvin, T. J. (1993). An observational study of
instructional and curricular practices used with gifted and talented students in regular classroom
(Research Monograph 93104). Storrs, CT: The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented,
University of Connecticut.

43. No Differentiation
Advanced Content
Advanced Process
Advanced Product
Indep. Study w/
Assigned Topic
Indep. Study w/
Self-selected Topic
Other
Differentiation
Gifted Students Were Involved
Types of Differentiation in Which

44. Matching Effort with
Outcome
Possible Outcomes
Positive Negative
Positive
Achievers Underachievers
Possible Effort
Negative
Underachievers Underachievers

45. T
e
a
c
h
e
r
s

46. Teachers Peers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception
Possess the
Adequate
Skills Motivation
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

47. 66%

48. Teachers Peers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception
Possess the
Adequate
Skills Motivation
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
Parents/Family
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

49. Family Characteristics
Uncontrollable
• Poor family morale
• Family disruption
Controllable
• Parent overprotection
• Authoritarian
• Excessive permissiveness
• Inconsistencies between
parents

50. Family Issues
Affecting Academic
Underachievement
• Family dysfunction/ Power patterns
• Strained relations with family members
• Problems with siblings and sibling rivalry
• Inconsistent role models and value systems in the
family
• Minimal/Hyper paternal academic monitoring,
guidance, and expectations

51. Parental
Considerations
• DON’Ts: Do not put them in their place or foster
learned helplessness. Avoid excessive pressure or
conveying too much power. Don’t use their talent as an
excuse.
• DOs: Show them attitudes of respect, compromise,
and working together to solve a problem. Negotiate a
fair contract and stick to it. Model intrinsic and
independent learning, positive commitment to career,
and respect for school and teachers.

52. Teachers Peers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception Realistic
Possess the Expectations
and
Adequate Appropriate
Skills Motivation Strategies
(Self Regulation)
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
Parents/Family
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

54. Self-Regulated Learning
Zimmerman (1989) defines self-regulated learning as involving the regulation of
three general aspects of academic learning.
1. Control of Resources
(control their time, their study environment- the place in which they study, and
their use of others such as peers and faculty members to help them)
2. Control of Motivation and Emotions
(control self-efficacy and goal orientation to adapt to the demands of school and
control emotions and affect (such as anxiety) in ways that improve learning)
3. Control of Cognitive Strategies
(decide upon processing strategies that result in better learning and increased
performance such as outlining or highlighting or creating pictures)

55. Self-Regulation
Strategies
• Setting Short and Long Term Goals
• Identifying Rewards for Work Completed and Goals Met
• Time Management/Organization Strategies
• Study and Learning Strategies (Flash cards, testing yourself, finding the right
environment, chunking study time over several days)
• Test-taking Strategies (Comparing class notes with material from the book,
meeting with friends to brainstorm questions, arranging time with teachers for
review)
• Developing an Individual Plan to Be More Successful in School
• Reflecting on What Has Occurred and Evaluating Progress

56. Achievement and
Engagement
Teachers Peers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception Realistic
Possess the Expectations
and
Adequate Appropriate
Skills Motivation Strategies
(Self Regulation)
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
Parents/Family
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

57. Don’t mistake activity
for achievement.
John Wooden

58. Achievement and
Engagement
Teachers Peers
Expect to Succeed
Environmental Perception Realistic
Possess the Expectations
and
Adequate Appropriate
Skills Motivation Strategies
(Self Regulation)
Confidence in Ability Value the Task
to Perform Task Meaningfulness/Goal
Self Efficacy Valuation
Parents/Family
From Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach

59. Researched
Interventions

60. Students’ Perceptions
(Linda J. Emerick’s Study)
• Out of School Interests
• Parents
• The Class
• Goals
• Teacher
• Self

61. Interventions
• Whitmore (1980)
• Supplee (1990)
• Baum, Renzulli, & Hébert (1995)
• Siegle, Reis, & McCoach (2006)
• Rubenstein (2011)

62. U
A Study to Increase
Academic Achievement
for
nderachieving
GIFTED STUDENTS
from The National Research Center on the Gifted and
Talented
Principal Investigators: Del Siegle and Sally M. Reis
Study Development Team: Del Siegle, Sally M. Reis, and D. Betsy McCoach
Intervention Development Team: Del Siegle, Sally M. Reis, Meredith Greene, D. Betsy McCoach, and
Ric Schreiber
Field Test Team: D. Betsy McCoach and Del Siegle
Study Implementation Team: Del Siegle, Sally M. Reis, Becky Mann, and Scott Davie

63. Basic Assumption:
Students Underachieve for a Variety of Reasons
They based their interventions on five different types
of underachievers:
Those who…
… believe the environment is at fault
(environmental perception)
… don’t value the goals of school (goal valuation)
… don’t believe they have the ability to do well
(self-efficacy)
… are not challenged by the curriculum
(curriculum-compacting and Type IIIs)
… lack organization and study skills (self-
regulation)

64. Monitor
Student’s
Academic
l Achievement (n=24)
nt ro
Co
Goal Valuation (n=22)
Self-Efficacy (n=27)
School Percept (n=8)
Treatment Curriculum
Compacting and Type
IIIs (n=21)
Self-Regulation (n=36)

65. 2006 Study Findings
5.00
3.75
Implementation
2.50 No Implementation
1.25
0
PreGrade PostGrade

66. 2006 Study Findings

67. 2006 Study Findings

68. Implementation of
Strategies
Resource for all strategies: www.gifted.uconn.edu/
NRCGT.html
• Click on Underachievement Study.
• Each strategy has its own module.
• There are also lesson plans, worksheets, and videos.

69. Project ATLAS

70. 20%
50%

71. Student understands
standards.
Content
Process
Product
Project
ATLAS Student proposes
assignment...for engagement.

72. Daniel
• Family
• Peers
• Interests
• Expectations

73. Jason
• Family
• Peers
• Interests
• Expectations

74. Ginger
• Family
• Peers
• Interests
• Expectations

75. Results
Standard Mean Differences
Daniel 0.45 1.93
Jason -1.78 0.35
Ginger -0.52

76. Findings
• Students’
home
lives
have
a
large
effect
on
students’
school
lives.
• A
caring
individual
who
takes
an
interest
in
a
student’s
life
can
make
a
difference
for
that
student.
Signing
the
permission
form
may
have
affected
the
students’
performance.
• Underachievement
interventions
must
be
student
speci=ic,
and
Project
ATLAS
may
be
effective
for
some
students.
• In
Mrs.
Hemmingway’s
class,
students
rarely
had
an
opportunity
for
active
engagement,
and
when
they
did,
the
underachieving
males
in
the
study,
both
Jason
and
Daniel
found
it
challenging
to
use
that
time
appropriately.

77. Call for Action

78. Call for Action
Mentorships
Community Partnerships
Autonomy
Action Counseling
Quality Curriculum
Research Technology
Social Justice
Acceleration
Try something...

79. Thank You.
lmrubenstein@bsu.edu