ERIC Number: EJ758038
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0015-511X
EISSN: N/A
Gifted and Talented Students at Risk
Seeley, Ken
Focus on Exceptional Children, v37 n4 p1-8 Dec 2004
The issue of underachievement among the gifted has captured the interest of educators sporadically over the past thirty years. In the most basic definition, an underachiever is a student who does not achieve in the academic areas at a level consistent with his or her capability. When underachievement is applied to the gifted, it becomes a more complex issue which calls for a new conceptualization. Giftedness and underachievement is a complex, multi-problem phenomenon which has been grossly oversimplified in cause, concept, and approach. This article moves from a simple base definition through a network of risk factors, potential causes, and approaches that make learning more accessible and possible for large numbers of at-risk students. The final part of this article is an outline of activities suggested by students and educational leaders who were assembled at a workshop designed to develop solutions to the problems of underachievement and school dropout. Five areas were identified as targets of intervention: "peer/social relationships," "home and family," "minority status of students," "teacher issues," and "school environment issues." This part is presented as a blueprint for local counselors or educators to use as a framework for discussion and planning at the school level. Each solution presents an objective and a set of strategies. This is merely a beginning for local initiatives to address the complex problems of underachievement.
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Underachievement, Educational Environment, Dropout Prevention, Talent, At Risk Persons, Academically Gifted, High Risk Students, Peer Relationship, Interpersonal Competence, Family Environment, Family Relationship, Minority Group Children, Teacher Influence, Educational Planning, Disabilities, Student Diversity, Low Income Groups, Delinquency, Student Motivation, Student Participation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A