Mathematics Acceleration of Highly Talented Students: An Evaluation

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the precollege mathematics preparation of students with high mathematical aptitude, most of whom were highly accelerated in mathematics. The nature and extent of mathematics coursework and math-related activities and measures of student achievement during the secondary school years were examined. Students evaluated their precollege mathematics preparation in terms of course availability and difficulty, school cooperation, and overall satisfaction. The typical student took calculus in Grade 9, followed by advanced mathematics coursework studied at a local college or magnet high school. Some students experienced difficulty in locating an appropriately challenging and cohesive course of study after first year calculus while still in high school. Despite students' radical acceleration, achievement in calculus and postcalculus coursework was high. Out-of-school math-related activities were prevalent. Gender differences were found in the degree of acceleration and choice of college major. Recommendations for a suitable precollege math program for this population are offered.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Benbow, C. P. , & Stanley, J. C. (Eds.). (1983). Academic precocity: Aspects of its development. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

College Entrance Examination Board. (1990). 1990 Advanced Placement Program. New York : The College Board.

Dossey, J.A. , Mullis, I.V. , Lindquist, M.M. , & Chambers, D.L. (1988). The mathematics report card: Are we measuring up? Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

Fact file: Recipients of doctorates from U.S. universities, 1989. (1991, March 6). The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A13.

Gustin, W.C. (1985). The development of exceptional research mathematicians . In B. S. Bloom (Ed.), Developing talent in young people (pp. 270-331). New York: Ballantine Books.

Keating, D. P. (Ed.). (1976). Intellectual talent: Research and development. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Kulik, J.A. , & Kulik, C.C. (1984). Effects of accelerated instruction on students . Review of Educational Research, 54, 409-425.

LeBold, W.K. (1987). Women in engineering and science: An undergraduate research perspective. In L. S. Dix (Ed.), Women: Their underrepresentation and career differentials in science and engineering (pp. 49-98). Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

McKnight, C.C. , Crosswhite, F.J. , Dossey, J.A. , Kifer, E. , Swafford, J.O. , Travers, K.J. , & Cooney, T.J. (1987). The underachieving curriculum: Assessing U.S. school mathematics from an international perspective. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing Company.

10.

National Commission on Excellence in Education. ( 1983). A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform . Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

11.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. ( 1989). Curriculum evaluation standards for school mathematics . Reston, VA: Author.

12.

National Research Council. (1989). Everybody counts: A report on the future of mathematics education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

13.

National Science Foundation. (1986). Women and minorities in science and engineering. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

14.

Roe, A. ( 1953). The making of a scientist. New York : Dodd, Mead, & Co.

15.

Sosniak, L.A. (1985). Becoming an outstanding research neurologist. In B. S. Bloom (Ed.), Developing talent in young people (pp. 348-408). New York: Ballantine Books.

16.

Stanley, J. C. , Keating, D. P. , & Fox, L. H. (Eds.). (1974). Mathematical talent: Discovery, description, and development. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

17.

Steen, L.A. (1990). Mathematics for all Americans. In T. J. Cooney & C. R. Hirsch (Eds.), Teaching and learning mathematics in the 1990s (pp. 130-134). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

18.

Stevenson, H.W. (1990). Adapting to school: Children in Beijing and Chicago. 1990 Annual Report (pp. 51-67). Stanford, CA: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.

19.

Stevenson, H.W. , Lee, S. , & Stigler, L.W. (1986). Mathematics achievement of Chinese, Japanese, and American children. Science, 231, 693-699.

20.

Swiatek, M.A. , & Benbow, C.P. (1991). A ten-year longitudinal follow-up of participants in a fast-paced mathematics course. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 22(2), 138-150.

21.

Usiskin, Z. (1987). Why elementary algebra can, should, and must be an eighth-grade course for average students. Mathematical Teacher, 80(6), 428-438.

22.

Zuckerman, H. (1977). Scientific elite. New York : Free Press.