Assessing the Psychological Changes of Gifted Students Attending a Residential High School With an Outcome Measurement. (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rollins, Marlon R.; Cross, Tracy L.
• Other Names: Robins Jennifer H. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal for the education of the gifted. Volume 37:Number 4(2014:Dec.)
• Page Start: 337
• Page End: 354
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: gifted students -- residential schools -- outcome assessment -- quantitative study -- adolescents; Gifted children -- Education -- United States -- Periodicals; 371.9505
• DOI: 10.1177/0162353214552562
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-3532

Abstract

This study examined the psychological changes that 272 students experienced while attending a residential school for gifted adolescents in the Midwest. This article shares the quantitative portion of a mixed-methods study. Outcome measurement data from the Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self-Report 2.0 (YOQ-SR) tracked students' level of psychological distress over the course of an academic year. Using Latent Growth Curve Model (LGM) analysis, the results indicated a strong negative correlation ( r = −.884) between the slope and quadratic change, meaning the more the students' level of stress increased, the more rapidly they were able to reduce it over time. Overall, student distress was not significant enough to reach clinical levels. There was no evidence to support the notion that the residential school experience was harmful to student psychological development.