Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators

reviewed by Jennifer A. Borek — September 28, 2012

Title: Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators
Author(s): Kristie Speirs Neumeister & Virginia Burney 
Publisher: Prufrock Press, Austin
ISBN: 1593639244, Pages: 190, Year: 2012
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I have always been uncomfortable with Gifted Education programs.  I worry that the very existence of the label produces feelings of inferiority in those who don’t obtain it and inappropriate feelings of superiority in those who do.  I worry about diverting severely limited resources to benefit the students who would be academically successful without them and who are, on average, more affluent, more Caucasian (or Asian), better parented and less likely to need accommodation for academic disabilities than their peers.  

This is not to say that these elite students ought not to benefit from differentiated instruction that challenges them and that allows them to develop to their full potential.  The issue is whether segregation and labeling are the best means to that end.

The obvious comparison is with special education programs.  American educators have gradually come to realize that we had been relying too much upon self-contained (segregated) programs.  Based upon cutting-edge research, we are moving toward inclusion programs in which students of all learning styles and abilities learn together in an environment in which all students benefit from differentiated instruction.  Should gifted programs be folded into the inclusion model as well?

Neumeister and Burney’s Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators & Coordinators addresses none of these issues, but proceeds on the assumption that gifted education is a viable, appropriate model without adverse consequences for the non-gifted population.  (Not unexpected in a book co-published with the National Association for Gifted Children.) On its own terms, however, it is an excellent text.

Designed for busy educators who have some understanding of gifted education but no particular expertise in program evaluation, it is, at 84 pages exclusive of introduction and appendices, wonderfully, refreshingly concise.  Each chapter and sub-chapter is packed with essential information set forth with clarity and precision.  If you are planning an internal evaluation of a Gifted Education program, read this book in its entirety, take a few notes or highlight key passages, and then use it for reference throughout the evaluation process.  In an era when texts are bloated with reiteration and extraneous information, Gifted Program Evaluation is a pleasure to read in terms of its precision and concision.

The introduction provides a quick overview of the subject matter and explains how to determine the scope of evaluation for a particular program. Chapter One provides an overview of the steps in the process and concrete suggestions for staffing and organizing the evaluation, and developing a task list and time line.  These elements are important because they help a novice organize the work.  Each of the next six chapters covers one of the core elements to be evaluated: program design, the identification process, curriculum and instruction, the affective dimension, professional development, and program effectiveness.  

For ease of reference, each core element chapter is arranged in a parallel manner.  Each begins with a description of the element, a copy of the relevant National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Gifted Education Programming Standard, and a description of best practices for the element.  These give the reader a clear understanding of the subject matter to be assessed.  They are followed by a list of evaluation questions and associated data sources, and sample survey items, interview questions, checklists, forms and instruments.  These give the reader a way to develop specific evaluation tools appropriate for the particular program being assessed.

While the whole book is straightforward, of particular interest is the chapter on the Affective Dimension.  Like all the chapters it begins with the “Overarching Evaluation Question” (p. 53).  The question for this chapter is, “Does the gifted education program effectively meet the affective needs of gifted students?” (p. 53)  The authors then show the standards that guide the data collection to demonstrate the efficacy of the program. They list, with brief commentary, purpose, best practices, and differentiation.  They have an introduction to the types of questionnaires and questions they provide, and then each of those questionnaires is presented.  In many program evaluations the affective dimension of learning is ignored or minimized.  Because it is an important part of checking for excellence, and a major component of the NAGC standards, it is appropriate that it has its own chapter.

The final chapter explains how a preliminary internal evaluation can improve the effectiveness of an external evaluation and offers some tips on selecting the best possible evaluator.  

The volume concludes with 84 pages of invaluable appendices.  These include actual data collection instruments: survey forms for students, teachers and parents, structured interview questions and a master checklist of program elements.  All these are presented in a straight-forward way.  Also included are the NAGC Programming Standards.  These ought to help focus the work, and give guidance to those not as familiar with them.  An extremely practical discussion is included under “Tips for Data Collection.”  One of the “tips,” for example, explains why the use of a “next” button in an on-line survey is superior to a scroll bar, which can give the impression that the survey will be overly time-consuming.

The final appendix, entitled “Assessing Classroom Differentiation (ACD) Protocol – Revised,” is a complete methodology for observing classroom teaching in order to assess the way instruction is differentiated.  A link is provided that allows for downloading of the forms and most of the other resources in the appendices.  All this information in the manner presented makes the appendices very convenient and user-friendly.

Each component of this tome is executed with precision.  The authors do not waste words, but focus each chapter to support the evaluation process.  While this book is certainly appropriate for novice evaluators, I believe that it is thoughtful enough to be useful for those who have experience in program review.  I have a range of experiences evaluating programs, including gifted programs, and I found the information and structure of the book useful to my thinking about the process.