Research

As you might expect from a program based at Northwestern University and its School of Education & Social Policy, our design and methods are based on solid research. Below are a number of publications authored by Center for Talent Development's director, Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD, as well as other works referencing our 27 years of experience.

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A Research-Based Primer on Terminology and Educational Options for Gifted Students
by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD and Lisa Limburg-Weber, PhD
Gifted coordinators are often asked to suggest program options for students. Fortunately, there is a strong research base on options in gifted education that can help guide these decisions. This article summarizes research evidence and recommendations regarding program options.

How Do Schools Use Talent Search?
Research Summary by Seon-Young Lee, PhD and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
Northwestern University’s Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS) provides students who have scored at the 95th percentile or above on nationally normed in-grade achievement tests with more accurate information about their academic abilities. This article explains a survey developed by Center for Talent Development (CTD) staff that shows how local schools learn about Talent Search, how they implement Talent Search in their schools, and how they follow up on student participation in the program.

“Dear G/T Coordinator….”: Spreading the Ownership for Gifted Programming
An Open Letter from Deb Douglas, Coordinator of the EXCEL Program in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Ms. Madison describes how her district has figured out a way to spread ownership for gifted programming to every member of the staff by requiring each school to appoint a steering committee with a broad cross-section of school personnel, parents and, in the secondary schools, students. Each steering committee was responsible for identifying a plan for gifted/talented students. After a rocky start, options for students have increased dramatically.

Tracking Your Child's Achievement Using NUMATS
by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
NUMATS uses tests typically given to older children, providing a higher ceiling to measure growth and achievement among gifted children who typically score “off the charts” on standard in-grade achievement tests. NUMATS can be used in grades 3-9 to assess growth. This information is designed to help parents decide when, why, and how to test or re-test their gifted children.

A New Road to Explore New Things: Looking Back on 20 Years of Talent Search. An interview with Judy Lipschutz, PhD
Dr. Lipschutz reflects back on her history using NUMATS since the 1980s. She discusses how the talent search got started in the Midwest, how schools can benefit, and how the program can change lives.

Michigan’s Talent Search Students Encounter Academic Intensity During the School Day
by Carol R. McCarthy
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, and nine surrounding counties, NUMATS students have the opportunity to enroll in classes designed to match their advanced math and verbal ability. These classes are offered to every qualifying student as a part of their school day, rather than as an often unconnected, and sometimes expensive, summer course experience. Is it really this easy to serve extreme academic potential in school settings? This program’s long experience indicates it is easy—when schools engage the magic bullet of cross-district cooperation and flexibility.

Partners: NUMATS Helps Schools Serve Gifted Students. An Interview with Three NUMATS Coordinators
Three coordinators, one in Wisconsin and two in Michigan, discuss their experiences using NUMATS to help their highly gifted students excel.

Is Your School Using Best Practices for Instruction?
by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
Schools seeking to effectively serve gifted learners have a real need to know which practices, out of the many promoted as beneficial, have proven effective for the advanced student. This article distills the research to show which of the new instructional practices are the most effective.

Parent Nomination as a Viable Means to Qualify for Talent Search
by Dana Turner and Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
This article discusses students who enter the talent search on the basis of parent nomination in comparison to students who enter on the basis of standardized, in-grade achievement test scores. While the differences are statistically significant, they are small enough to not have much practical significance. The results of this study suggest that parent nomination is a viable alternative to use for identifying students to participate in talent searches when scores on standardized, in-grade achievement tests are not available.

School District Shows Creativity in Providing Follow-up Program to NUMATS
This article highlights a program developed in the Copper Country Intermediate School District on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula that was designed to serve the needs of eighth-grade students who took the ACT or SAT and who scored at or above the mean for college-bound seniors in the reading or verbal area.

Research Evidence Regarding the Validity and Effects of Talent Search Educational Programs
by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
This paper reviews evidence regarding the validity of educational programs based on the talent search identification protocol and their effects on students. Talent search students who participate in special summer or accelerated school programs are more likely to take a more rigorous course of study in high school and attend more selective colleges. Effects may be especially noticeable for academically talented females who pursue mathematics in summer programs.

Talent Search: Purposes, Rationale, and Role in Gifted Education
by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD
The talent search concept includes three important components: diagnosis and evaluation of domains and levels of talent; educational placement and guidance; and talent development opportunities including summer programs, distance learning programs, contests and competitions, etc. There is a solid research base that supports the validity of the talent search identification protocol, the success of students in accelerative programs, and the benefits of participation. Talent search has even had an effect on general education, particularly influencing ideas about student readiness for learning and the timing and pace of instruction. Talent search programs need to take steps to insure greater access, particularly to economically disadvantaged students.

Jefferson-Whittier School, a Long-Time Participant in NUMATS
by Mary Bird
As an urban school with a predominantly African-American student body and a very limited budget, Jefferson-Whittier School in Pontiac, Michigan has benefited greatly not only from the NUMATS program, but from fee waivers. Many of the school’s participants are hoping to become first-generation college students. Students inevitably gain more confidence in themselves and in their test-taking skills, so that when the time comes for them to take a college entrance exam that actually counts towards acceptance into a university or possible scholarships, they go into the testing situation relaxed and knowing that they will excel.

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