Gifted Teen Research Study � Win $25 iTunes Gift Card

Are you are a parent of a gifted teen?

Do you wonder if your child�s academic setting may affect his/her overall well-being?

This doctoral dissertation research project seeks to answer this question.

If you and would like your child to participate in this doctoral research project (with a chance to win a $25 iTunes Gift Card) AND your child meets the criteria below, please click on the link below.

http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1626373/9dbedcc48290

Parents must give permission to their child to participate. The study will take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. You may also request a summary of the general results of the study.

In order to participate in this study your child must be,
� 13 to 18 years old
� Have an IQ of 130 or more
� Or have been tested as gifted but don�t remember the number
� Or be performing 3 or more grades above level
� Be in the United States
� Be fluent in reading and speaking English

Why the bribe?

I'm wondering if the OP is comfortable sharing the particulars of the sponsoring institution, etc.

What does performing 3 or more grades levels at the HS level mean? One subject or grade skips? What tests define them as gifted? My son''s 3rd grade OLSAT? (He is 15) This list of qualifiers seems all over the map. Only a few kids are really taking classes 3 or more grade levels up at HS but many are tested and labeled as Gifted. And as for reading level we stoped testing for this as far back as 4th grade..

From what I've seen, it's surprisingly difficult to get people to fill out surveys for your doctoral research...

But I agree with HK, I would suggest to OP that a little snippet on the degree-granting institution, and maybe your PI/advisor, would help parents feel more comfortable with participating, since I presume you are asking for some personal information here.

You might also try directly contacting institutions like Davidson's, Duke, JHU, Robinson Center @ University of Washington, etc. and asking if they would allow you to send survey packets/links for them to forward to their student lists.

Hi All,

Thank you for your interest in this research project! I hope this letter answers some of your questions.

My name is Sundance “Sunny” Friedrich, and I’m a doctoral candidate at Sofia University (formerly the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology) in Palo Alto, CA. I am reaching out to this group as well as helping professionals for gifted children and their families to invite participants in my doctoral dissertation research.

I am studying the spiritual and existential wellbeing, affect, and self-esteem among gifted adolescents attending schools for the gifted and not attending schools for the gifted (public school, home-schooling, schools for the gifted, etc.). My research was inspired in my work with gifted teens at my internship site (a public high school). Parents of gifted children would ask me if it would be better for their child’s wellbeing and self-esteem to attend a school for the gifted. In my search for research that showed gifted schools as more beneficial for the wellbeing and self-esteem, I discovered there were no studies conducted.

I had no clear answers for those concerned parents. It is my hope that the findings from my study will provide school counselors with grounded answers when they are asked the same question I was asked. I am now calling for gifted adolescent participants for my research. It is my hope that you will be willing to share my flyer (http://www.dissertation-expert.com/flyers/GiftedResearchFlyer.pdf​) with people you know who are either the parents of gifted adolescents or the gifted adolescents themselves. All help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration,

Sunny Friedrich, Ph.D. (Candidate)
Sofia University/ITP
s.friedrich@sofia.edu
(650) 918-0552​
http://www.dissertation-expert.com/flyers/GiftedResearchFlyer.pdf​

I agree that it would be good to know who your advisor is.

What kind of IRB oversight does this project have?

Thank you all for your questions about this dissertation study.

This is my first doctoral study and unfortunately, I'm not very good a marketing so I'm learning a lot from your feedback! Thanks!

I attend Sofia University in Palo Alto, CA. The dissertation approval process follows the ethical standards for studying human participants from the American Psychological Association. This means that my research proposal was approved by my dissertation committee AND the Research Ethics Committee of my school. In order to be approved to begin collecting data, the dissertation proposal is evaluated for its research methods, outreach and recruitment plans, and protection of participants identity and safety.

I hope this answers some of your questions.

If you have further questions please email me directly at s.friedrich@sofia.edu or you can take a look at the first page of the survey for the parental informed consent which provides further explanations about the study. Also, my adviser is Dr. Frederic Luskin (Fred.Luskin@sofia.edu).

http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1626373/9dbedcc48290

Thanks!
~Sunny

Sunny Friedrich, Ph.D. (Candidate)​
Sofia University/ITP
s.friedrich@sofia.edu

Hi bluemagic,

Thank you for your questions. I hope this helps clarify for you.

The qualifying criteria are trying to include kids who are gifted based on different ways of measuring giftedness.

For example high academic performance is working at a level more than two standard deviations above grade level (e.g. freshman taking a senior level class, or AP classes, or college courses while in high school).

I am also aware that it is common that elementary school children are sometimes tested by schools and score as gifted but never receive specialized education opportunities. The research has shown that IQ is a relatively stable trait over the lifespan, therefore, an 8 year old child who scored in the gifted range of an IQ test, will most likely still be gifted at 13 years old.

Hope this helps! If you have other questions please email me directly at s.friedrich@sofia.edu

Sunny Friedrich, Ph.D. (Candidate)
Sofia University/ITP
s.friedrich@sofia.edu
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1626373/9dbedcc48290

My DS had a few suggestions for some of the first few questions.

-Allow for a Mixed Race Option or allow for a multiple selection

-The grade level only goes up to 12th grade, allow for a "University" option (he's 16 and a Senior at a State University and you did say "performing 3 or more grades above level" and he would be a Junior in High School this year in our local public school ).

-For the years ahead description, if you're ahead in multiple subjects it is hard to describe which one you're ahead in the most. (e.g. what would a computer science algorithm class fall under?)

He said, other than those lead in questions, your comparison questions were simple to understand and select.

Looking forward to your results.

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback about the survey! I appreciate it! ~Sunny