Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment EXPLORE Prep?

Here is the form I filled out to register my dd for WATS:
http://www.centerforbrightkids.org/static/pdfs/1011Application.pdf

The only consent statement says, "I hereby certify that this student meets the Western Academic Talent Search eligibility requirements for high performance/ability. I hereby give permission for participation in the Talent Search and understand that regardless of whether a test is taken, I am paying a non-refundable $43 application fee for processing and the additional benefits of this participation."

I don't take this to indicate that I am consenting to her being asked questions about what subjects she believes she is best in, what subjects the adults in her life thinks she is best in, and whether she thinks that she can change her intelligence.

I cannot comment on WATS procedures.

However, I agree with you.

For members of the Belin-Blank Talent Search, I regret that we did not explain that participating in the EXPLORE testing also includes the opportunity to answer 12 additional questions. This was an omission. It was not intentional. However, we will correct this on our consent forms for the future.

May I inquire as to the origin of this quote?

I also do want to clarify that I am not meaning any disrespect or to come across too forcefully here. I guess that I am just not okay with the 'we didn't do anything wrong' feel I am getting from everyone with whom I've spoken/e-mailed. I truly do not think that there was malice involved. However, one can admit that one screwed up without malice.

Okay, and someone else chime in here already !

It is beyond my comprehension how the "consent" we gave for our child to take the Explore test could possibly be considered "informed consent" (with all its rigors) for your studies.

I'm reading the Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 to indicate that informed consent is required whether you intend to publish or not:

Section 50:20 -- General requirements for informed consent
Except as provided in 50.23 and 50.24, no investigator may involve a human being as a subject in research covered by these regulations unless the investigator has obtained the legally effective informed consent of the subject or the subject's legally authorized representative. An investigator shall seek such consent only under circumstances that provide the prospective subject or the representative sufficient opportunity to consider whether or not to participate and that minimize the possibility of coercion or undue influence.

eta: FWIW, sections 50.23 and 50.24, as noted above, apply only in life threatening situations where physicians, for instance, have to try experimental procedures on a patient who will otherwise die.

As a university researcher, it is my understanding that data collection for "programming" rather than "research" still requires a request to the IRB for a "waiver." It would be reassuring to know that the IRB had given the okay for a waiver in this situation, in which case consent would not be needed. However, if the data was used in writing a book as indicated by Susan@BB, that constitutes publication and would not be allowed by the IRB at my institution, which grants waivers in some cases for data collected only for "internal" programming purposes.

Given the potential direct impact the kind of questions added to the Explore can have on a child's performance (see links Aculady provides on page 3 of this thread to research on "stereotype threat"), I think the talent searches should seriously consider dropping the additional 12 questions, with or without IRB approval. At the very least, how about putting the 12 questions at the end, to be answered only after the students have completed the achievement test, so that they will not affect performance?

It is not. We are not using the information.

The data were not used in writing our book. We commented regarding the programming of students.

The "research" potential from these items will never be realized because of this issue.

I guess we are all going to need to contact our individual testing centers to find out what each one is doing with their data. I am going to try to call NUMATS tomorrow.

I was told the same by WATS -- that they are not using the data. I am left wondering, though, why these items are being administered if no one is using the data and no one can even look at it without IRB approval.