What Works: 20 Years of
Curriculum Development and
Research for Advanced Learners
Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska
The College of William and Mary
Honolulu, Hawaii
2009
National Curriculum Network Conference
March 6, 2008
Dr. Joyce VanTassel-Baska
Jody and Layton Smith Professor of
Education
Executive Director, Center for Gifted
Education
The College of William and Mary
The Process for Determining What Works
Theory
Practice
Research
The Theory…
Differentiated characteristics of gifted learners:
Precocity
Complexity
Need for adaptations in school-based
curriculum
The Integrated Curriculum Model
Issues/Themes
Dimension
Advanced
Content
Dimension
Process-Product
Dimension
VanTassel-Baska, 1986
The Practice…
What Works in Curriculum and
Instruction for High End Learners?



William and Mary curriculum frameworks
and models in core areas
Research-based instructional approaches
(concept maps, higher level thinking,
metacognition, developing concepts et al.)
Authentic Assessment tools
Strategies for Aligning Curriculum
for the Gifted with Content
Standards
Content
Standards
Differentiated
Task Demands
Differentiated
Product Demands
Use of
Overarching
Interdisciplinary
Models
Acceleration of
Standards
-VanTassel-Baska, 2004
Science Curriculum Framework
The Problem
Concept
Understanding
“Systems”
Process
Using Scientific
Research
Content
Learning Science
Wheel of
Scientific
Investigation
and
Reasoning
Make
Observations
Tell Others
What Was
Found
Ask
Questions
SCIENTIFIC
INVESTIGATION
AND REASONING
Learn
More
Create
Meaning
Design and
Conduct
the
Experiment
The Research…
Science Research Findings


Significant and
important treatment
effects were found for
students’ ability to
design an experiment
after exposure to the
William and Mary units.
Teachers and students
both found problembased science units
more engaging than
typical science units.
The Research…
Science Research Findings cont.


Positive academic achievement effects were
significant for all groups of learners, regardless of
socioeconomic status, ability level, or ethnicity
Continued use of the PBL science curriculum over a
three year period resulted in continued academic
growth for gifted students.
-Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Quek, O’Neil, & Bai, 2005
-VanTassel-Baska, Bass, Ries, Poland, & Avery, 1998
Project Clarion Goals




To implement instrumentation sensitive to low socioeconomic
learners for identification and assessment of learning.
To implement, refine, and extend research-based concept
curriculum units of study at primary levels.
To develop and implement professional training models for
stakeholders.
To conduct research on short term and longitudinal learning.
Project Clarion Research Findings


Primary age students exposed
to the William and Mary
science units showed
significant growth on a
standardized achievement test
in science (MAT8) compared
to control students.
Primary age students
exposed to the William and
Mary units showed significant
growth in critical thinking
when compared to those
students who used the regular
science curriculum.
Project Clarion Research Findings cont.
•Performance-based assessments that emphasized higher-order concepts,
scientific investigation, and content mastery showed significant growth for
Title I students exposed to the science units.
•Positive academic achievement effects were significant for all groups of
learners, regardless of socioeconomic status, ability level, or ethnicity
-VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Stambaugh, & Feng, 2007
Social Studies Curriculum Framework
The Social/Historical
Context
Concept
Understanding
Systems, Cause
and Effect
Government
Economics
Process
Content
Learning Social
Studies Content
and Habits of
Mind
Using Social
Science
Processes
History
Geography
Reasoning
Research
Document
Analysis
Reasoning about a Situation or Event
What is the situation?
Who are the
stakeholders?
What is the point
of view for each
stakeholder?
What are the
assumptions of
each group?
What are the
implications of
these views?
The Research…
Social Studies Research Findings


Students engaged in the William and Mary social
studies units showed significant growth in
measures of conceptual thinking, content
learning, and critical thinking.
Treatment effects were evident for the whole
sample including non-gifted students. Gains
were consistent for males and females.
-Little, Feng, VanTassel-Baska, Rogers, & Avery, 2007
Language Arts Curriculum Framework
The Literature
Concept
Process
Understanding
Change
Using the
Reasoning
Process
Content
Literary
Analysis and
Interpretation
Persuasive
Writing
Learning
Language Arts
Content and
Skills
Linguistic
Competency
Oral
Communication
Hamburger Model for Persuasive Writing
Introduction
(State an opinion.)
Elaboration
Reason
Elaboration
Elaboration
Reason
Reason
Elaboration
Elaboration
Elaboration
Conclusion
The Research…
Language Arts Research Findings


Students who were exposed to the language arts
curriculum showed significant and educationally
important gains in literary analysis and persuasive
writing (VanTassel-Baska, Zuo, Avery, & Little,
2002; VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, Hughes, &
Boyce, 1996).
Gifted, learning disabled, and typical learners all
showed significant learning gains in critical thinking
through the W&M model of persuasive writing
(Hughes, 2000).
Language Arts Research Findings

Academic achievement effects were significant for all groups
of learners regardless of socioeconomic status, ability level,
or ethnicity (VanTassel-Baska, Zuo, Avery, & Little, 2002;
VanTassel-Baska, Johnson, Hughes, & Boyce, 1996).

Continued use of the
language arts curriculum
over a three-year period
significantly enhanced
students’ literary analysis
skills and persuasive
writing competency (Feng,
VanTassel-Baska, Quek,
Bai, & O’Neill, 2005).
Project Athena Goals




To develop and implement
instrumentation sensitive to
low socioeconomic learners
for purposes of identification
and assessment of learning.
To implement, refine, and
extend research-based
language arts curriculum units
of study.
To develop and implement professional training models.
To conduct research on short term and longitudinal student
learning gains
Project Athena
Research Findings



Students in Title I schools exposed to the
language arts units showed significant learning
gains annually in reading comprehension and
critical thinking compared to students who used a
basal reader or teacher-created materials.
Students who were exposed the language arts
curriculum showed significant and educationally
important gains in literary analysis and persuasive
writing.
Academic achievement effects were significant for
all groups of learners regardless of socioeconomic
status, ability level, or ethnicity.
-VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown, under review;
Bracken, VanTassel-Baska, Brown, & Feng, 2007
Jacob’s Ladder Research Findings

When compared to students in Title I schools who used the
basal readers only, those who were exposed to the Jacob’s
Ladder curriculum showed significant and educationally
important gains in reading comprehension and critical
thinking.

Students reported greater interest in reading after exposure
to Jacob’s Ladder curriculum.

Teachers reported more in-depth student discussion after
teaching the Jacob’s Ladder curriculum.
-Stambaugh, under revision; Stambaugh, 2007; & French,
2006.
What Works in Assessment
for High End Learners?




Multiple assessments
Assessments that tap into higher level
thinking and problem solving
Assessments that match curriculum
outcomes
Assessments that meet technical adequacy
standards
Assessment Instruments







Test of Critical Thinking (TCT)
Classroom Observation Scale – Revised
(COS-R)
Student observation scale
ASPIRE
Professional Development Questionnaire
Science Observation Scale
Performance-Based Assessments
Persuasive Writing Pre-Assessment


Prompt: Do you think______ should be required
reading for your grade?
Student B, Grade 3:
“Yes, I think the story The Wolf and the Lion
should be required reading for all the students.
Why? It’s a great story with a very interesting
topic. They could also learn from the story.
Also they could get lots of interesting questions.
That’s why I think 3rd grade students should
read The Wolf and the Lion.”
Post-Assessment

Student B, Grade 3:
“Yes, I think all the students in 3rd grade should read this book.
It’s such an excellent moral.
One reason I think everyone in third grade should read The Miser
is because it does teach a good lesson. It could help them learn that
things they never use are worthless.
Another reason I think all the students in third grade should read
this story is they use great, funny words. It basicly is a funny story.
One of the parts I likes was “He pulled his hair out (not really). It
would make our writing better.
Also, the students should read this because it’s similar to a true
story. If you have a good, healthy body and you never use it, the
muscles will be very weak, and you’ll miss out on a lot of things.
As you see, it’s a good moral for all the students in third grade.
They could learn great details for their own stories, and they can
compare it with a true happening like this story. It’s a great story.”
Science Pre-Test
Prompt: How would you do a fair test of
this question?
Are earthworms attracted to
light?
Tell how you would test this question. Be as
scientific as you can as you write about your
test. Write down the steps you would take to
find out if earthworms like light.
Pre-test Response
“First, I would put some earthworms in
a container. There would be lights and
some dirt. I would put several different
earthworms in it. If more earthworms
like the light than that would be right. If
more didn’t like the light than that would
be right. I would try this with about
seven groups and decide if they like the
light.”

CFGE, 3rd Grade
Science Post-Test
Prompt: How would you do a fair test of
this question?
Are bees attracted to diet cola?
Tell how you would test this question. Be as
scientific as you can as you write about your
test. Write down the steps you would take to
find out if earthworms like light.

Materials:


2.
3.
4.
Diet Cola, 3 large containers,
3 small containers, 6 bees.
Hypothesis:

1.
Post-Test Response
If you give bees diet cola
then they will be attracted to
it.
Gather 6 bees, diet cola, 3
large containers, 3 small
containers.
Put 2 bees in each large
container.
Pour 5 ml of diet cola in each
small container.
CFGE, 3rd Grade
5.
6.
Set the small container of diet
cola in each large container that
has bees in it.
Watch and observe to see if the
bees are attached to the diet
cola.
You should record if the bees
like diet cola on a chart like
below.
BeesIf they are attracted to Diet Cola
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What Works in Professional
Development for High End Learners?



Use of teaching and learning models to
demonstrate high level instruction
Training on materials to reduce inferences
about application
Emphasis on the linkage between teacher
behaviors and student learning
Professional Development Research Findings
•Teachers can significantly improve their skills in the differentiation strategies
of problem solving, critical thinking, curriculum delivery, and metacognition,
given ongoing professional development in such strategies embedded in a social
studies curriculum (Avery, 1999)
•Untrained teachers of the gifted in Title I schools can significantly improve
their skills in differentiation strategies across two years, given training and
implementation support in language arts (Van Tassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, &
Brown, in press).
Professional Development
Research Findings
Teachers score at differential levels in critical thinking and
creative thinking, rendering it problematic for them to
teach these skills to students if they are low in the capacity
to use the skills themselves (McGowan, 2007).
►Exemplary secondary
teachers of the gifted in
specialized schools in
Singapore and the United
States score high in the use of
differentiated strategies and
have incorporated these
practices effectively into their
daily repertoire (VanTasselBaska, Feng, & MacFarlane,
2007).

Professional Development
Research Findings


Teacher self-assessments of differentiation use suggest
that they are using differentiation strategies more
frequently and more effectively than external trained
assessors would rate them (Tyler, 2006; Avery, 1999).
When teachers employ differentiation strategies, there is
corresponding active engagement of students with the
learning process (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, &
Brown, in press).
Lessons Learned on
Curriculum Development
Today is always here…Tomorrow, never.
-Toni Morrison
Lesson #1
Curriculum design matters.
1
Learner Characteristics
& Needs
7
Assessment of
Outcomes
8
2
Curriculum Goals
Evaluation of
Curriculum/Revision
3
6
Outcomes/Objectives
Materials &
Resources
5
Teaching-Learning
Strategies
4
Activities/Task
Demands/Questions
VanTassel-Baska, 2003
Lesson #2
The curriculum development
process matters.
Tryouts
Field Testing
Revisions
Piloting
Lesson #3
Curriculum development work
for high-end learning requires
collaboration with content
experts and teachers.
Teachers
of the
gifted
Curriculum
development
Content
experts
Lesson #4
Student exposure
to repeated
models over time
enhances student
achievement and
learning transfer.
Lesson #5
High-level curriculum may be
used successfully with all
learners.
Twice-exceptional
 Typical learners
 High readers
 Promising learners

Lesson #6
Promising
learners from
low-income
backgrounds and
students of color
benefit from
high-powered
curriculum.
Lesson #7
Use of authentic assessment
documents authentic
learning.
Curriculum-based
 Portfolio
 Products

Lesson #8
Professional development on
curriculum materials enhances
faithful implementation.
 Modeling
 Explicit linkage to content
standards
 Guided practice
Lesson #9
Fidelity of implementation of
innovative curriculum efforts
requires monitoring.
 Peer coaching
 Ambassador model
 Administrative technical
support
Lesson #10
Institutionalization of
innovative curriculum and
instruction requires ongoing
attention.
Time is like a series of liquid transparencies.
You don’t look back
Along time,
But through it like water.
-Margaret Atwood,
Canadian writer
Center for Gifted Education
School of Education
The College of William &
Mary
Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Jody & Layton Smith Professor of
Education
427 Scotland Street
Williamsburg, VA. 23185
(757)221-2362
cfge@wm.edu
www.cfge.wm.edu