| This study examined the difference in achievement in mathematics concepts and computation for talented students. The sample consisted of 1,667 third through sixth graders who participated in the Elementary Student Talent Search conducted by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students (C-MITES) in either 1997 or 1998. Students qualified for the talent search by scoring at or above the 95th percentile on either the composite score or the vocabulary, reading, mathematics total, or science subtest of a grade-level, standardized achievement test. As part of the talent search, the students took an above-level test, the EXPLORE, which was designed for eighth graders.;Results of the above-level testing (EXPLORE) were used to identify 687 students who were exceptionally talented in mathematics. The study examined the difference in achievement in the areas of mathematics concepts and computation (as measured by the qualifying tests) for the sample and the exceptionally talented subgroup, using the variables of grade level and the type of qualifying test that each student had taken. In addition, the possible correlation between the magnitude of mathematical talent (measured by the EXPLORE) and the difference in achievement of mathematics concepts and mathematics computation was analyzed.;A significant difference in achievement between mathematics concepts and computation was demonstrated by students in both the sample and the exceptionally talented. subgroup, with students scoring higher on measures of mathematics concepts. This difference was statistically significant for students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, with effect sizes in the small to medium range. When the type of qualifying test that students took was introduced as a variable, the results indicated a significant difference in achievement in concepts and computation of four of the five tests in the study, with effect sizes in the small to medium range. No significant correlation between the magnitude of the difference between concepts and computation achievement and mathematical talent was found.;This study provides evidence that talented students consistently perform better on measures of mathematics concepts than mathematics computation. This indicates that students may be ready for a more challenging mathematics curriculum than their computational scores indicate. |
