Academic Competitions And Programs Designed To Challenge The Exceptionally Talented

Chapter 16
Academic Competitions and Programs Designed to Challenge the Exceptionally
Talented
JAMES REED CAMPBELL
St. John’s University, Jamaica, New York, U.S.A.
HAROLD WAGNER
Institute Bildung und Begabung, Bonn, Germany
HERBERT J. WALBERG
University of Illinois at Chicago, U.S.A.
Introduction
Many chapters of this International Handbook concern in-school programs or conceptual
frameworks designed for schools with gifted programs. The intent of both of these
advances involves the development of talent. This chapter deals with a variety of out-of-
school programs that are designed to challenge the exceptionally talented. We examine
after school programs, competitions, including national academic Olympiads, and
summer programs that have the same objective -- the development of talent.
Bloom (1985) conducted a series of studies about how extraordinary talent is
developed for concert pianists, sculptors, research mathematicians, research neurologists,
Olympic swimmers, and tennis champions. His research teams examined the roles that
teachers, parents, and out-of-school personnel played in the developmental process. One
of the findings of these studies was that once parents became aware of their child’s
exceptional talent, they took a more active role in developing that talent. In many cases
parents used out-of-school resources to develop their child’s talent. They secured
coaches, specialized teachers, or programs.
In this chapter we will continue this research focus by examining the ways
teachers, parents, and other individuals (mentors) contribute to the development of
academic talent.
A Framework for the Development of Talent
A useful framework for the development and fostering of talent was proposed by Weinert
(Weinert & Wagner, 1987). It may serve as a theoretical underpinning for programs for
the talented. He concluded that effective measures to support the development of
potential in young people should contain the following features:
(1) Incitements: Curiosity, quest for knowledge and the interest in learning has to be
incited by a multitude of attractive sources of information within easy access.
(2) Options: A variety of options has to be available to engage in learning activities such
as workshops, courses, summer programs or competitions.

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(3) Challenges: The difficulty and the level of the activities should match the level of
ability so that very able pupils feel sufficiently challenged and have to exert considerable
effort to reach the goal.
(4) Incentives: The activities should be exciting and attractive and should provide the
experience of success, rewards, and personal recognition.
(5) Counseling: The young people, their parents and teachers should be able to obtain
qualified information on the specific aspects of the students' potential and on available
support programs.
(6) Cooperation: Very able young people should be brought up and educated in a
community of peers to experience a variety of social contacts to acquire social
responsibility and to facilitate a harmonious development of their personality.
According to this framework, at least in the domain of intellectual abilities, it
seems to be quite unrealistic to strive for a comprehensive, valid and reliable system of
early assessment of potentials followed by a closed system of support programs. Instead,
every effort should be made to provide a variety of measures to meet the needs of those
who are eager to achieve and show a high degree of motivation. They should be able to
be implemented pragmatically, to be easily accessible, differentiated and as open as
possible.
In the ideal case such measures would be free of charge, the admission entirely
voluntary and based on self selection and the treatment effective both for talent
development and for the identification of the most able. Quite often, however, the
specific properties of a support program and/or the large number of applicants demand a
selection procedure.
There are essentially two ways to accomplish this task. One can create an arena
where individuals are allowed to perform some task or set of tasks with those being
selected as eligible whose level of performance is judged superior, by whatever definition
or criterion. Alternatively, one can use a psychometric approach, relying on standardized
tests that are, or at least should be, valid predictors of talent or high ability. The first
approach is best exemplified by academic competitions; the second by the talent search.
In this chapter we examine the various facets of out-of-class programs and
services, including the identification of high ability students through talent searches and
academic competitions and special programs held after school, on weekends, or during
summer holidays. While the chapter attempts to be inclusive in its coverage of the
numerous out-of-class efforts currently in existence, detailed attention is paid to a small
number of representative efforts in order to demonstrate in specific ways how these
programs work and what they have accomplished.
After school and Saturday Programs
Parent Initiated Programs
Parents are generally the first adults in a child's life to become aware of the child's talent.
When the child enters school, it may become especially necessary for parents to provide
supplementary activities by introducing the child to exciting and fascinating subjects. For
many parents this task is rather intimidating. When they seek professional help and
advice from pediatricians, teachers, school psychologists or educational counselors they
are sometimes confronted with ignorance and prejudice about the talented child and
imputations that they are "pushy" parents.

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Faced with the predicament of having to solve their problems more or less on
their own, the parents of highly able children in many countries have established self-
help groups in the form of associations such as the Gifted Child Society in the United
States, the British National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the Deutsche
Gesellschaft für das hochbegabte Kind in Germany, "Pharos" in The Netherlands,
"Bekina" in Belgium, Association nationale pour les enfants intellectuellement precoces
(ANPEIP) in France, or Elternverein für hochbegabte Kinder (EHK), Schweiz, in
Switzerland.
Their joint aims are to:
(1) give help, advice and information to parents of gifted children.
(2) increase community awareness and understanding of the need to develop links with
and information for local professionals such as teachers, social workers and medical
practitioners.
(3) provide an opportunity for gifted and talented children to meet and to pursue their
interests in company.
(4) facilitate contact with interesting and informed adults, offering children intellectual
stimulus and an introduction to a wide range of interests.
Most of the associations have formed regional branches in order to better serve
the needs of their members. Joint activities or enrichment programs for the children are
usually run by adult volunteers, often a parent of one of the children or someone who is
generally interested in the children's progress. They determine to a large extent the
selection of activities available.
Long-term Courses
The array of courses offered by parents' associations is dependent on diverse, often
chance, influences such as the number of children of a certain age group interested and
willing to participate, the availability of course instructors, or special rooms, materials
and equipment. A considerably more intensive form of provision are intellectually
demanding long-term courses which take place in the afternoons, on weekends, or during
holidays and which allow for a more systematic approach to a specific area.
As an example of this type of program, the "Hamburg model" to find and foster
mathematically able pupils will be described in more detail. In 1983, inspired by the
work of Stanley and his group at Johns Hopkins University (Benbow & Stanley, 1983), a
group of psychologists and mathematicians at the University of Hamburg developed an
annual regional search for mathematically able pupils at the end of grade 6 (12-year-olds)
(Wagner & Zimmermann, 1986). Selection criteria were (1) German versions of the
mathematical parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and (2) a test of mathematical
problem solving consisting of seven items both of which were taken during an
examination of three hours' duration.
Pupils interested in the talent search received a preparation booklet in advance
containing a complete version of the mathematical parts of the SAT to be worked through
and attempted at home. About 40 students, that is 20 to 25 percent of the participants in
the talent search, are annually admitted to the program that takes place on Saturday
mornings at Hamburg University. The pupils work in small groups on challenging
mathematical problems, with topics that vary from week to week. Expert secondary
school math teachers, mathematics students and mathematicians serve as instructors.

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Rather than cover future curriculum material, the mathematical areas selected are
predominantly those which pupils would find interesting and appealing and at the same
time are important for the application of modern mathematics (e.g., graph theory,
combinatorics, representation of numbers in connection with measuring, number theory,
geometry and game theory). The problems are always chosen in such a way that they can
be extended to allow the development of a small mathematical theory and put pupils in an
elementary research situation. New problem areas are introduced by a short paper
including a few initial questions which help motivate the pupils. In addition to
developing and practicing strategies for problem solving, special importance is attached
to recognizing, formulating and perhaps solving subsequent problems.
Despite the considerable length of the course (participation is possible for up to
six consecutive years) and the very challenging course work, the extremely low dropout
rate together with the high rate of attendance and the very positive opinions that the
pupils have of the course are all indications that this type of program successfully meets
such pupils' needs. The program's success is due, in part, to the stimulus provided by the
assignments and to the informal manner of working in small groups, in pairs, or even
alone, which is quite unlike that at school. There is, on the other hand, an important
social motive for taking part: in this group pupils meet age-mates of a similarly high
intellectual level and with mutual interests, without encountering incomprehension or
even rejection. This type of separate provision for the highly able does not (as is
sometimes implied) lead to social isolation but actually causes participants to feel less
like outsiders. Most of them have for the first time been faced with a challenge
commensurate with their capability and aptitude.
Funds from the German Federal Government initially helped to get the program
started. After three years the program was self-supporting through contributions from the
parents. Offshoots of the Hamburg project show that even when confronted with the
typical transport and distance problems of a rural area the appeal of the program prevails
despite the long journeys involved.
Residential Programs
The difficulties of commuter programs are overcome by residential programs which
typically last from one to several weeks. This setting allows total involvement in a certain
subject with intensive tutoring and a multitude of social contacts. Particularly in the
United States, such programs have long been a fixed element of out-of-school provisions
for highly able students (Olszewski-Kubilius, 1997). One of the most sound and
consistent approaches was developed in 1979 at the Johns Hopkins University's Center
for Talented Youth (CTY). It has been emulated by several institutions in the USA
including Duke University, Northwestern University, the University of Denver, Arizona
State University and California State University at Sacramento (Benbow & Lubinski,
1997).
By means of regional, national and international talent searches several thousand
highly able students are identified annually. They are eligible for three-week residential
summer programs which in 1999 serve about 4,000 participants at the CTY sites alone.
The German Schülerakademien

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Inspired by the American approach to providing summer programs for highly able young
people, in 1988 Bildung und Begabung, a non-profit German association, started
residential summer programs for 16-19-year-old secondary school pupils, thus filling a
critical gap between the last school years and higher education. Within a few years these
"Schülerakademien" (pupils academies) have developed into an outstanding opportunity
for academically highly talented and motivated adolescents which seems to be unique in
continental Europe.
The main objectives of the academies are: (1) to offer several fields for scientific
endeavor in order to develop and improve methods and abilities of knowledge
acquisition, interdisciplinary thinking, research techniques and autonomous learning; (2)
to challenge intellectual potentials to their limits; (3) to provide role models through
encounters with highly creative, able, motivated and inspiring teachers and scientists; and
(4) to experience a community of equally able and motivated peers, to develop lasting
friendships and thus to accept one's own personality as valuable and "normal."
The 17-day academy typically embraces 90 boys and girls, each participating in
one of six courses covering a broad range of diverse academic disciplines, e.g.,
mathematics, physics, foreign languages, creative writing, music, biology, chemistry,
computer science, philosophy, history, economics, psychology, rhetoric and visual arts.
The amount of time spent on course work within the 17 days is about 45 hours. The level
of work is mostly comparable to advanced university seminars. Two teachers (scholars,
expert school teachers or free-lancers) plan and conduct each of the courses with a
minimum daily duration of 4-5 hours. The rest of the day is filled with additional optional
activities such as sports, music, excursions, discussions and drama.
Between 1988 and 1998 42 academies with over 3,600 participants were held in
boarding schools which have proven to be ideal locations for these programs in Germany.
Within a few days, each of the academies develops a unique and special atmosphere,
filled with enthusiasm and motivation of both participants and instructors, characterized
by intensive and open personal relations and discussions until late at night.
The participants are expected to pay a fee that covers board and lodging, the rest
of the expenses being subsidized by the Government, by foundations and private
donations. Financial assistance is available to needy families. Pupils are invited to apply
for a place after successful participation in one of the intellectually demanding
competitions in Germany or being recommended by headmasters, teachers, educational
consultants, or psychologists. In 1998, 1,015 (86%) of the 1,178 boys and girls who were
invited applied for the 540 available places in six academies.
Extensive evaluations of the academies (Wagner, Neber & Heller 1995, Neber &
Heller, 1997) have shown their long-lasting positive effects on the participants, especially
with regard to their motivation, self-efficacy, self-assertion, self-reliance, cooperativeness
and communication skills. Similar effects are reported from residential summer programs
in the United States (Olszewski-Kubilius, 1997).
The major benefit of these programs seems to be that they provide opportunities
for interaction with equally able and motivated peers. Pupils feel accepted often for the
first time in their lives and many of them are astounded to discover how easy it is to
communicate with and to make friends within this group. The results are frequently long-
lasting relationships and communication networks.
Encounters with excellent instructors provide valuable role models for an
academic orientation. They can be helpful in career counseling and might open
perspectives into yet unconsidered professional areas. The intense atmosphere of

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residential programs is capable of activating and stimulating dormant potentials. Many of
these pupils relate with amazement what they were able to achieve in a short time.
In short, these programs have a tremendously beneficial impact on young lives. It
would be highly desirable to increase the number of such programs, as the current
demand far exceeds the existing supply of places.
Academic Competitions
Competitions are increasing by being made available to talented students in Europe, Asia,
and the United States. In the United States 275 competitions (Karnes & Riley, 1996) are
currently being used. These competitions have been developed in every academic area
and in many nonacademic areas. Some of these competitions are targeted at elementary
school children, others concern middle school children, and others are reserved for
advanced high school students. Campbell (1998) found that American teachers use these
competitions to challenge their gifted students.
Potential Benefits and Liabilities of Competitions
Competitions are funded by governments, foundations, and companies to develop
extraordinary talent. Math, science, and engineering contests are conducted with the
expectation of developing talent needed to supply the technical workforce (S & E work
force). The S & E work force is essential for a nation’s economic health and
development. In the United States several of the high school competitions were initially
developed after the Russians launched Sputnik. One of President Eisenhower’s science
advisors was Edwin Teller who urged the president to start academic contests that would
get young people involved in the technical areas at early ages. This stimulus resulted in
the initiation of several of the competitions that are still being used in America.
The chief benefit of these competitions for schools is their low cost.
Competitions involving nationally administered tests can be done at very low costs per
pupil. The supporters of competitions note that most societies are competitive.
Certainly, businesses must, of necessity, be competitive, and the global economy has
accelerated this process. Governments are also competitive not only in terms of their
businesses but in many other areas. Competition exists even in academia where authors
compete for publications and grants. Sports are competitive by definition; therefore,
with all these levels of competition, it follows that competitions would emerge as a
mechanism to uncover exceptional talent.
Competitions in Europe, Russia, US, and Asia
The Russians were the first to realize the potential of academic competitions and initiated
the academic Olympics. The first academic Olympic program involved mathematics and
was started in Leningrad in 1934 (Kukushkin, 1996). This Mathematics Olympic
competition was extended to city programs in Moscow and Kiev in 1935. These
Olympic programs eventually spread to the entire USSR and beyond. The Russians used
these competitions to funnel talent into areas where they were needed. A student scoring
exceptionally high on one of the academic Olympic exams was given automatic
admission to some of the best universities. This admission placed the exceptional student
in the Soviet S & E pipeline. In socialized countries national testing programs were

7
conducted that assured the identification of a steady stream of gifted individuals. Once
identified, these talents could be funneled into areas where development was needed.
European Competitions
In Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany probably has the most elaborate system of
competitions for school children at all levels. Competitions are considered to be
important and valuable additional instruments in the educational process.
They are relatively easy to administer and to organize, they can be made
accessible to a broad number of participants and they can be differentiated to suit any
level of ability. Competitions are an excellent tool to elicit, stimulate and challenge
talents in many different fields. They are supposed to activate and strengthen the
inclination for the subject matter and thus to improve knowledge and ability. Struggling
with the tasks of the competition enhances the abilities of working autonomously while
researching, experimenting, problem solving, learning and practicing release energies and
enhance perseverance.
By taking the challenge of a competition, the participants gain insight into their
abilities and their position in comparison with peers beyond the confinement of their
classroom and school. Coming together with other participants, they have the opportunity
to meet similarly interested and able peers who are usually not so easily found. Attractive
prizes like scholarships, summer programs, or money are additional incentives.
In Germany, there are more than twenty federal (nationwide) competitions and
dozens of smaller competitions at the state or regional level. On the federal level well
over 100,000 students participate annually either individually or in groups in disciplines
such as mathematics, science (biology, chemistry, physics, technology, computer science,
environmental studies), foreign languages, social studies, history, creative writing, music,
composing, drama, film and video production. Most of these competitions are subsidized
by the Federal Government, with a total allocation of c. 4 million Euro in 1999. In
addition, a considerable part of the cost is covered by sponsoring foundations and
industry. While most of the academic competitions are aimed at upper secondary school
students (16+ years of age), there is, however, in most cases no lower limit for the age of
participation thus granting admission to all kinds of accelerated talents.
Without doubt, one of the most remarkable competitions is the
"Bundeswettbewerb Fremdsprachen" (Federal Languages Contest), as it is a unique
comprehensive approach to support acquisition and application of foreign languages
among secondary school students. The contest was initiated in 1979 by the Stifterverband
für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (Donors' Association for the Promotion of Science in
Germany) as a means to encourage students to learn foreign languages and to become
interested in other countries and cultures at an early age. It has been developed and
administered by independent experts from universities, schools and industry. Since 1985,
the Federal Languages Contest has been sponsored mainly by the Federal Ministry of
Education and Research. Bildung und Begabung e.V., a non-profit-making private
association, is responsible for the organization and coordination of the contest.
The contest comprises four levels:
(1) A group contest for students in grades 7-10 (13-16 years, in their third to sixth year
of foreign language learning). The group contest encourages project work to produce a
presentation (audio or video tape and additional written material) on a self-assigned
subject (cf. Blüm, Hertel & Schröder, 1992).

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(2) An individual junior contest for students in their fifth or sixth year of foreign
language learning (15-16 years of age). It consists of an oral section (listening
comprehension and oral production) and a written section (a cloze test, i.e., a text in
which missing parts of words have to be filled in) and a creative writing task. The best
participants in English usually demonstrate a higher proficiency than first year university
students in English studies.
(3) An individual senior contest for students in grades 11-13 (17-19 years) in which at
least two foreign languages must be presented. This contest consists of four rounds over a
period of twelve months. It begins with an oral production in two languages (e.g.,
explaining the situation depicted in a cartoon, reading a text and answering questions on
the text). The second round is a written examination with elements of translating, writing
and summarizing. The task of the third round is writing a 3000-word essay on a given
subject within a six-week period. The final round consists of a one-hour multilingual
debating session in groups of four together with language experts and of individual oral
examinations (cf. Hertel, Joppich, Schröder, & Stütz 1991). Placement in all rounds
depends upon achievement only. The participants do not compete against each other as in
a sports contest.
Successful participants can expect a variety of prizes. Winners of a first prize in
the final round ("federal winners") are granted a scholarship for university studies from
the most prestigious scholarship foundation in Germany (Studienstiftung des deutschen
Volkes). Second and third prizes consist of cash. Several prizes (e.g., travel grants,
books, records) are awarded by foreign embassies for special languages. The Federal
Minister of Education and Research annually awards a five-week stay in a summer
studies program at a university in the United States to three participants who wrote
outstanding essays on U.S. related subjects.
(4) A group contest for apprentices and for students at vocational schools. Here, again, a
presentation on audio or videotape is required which has to relate to their working sphere.
Many of the entries are multilingual.
More than 20,000 students participate in these four contests each year, the main
languages being English, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian. Additionally,
special contests are offered to pupils who study Japanese or Chinese.
Some competitions are held at an international European level. To promote the idea of
European integration the "European Competition" has been held since 1954. Each year
students at all age levels in 19 European countries receive identical assignments to
produce a pictorial or written treatment of European perspectives in social, economic,
political or cultural affairs. In Germany alone over 100,000 students participate.
Most European countries run competitions for young researchers in the sciences.
In 1990 the most famous science competition in Germany ("Jugend forscht") was
sponsored by "Deutsche Bank" to initiate a European competition for environmental
studies. Up to three entrants from (1998) 39 nations may participate in the "Young
Europeans' Environmental Research (YEER)".
Another recent development was initiated by Romania in 1993: the Central
European Olympiad in Informatics (CEOI) with (1998) Croatia, Poland, Slovak
Republic, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Hungary as participating countries. Other
countries are expected to join in the following years.
Types of Competitions in the US

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In the United States three types of competitions are currently employed. The first type
uses teams of gifted students; the second type involves encouraging gifted students to do
long-term independent research projects (preferably with scientists or scholars); and the
third type utilizes a series of tests to identify the exceptionally talented.
The two most widely used American team competitions are Future Problem
Solving and Odyssey of the Mind (Campbell, 1998). The Future Problem Solving
Program has three levels of competition (junior, intermediate, senior) (Grades 4-12). The
teams are given problems that require creativity and imagination to solve. Successful
teams learn to problem solve together. The problems frequently deal with futuristic
scenarios. This program has local, state (state bowls), and international competitions.
The Odyssey of the Mind also emphasizes solving problems and creativity. Five
problems are presented each year which require unique solutions. The problems range
from engineering problems to literature analyses. The age range extends from K-12 and
is organized into four divisions.
The next type of competition involves individual students doing independent
research projects. Local Science and Engineering Fairs are very common in the US. At
the high school level the projects become more advanced with many students working
directly with scientists, mathematicians, and scholars (see Campbell, 1985; 1988). This
direct involvement with the “producers” of technical knowledge has been accelerated by
the Science Training Programs that are offered for talented students each summer
throughout the United States. These programs are designed for advanced high school
students to join research labs and participate in up-to-date research projects. These
students become members of graduate research teams and serve as apprentices. The
same process is used year-round for high schools located near universities or research
labs. These projects are written up by the high school students and entered in the different
competitions.
There are three national project competitions in the US of which the most
prestigious is the Intel (Westinghouse) Talent Search (started in l941). Each year this
competition accepts applications from approximately 1,500 high school seniors. These
applications must include descriptions of original research projects in mathematics,
biology, physics, chemistry, engineering, or the social sciences (psychology,
anthropology, sociology). The research papers follow standard scientific methods and
scholarly reporting procedures.
The 300 best papers are selected by the Science Service as semifinalists. From
this pool the top 40 (finalists) are then invited for a series of interviews in Washington,
D.C. A final ranking is determined on the basis of the interviews, and $330,000 (US) in
scholarships are awarded to the top finalists. Colleges and universities in the United
States compete for the Intel winners (finalists and semifinalists). Their research skills
are especially applicable at institutions that are committed to original research studies.
Over the 58-year history of this competition, 17,400 semifinalists and 2,320
finalists have been selected. The Science Service did a follow-up survey of the Intel
finalists and found that they won five Nobel prizes, two Field Medals, and eight
MacArthur Fellowships. However, the finalists comprise less than 13% of the Intel
winners. There has been no comprehensive follow-up study to ascertain the number of
the Intel winners in the United States S & E labor force.
Two other national research paper competitions are the Junior Science and
Humanities Symposium (JSHS) and the International Science and Engineering Fair. The
JSHS competitions are subdivided into 48 regionals, which are located in 50 states and

10
Puerto Rico. The finalists from each regional attend a national meeting and compete for
scholarships. Each year this competition involves more than 3,000 high school students
(Grades 9-12). The national conference has 240 finalists and awards $343,000 (US) in
scholarships. Many of these finalists are also Intel winners.
The International Science and Engineering Fair is the largest research paper
competition. In l995 this competition reached 1,021,936 high school students (Grades 9-
12). This competition is organized with local school fairs, regional, and state fairs and
one national fair. Those selected for the national fair number 1,200 students. Again,
many students enter other competitions and have the opportunity to win other contests.
The other types of national competitions involve testing of select groups of high
school students. One of the largest is the National Merit Exam which tested 1,200,000
students in 1998. The top 50,000 students were contacted, and a sifting was performed
where 34,000 received commendations and 16,000 are designated semifinalists. A
further sifting narrowed down to 15,000 finalists who received $28,000,000 (US) in
scholarships.
Another national program (Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth--SMPY)
tests 7th-grade students with the SAT-M exam (Scholastic Aptitude Test Math). This
program invites schools to test their top math students. These talent search programs
identify the most talented math students and provide year-round activities and summer
programs to help in developing this talent. These programs exist in every state and serve
over 140,000 mathematically precocious participants (Goldstein, & Wagner, 1993).
The other national testing programs are the Olympiad Competitions (math,
physics, chemistry). These competitions utilize multiple levels of tests to isolate very
small sets of finalists. In math, three levels of tests are used to isolate the highest scoring
eight students (6 finalists & 2 alternates), and in physics and chemistry the same process
is used to isolate talent pools of 20 students from which the international finalists are
selected (5 for physics; 6 for chemistry).
A total of 2,226,436 high school students participated in the competitions listed
above (although many high ability students participated in multiple contests). The total
US school age population in Grades 9-12 was 12,214,000, which indicates that a
substantial percentage of talented students were involved in these competitions
(Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1997).
Rationale
All competitions operate under a series of assumptions that constitute a distinctive
rationale:
(1) Children with talent need to be identified early.
(2) Competitions are needed because most schools do not have the
differentiated curriculum or the resources that are needed to develop
the talents of extraordinary students.
(3) Contests will attract participants with extraordinary talent.
(4) Contests will motivate the early development of talent.
(5) Once developed, this talent is expected to contribute to society.
Every expert since Lewis Terman (1922) has called for the early identification of
talent. Terman used IQ tests to identify the intellectually talented. He believed that with

11
these tools schools could identify the gifted and then develop their talent accordingly.
Unfortunately, Terman’s expectations were never realized due to limited administration
of the early IQ tests or to the failure of the schools to initiate programs that would
develop the talents of those children that were identified.
The second assumption gets at the heart of the problem. Few would argue that
schools have developed the differentiated curriculum or obtained the resources that are
needed to develop the talents of the full range of extraordinary students. Perhaps this
failing rests with the extensive range of talents (both academic and nonacademic) that
gifted students possess. Schools simply do not have the resources to accomplish this
worthy goal.
The third assumption deals with the expectation that the talented will find out
about the contests dealing with their special talent and this will stimulate their
development (4th assumption). Both of these assumptions depend on getting the needed
information to the students with the talent.
The last assumption -- once developed, this talent is expected to contribute to
society -- is an open research question that is a vital topic to investigate. It must also be
emphasized that in the United States millions of gifted students participate in academic
competitions each year. Because of the shear numbers that participate, it is crucial to see
what the competitions achieve. The answer to this question can only come by conducting
long-term follow-up studies that track down the winners of important competitions and
determine the contribution they made to society.
Unfortunately, American schools have a poor record in evaluating gifted
programs (Callahan & Caldwell, 1995). Campbell (1998) found that only 7% of the
schools with gifted programs that he studied conducted rigorous evaluations. This
reluctance to evaluate extends to the competitions. Many of the organizations sponsoring
them operate on very limited funds and do not have the resources or the manpower to
carry out follow-up studies. Furthermore the funding sources (governments, foundations,
companies) might not want to conduct such studies when they realize the possibility that
their investment might not be justified. It would be difficult to explain negative findings
to government officials or to boards of directors.
Academic Olympiad Studies
A definitive answer to this question can only come when each of the different
competitions undergoes long-term follow-up studies of their adult participants by outside
evaluators. But we will provide a partial answer to this question by presenting
information about three retrospective academic Olympiad studies.
Campbell, Feng, and Verna (1999) tracked down 15-27 years of winners of the
American Math, Physics and Chemistry Olympiad programs. These long-term
retrospective follow-up studies asked the following research questions:
Research Questions
Do the Olympiad competitions serve the national purpose? Do the academic Olympians
make important contributions? Do they fulfill their high potential? The specific
questions we asked within this framework included: What careers do the Olympians
select? Do they do well in their careers? Do the Olympians remain in the field originally
identified? How many doctoral degrees were earned by the Olympians? How productive

12
were the Olympians? How many publications and patents did they produce? Finally, we
evaluated the effects of the Olympiad programs by asking the following questions: What
effect did participation in the Olympiad program have on these talented individuals? Did
it widen their horizons? Did it open doors for them? Were there negative side-effects?
To answer these questions we followed 229 Olympians through their college
years to graduation (ages 15-22), into their graduate training (early careers) (ages 23-30),
and finally onto their professional careers (career) (ages 30-46). They received
information from substantial percentages of the national finalists (94% Math Olympians;
70% Physics Olympians, 68% Chemistry Olympians) (229 Olympians). Within the three
age brackets there was much variation among the subject areas because of different
starting dates for the programs. The Math Olympiad program started in 1972 and
therefore contains the largest number of Olympians in the mature career bracket. The
Chemistry Olympiad started in 1984, and the Physics Olympiad program started in 1986.
These late starting points put more Olympians in the younger brackets. In the Physics
study 49% of the Olympians are in the youngest age bracket, which means that fewer
have had the time to establish publication records or to get advanced degrees.
One measure of success involves enrollment in the most selective colleges and the
completion of college/universities degrees. The Olympians were successful in enrolling
in the most prestigious colleges/universities in the United States (see Table 19.1). The
institutions listed in this table constitute the most elite in the nation. The top five
(Harvard, Princeton, MIT, U.C. Berkeley, University of Chicago) absorbed most of the
Olympians and provided them with sound foundations for their careers. With their high
GPA's and exceptional SAT scores, it is no surprise to find the Olympians at such
institutions. However, a few of the Olympians had trouble completing their
undergraduate degrees and some dropped out of college and took many years to finish.
The majority finished their degrees within a four year period and enrolled in advanced
degree programs.
The extent of the Olympians’ graduate training is evident from the graduate
institutions listed in the table. The same selective colleges are listed at the graduate level.
One hundred and sixteen Olympians completed, or are in the process of completing,
doctoral degrees (MD; Ph.D.; JD). The average time the Olympians take in getting their
doctorate degree is approximately 8 years from their high school graduation year. The
shortest time any Olympian earned a doctorate degree was 6 years; the longest was 13
years. Overall, 51% of the Olympians have received, or will receive, doctorate degrees
(Math 57%; Chemistry 49%; Physics 41% (see Table 19.2). Among the doctorate degrees
there are five law degrees. The percentage for the Math Olympians is more illuminating
because of the ages of these Olympians. The other subject areas contain many more
college-age Olympians who will probably enroll in doctoral programs. Terman (l954), in
his monumental longitudinal study, found that 26.3% of 800 gifted males had their
doctorate or law degrees. The Olympians far exceed this percentage.
Most of the Olympians select careers in academia -- teaching at colleges or
universities or doing research. These Olympians finish their doctorate degrees between
26 to 28 years of age and many go on to post doctorate experiences that take another two
years. Consequently, most of these Olympians do not formally start their academic
careers before the age of 30.
How successful are these Olympians? One measure of postsecondary faculty and
staff productivity involves tabulating the number of publications produced. Table 19.4
contains the total publication data for the 229 Olympians. The Olympians have produced

13
a total of 2,921 publications. Most of these publications are written by the Olympians
employed in colleges and universities, and most are in refereed journals. The Math
Olympians published 1,865 items, the Chemistry Olympians produced 788 items, and the
Physics Olympians produced 268. The bulk of these publications were written by
Olympians in their thirties or forties.
The National Center for Educational Statistics has a national study underway of
11,000 higher education faculty in 480 institutions (National Survey of Postsecondary
Faculty -- NSOFF) (Kirshstein, Matheson & Jing, 1997). The NSOFF data for 1992
showed the average number of publications for all college faculty was 4.6 per year.
However, the faculty publication rate was much higher at research institutions (7.35/year
for public colleges/universities; 7.95/year for private ones).
Some of Olympians have higher publication rates than the NSOFF faculty. Four
of the Olympians have over 100 publications, and eight Olympians in their 30’s have
produced between 50 and 99 publications. These academic “stars” are in positions of
leadership. For example, one is director of Whitehead/MIT Center for Genome Research
at 42 years of age and has already made contributions to cancer research. He has
published 229 articles, research papers, technical reports, and two books, and serves on
12 editorial boards. Another 44 year old Olympian served as the editor for two journals,
published one book, has 6 chapters in books, 51 articles in refereed journals, and 37
research papers. He is active in research dealing with electrical and computer
engineering projects and in 1994 served as a member of the Defense Science Board
studying Cruise Missile defense.
By contrast, some of the Olympians may be underachievers. Thirteen of the
mature career Math Olympians have produced less than 10 publications. Some of these
Olympians are in fields where publications are irrelevant to performance. Still, some
Olympians reported psychological problems or drug problems, which have undermined
their productivity.
The Olympians’ publication activities fit the pattern that Terman found in his
longitudinal studies. Terman (l954) recorded the publications of 67 books and 1,400
articles and research papers for 800 gifted males. The average number of publications
was 1.9 publications per person; for the Olympians the rate is greater at 12.8 publications
per person. It must be emphasized that 69% of the Olympians are younger than 30 years
old and can be expected to publish many more articles, books, papers, and secure more
patents. The oldest cohort (ages 30-41), which has already produced 1,916 publications
(26.6/person) can also be expected to continue to publish actively.
One factor involved in this high level of productivity is the mentoring done
during the Olympians’ undergraduate and graduate years. The disparity between
Olympians who have been mentored and those who were not mentored is startling (see
Table 19.5). The majority of publications was done by those who were mentored.
A substantial number of Olympians have careers outside academia. Some
gravitate to science and engineering careers, a good number are employed in computer
areas, and still others are employed in the business sector (see Table 19.3). How
successful are the Olympians in the noncollege/universities occupations? There is no
way to determine the contribution made by the Olympians in the nonacademic
community, but the job titles indicate a number of responsible positions. The most
successful might include the eight Olympians employed by financial institutions on Wall
Street. One is an executive at the prestigious Salomon Brothers; one is a bond trader; one
is an associate with Goldman, Sachs; and two are financial analysts with major banks.

14
Two of these individuals are in charge of the research on derivatives. One of the lawyers
is the council for the mayor’s office in one of the largest cities in the US.
There are several Olympians employed in the computer industry. Three
Olympians founded software companies. Two are currently the CEO of their companies,
and another remains an executive with his company. Another Olympian is the executive
director of a nonprofit corporation.
A number of Olympians are scientists or engineers. One is a principal engineer
with nine patents; another is a scientist at Los Alamos National lab; two are researchers
at the Bell Labs (AT&T); two others are senior scientists at IBM; and one is a scientist
with DuPont.
Two of the Olympians are Talmud scholars. Four of the Olympians are teachers,
two of these teachers co-authored two textbooks. Another Olympian founded a journal
that is in its 12th year, and another is a correspondent with a science magazine. One
Olympian performed with a musical ensemble at Carnegie Hall; another is an
independent film maker.
Would the Olympians have turned out as well without the Olympiad programs?
This is a fundamental question to ask the adult Olympians and their parents. It is also a
question that should be asked by independent evaluators who have no connection to these
programs.
Both the Olympians (76%) and their parents (70%) expressed the view that they
would not have accomplished as much without the programs. When asked if the
programs helped or hindered their acceptance of their talents, 76% of the Olympians and
74% of their parents concluded that the program helped. Only 4% of the Olympians and
none of the parents thought it hindered the development of their talent in any way. Most
Olympians (76%) and their parents (83%) reported that the program helped to increase
their awareness of educational opportunities.
Delayed Recognition
The Olympiad programs had some profound effects on the participants. When asked to
comment about what the Olympiad experience meant to them, many responded with
lengthy statements. Most of the Olympians had supportive families that nurtured
confidence in their abilities, but to score in the top places in a national exam was a more
important milestone for their confidence. They described their reactions to this
achievement in these ways: “confirmation of my abilities,” “realization I had potential,”
“confidence booster,” “discovering I had the right to believe in my own abilities,” “a
chance to be recognized,” “made me aware, for the first time, that my talent was really
unusual,” “validating,” “confirmed my merit,” “a more objective indication of my talent,”
“It helped me gage my talent,” and “First indication I had of how good I really was.”
This theme is titled “delayed recognition” because so many of the Olympians did
not realize the extent of their talent. Some of them had undervalued their capabilities and
had set more modest goals for themselves. Their high scores on the Olympiad exams
supplied them with much more confidence in their abilities. It also helped them to
evaluate their potential more realistically and to set higher goals for themselves. The
program also had several other benefits. After announcing the results of the exams, the
Olympians were invited to an intensive summer training program. This training brought
the Olympians in contact with other bright students and exposed them to stimulating
presentations by well-known scientists and mathematicians. The effects of being

15
exposed to equally bright peers had beneficial effects. One of the side effects of the
national training program was to alert the Olympians to a select number of colleges and
universities where their talents could be optimally developed. It is our contention that
this experience was somewhat responsible for so many of the Olympians enrolling in
Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and U.C. Berkeley.
Rewarding Accomplishment
The Olympiad studies underscore the need to identify and develop those with most talent.
But in America these needs clash with equity issues (Tannenbaum, 1997). Consequently,
gifted and accomplished adolescents often go unrecognized and unrewarded for their
efforts. Most of the federal supplemental funding of schools, for example, supports
programs for disabled, limited-English speaking, and poor children. Within the past
decade, new privately funded programs have arisen to support students of higher abilities
and reward them for their effort. The National Alliance for Excellence, for example,
gives strictly merit-based university scholarships for near perfect scores on matriculation
examinations, the completion of university work in secondary school, and related criteria.
Some psychologists and other experts believe that even more immediate monetary
rewards would have bigger effects in encouraging adolescents to put forth greater effort
on advanced academic study. Walberg (1998) recently evaluated apparently the largest
program of its kind--the Dallas, Texas-based O’Donnell Foundation’s Incentive Program.
The Foundation agreed to pay teachers $2,500 to take a course on how to teach
Advanaced Placement (AP) university-level courses and $100 for each of their students
who passed. The students also received $100 for each AP exam they passed in English,
calculus, statistics, computer science, biology, chemistry, and physics, plus a
reimbursement for the cost of taking the exam.
In the nine participating Dallas schools, sharply increasing numbers of boys and
girls of all major ethnic groups took and passed the AP exams. The number rose more
than twelve-fold from 41 the year before the program began to 521 when it ended in
1994-95. After terminating, the program continued to have carry-over effects: in the
1996-97 school year, two years after the program ended, 442 students passed, about
eleven times more than the number in the year before the program began.
Though these numbers speak for themselves, interviews with students, teachers,
and college admission officers revealed high regard for the Incentive Program. They felt
that even students who failed AP exams learned better study habits and the importance of
hard work to meet high standards.
In addition, the program had other benefits: students could take more advanced
courses in college. Those that passed a sufficient number of AP courses could graduate
from college early, which saves their families tuition and tax payers subsidies. Those
who passed AP courses also had a better chance for merit scholarships and entry into
selective colleges.
The Incentive Program suggests that, at least in the U.S., incentivized standards
work in schools as they do in many spheres of life. The lack of incentives in school
seems an important reason why American students find academics so boring and sports
so exciting. It may also account for the poor showing of typical U.S. students on
international comparisons of achievement.
Conclusions

16
The data presented above supplies answers to the questions we asked earlier in this
chapter: Do the Olympiad competitions serve the national purpose? Do the academic
Olympians make important contributions? Do they fulfill their high potential? When the
contributions are summed, including the number of doctorate degrees earned, the number
of Olympians working as professors (many in technically needed areas), the number of
scientists (some in sensitive and needed areas), the 2,921 publications produced, the
number working in the computer industry, including several who have founded or
managed software companies, and the Olympians working on Wall Street, we must
conclude that the Olympians serve the national interest. They do make important
contributions and a number of them fulfill their high potential. Overall, the quality of
their contributions outweighs their small numerical numbers. Many of the Olympians are
working in leadership positions that magnify their influence.
It must also be remembered that many of these contributions listed above are
limited to the oldest Olympiad cohort (72 individuals between the ages of 30-42). These
Olympians are in the prime of their careers and can be expected to make many more
contributions over the next 20 or 30 years. Furthermore, the younger cohorts can also be
expected to assemble a long list of their own contributions.
Having evaluated three competitions, what inferences can be made about the
other American competitions? Do they serve the national interest? It is reasonable to
infer that the Intel Talent Searches, the JSHS competitions, the SMPY programs, the
Science Fairs, and the National Merit Exams all funnel talented students into the United
States’ science and engineering pipeline. Perhaps this is one of the secrets of America’s
uncanny ways of developing talent. Campbell (1985, 1992) studied the impact of the
Intel Talent Searches on the participants and found that in order to succeed in this
competition the students needed to develop the following skills, attitudes, and
orientations: learn to manage time; develop library skills needed to conduct technical
searches; learn how to read scientific and other advanced material; develop the
organization skills to manage a research project; and finally develop the discipline
needed to conduct scholarly research studies or to learn how to study for challenging
examinations. These enhanced skills not only help the student do well in the contests but
can also be applied in future schooling or later in their careers. Even if participants do
not win the contest, these newly developed skills will prove very useful. In this sense
there may be no “losers” in a competition where the participants learn things that they
can use to enhance their development.
There are some international implications from these analyses. The cost of most
of the American competitions is surprisingly low. For example, participation in the Math
Olympiad program costs the school only $15.00 (US) and 75 cents per pupil. The costs
for the science fairs, the Intel Talent Search, the JSHS regionals and national, and the
National Merit Exams are paid by companies, foundations, or by the government. For
the most part students competing in these contests use resources outside the schools.
Campbell (1985) found that individual teachers in exemplary schools negotiated lab
space for their gifted students in universities or research labs nearby. There was no need
to improve or upgrade facilities or computers at the schools.
Therefore, many of these competitions are cost-effective, inexpensive ways to
develop talent. Any extra expenses, including transportation costs, are willingly met by
the parents. Consequently, we believe that competitions should be much more widely

17
used internationally. Third world developing countries with limited financial resources
for education should develop a wide range of competitions to nurture the indigenous
talent that exists in these countries.
References
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meet their needs? In N. Colangelo, & G. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of gifted
education (2nd ed.) (pp. 155-169). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Benbow, C.P., & Stanley, J.C. (Eds.). (1983). Academic precocity. Aspects of its
development. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
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19
Table 16.1
Colleges and Universities Attended by Olympians
Colleges/ Number enrolled Number enrolled Total
Universities Undergraduate Graduate enrolled
Harvard 46 37 83
MIT 17 21 38
Princeton 22 12 34
Stanford 8 16 24
U.C. Berkley 8 14 22
Cal. Tech. 10 7 17
U. Chicago 5 11 16
Cambridge (UK) 4 6 10
U. Illinois 3 7 10
Duke 7 3 10
Rice 6 2 8
Carnegie Mellon 4 2 6
U. Michigan 4 2 6
Yale 3 3 6
Cornell 4 2 6
Northwestern 3 2 5
UCLA 1 3 4
Oxford (UK) 4 4
Johns Hopkins 1 2 3
Columbia 2 1 3

20
Table 16.2
Doctoral Degrees Attained by Olympians
Advanced Degrees Mathematics Physics Chemistry
Ph.D. 48 18 35
M.D. 1 9
J.D. 2 2 1
Total 50 21 45
Number of Olympians87 51 91
in Subject Areas
Percent with Doctorate 57% 41% 49%
Degrees

21
Table 16.3
Olympians’ Occupations (not in Colleges and Universities)
Number Occupation/ Job Title
Computer Occupations
4 Computer Programmer/Analyst
2 Computer Music Companies
2 Software Developer
2 Software Engineer
2 Founded Software Companies
1 Software Company Exec.
1 Founder Internet Co.
1 Director Product Design (Software)
1 Microsoft Program Manager
1 Computer Programmer/Algorithm Designer
Scientific Occupations
18 Scientists/Engineers
(including 1 Principal Engineer with 9 patents, 1 at
Los Alamos Nat. Lab, 2 at Bell labs (ATT) 1 at IBM
1 at DuPont)
1 Consultant -- Scientific Programmer
1 President & CEO Technology Corp.
1 System Integrator
1 Product Line Manager
Other Occupations
8 Wall Street
(including 3 financial analysts, 1 bond trader)
5 Lawyer
4 Teacher (2 Authored Text Books)
2 Talmud Scholar
1 Executive Director of Nonprofit Corp.
1 Correspondent (Scientific Magazine)
1 Independent film Maker

22
Table 16.4
Total Publications
Olympiad
Age Cohorts Mathematics Physics Chemistry
Ages 15-22 10 113 107
PreCollege/College (1.4/person) (6.3/person) (4.9/person)
N=7 N=25 N=31
Ages 23-29 231 141 401
Early Career (7.7/person) (7.4/person) (18.2/person)
N=30 N=23 N=41
Ages 30-46 1,622 14 280
Mature Career (32/person) (14/person) (23.3/person)
N=50 N=3 N=19
Total Publications in 1,865 268 788
Subject Areas N=87 N=51 N=91

23
Table 16.5
Total Publications in Terms of Mentoring
(Percent)
Mentored Nonmentored
Math Olympians 84% 16%
Chemistry Olympians 64% 36%
Physics Olympians 72% 28%

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