Watson, MargaretHolland, Patricia E.2015-08-242015-08-24May 20132013-05http://hdl.handle.net/10657/1035Public education reform combined with the school choice movement calls for middle school leaders to offer a competitive and differentiated educational experience that meets middle school learners at their level. While some students need on-level education, there is a large population of learners that crave and require accelerated options. This study analyzed standardized test scores and number of high school credits earned by middle school gifted and talented (GT) students. This study compared the performance of GT students that attended a GT academy program with those that attended their zoned middle school. The study found that there was little to no difference on TAKS scores for the two groups. The GT Academy students earned an average of 2.13 more high school credits than the zoned district GT students. School leaders that want to challenge gifted students should consider accelerated programs to meet the needs of advanced students.application/pdfengThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).Gifted studentsTalentedMiddle schoolsGT AcademyMiddle school studentsTAKS Reading and TAKS MathHigh School CreditsAccelerationHigh-ability studentsProfessional leadership2015-08-24Thesisborn digital