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Two education professors chosen to revamp journalby Janice Palmer - December 4, 2006 | ||||
| The publisher of a peer-reviewed, gifted education journal has selected two Neag School professors to refocus the journal and expand its audience. Del Siegle, an associate professor in the gifted and talented program, and Betsy McCoach, an assistant professor in the measurement, evaluation, and assessment program, are serving as co-editors of the new Journal of Advanced Academics - formerly the Journal of Secondary Gifted Education. The name change is indicative of the broadened appeal the publisher, Prufrock Press, is hoping to achieve. "The gifted field is changing and expanding, so this new and improved journal will be a reflection of that," says Siegle. "We're taking the gifted label off in order to expand our focus to include pedagogy, services, and programs that promote advanced learning and increased student achievement for all students." Siegle and McCoach are well qualified to lead the charge. They are involved in the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, which has been in the vanguard of the gifted education field, using gifted strategies in the general classroom to improve students' learning and enjoyment regardless of their learning styles, limitations, or levels. "We intend to make the journal practitioner-friendly and appealing to school administrators and policy-makers," says McCoach. "They're a critical audience because they make many of the decisions about what happens in their classrooms." McCoach is responsible for overseeing the research quality of the submissions. Siegle has led the technology effort to make the entire review process paperless. They are working with the publisher on almost every aspect of the journal, from the concept to the front cover. Published quarterly, each issue will contain five to seven articles. In addition to original research and review studies, the two are looking for evaluation reports and systematic assessments of classroom-based, after-school, or summer programs that inspire students to pursue high-level content or develop advanced academic skills. As an added feature, the journal will include an interview with someone Siegle describes as a "mover and a shaker." "We want to hear from college admissions officers, curriculum coordinators, superintendents, assessment directors, and advanced placement coordinators, for example, not just researchers and scholars," McCoach says. To help with the additional demands placed on Siegle and McCoach, the dean is funding part of a graduate assistantship. "The fact that the publisher sought out these faculty members for this responsibility indicates how well-respected they are in their fields," says Richard Schwab, dean of education. |
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