Long-Term Effects of an Enrichment Program Based on the Purdue Three-Stage Model

The long-term effects of an elementary enrichment program for gifted youth were examined in this retrospective study. The enrichment program investigated was a pull-out program based on the Purdue Three-Stage Model (Feldhusen & Kolloff, 1978, 1986; Feldhusen, Kolloff, Cole, & Moon, 1988; Kolloff & Feldhusen,. 1981). Perceptions of students and their families when the students were seniors in high school indicated that the program was successful in achieving its stated goals. The program was also perceived to have had a long-term positive impact on the cognitive, affective, and social development of most participating students and to have been a developmentally appropriate talent development experience. The findings suggest that the Purdue Three- Stage Model is an effective framework for elementary enrichment programs. Implications of the findings for the education of gifted students are discussed.