Highly Capable Work Session 2 Tere von Marbod Helene Paroff November 7, 2013

With thanks to … Dr. Jann Leppien Margo Long Endowed Chair for Gifted Education Center for Gifted Education Whitworth University Spokane, Washington

Welcome Back! As a district team, discuss an action step you took since the last session. Choose a spokesperson from your team. Re-introduce members. Report out on your action step.

Overview of the Sessions October 21 st : Legislative requirements Nomination procedures November 7 th : Identification procedures Assessment procedures Appeal procedures January 21 st : K-12 program specifics February 26 th : Technical requirements Program evaluation Any unfinished business

Today’s Session Review Nomination and Referral Process Identification Process Assessment Process Appeal Process District Planning Time

Parking Lot Questions that come to mind throughout the day … Use sticky notes and jot down Post on chart in back of room

Selection of Most Highly Capable (WAC ) 7 Each school district's board of directors shall adopt policies and procedures for the selection of the most highly capable students by the multidisciplinary selection committee. Such policies and selection procedures: (1) Shall not violate federal and state civil rights laws including, without limitation, chapters 28A.640 and 28A.642 RCW;28A.64028A.642 (2) Shall be based on professional judgment as to which students will benefit the most from inclusion in the district's program; and (3) Shall be based on a selection system that determines which students are the most highly capable as defined under WAC , and other data collected in the assessment process

Services for highly capable students in Kindergarten through 12 th grade are available in the ________________ School District in accordance with Chapter WAC. As defined in WAC , students who are highly capable are those who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age, experiences, or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students’ general intellectual aptitudes, specific academic abilities, and/or creative productivities within a specific domain. The _______ School District recognizes that these students are present not only in the general population, but are present within all defined protected groups. Additionally, as noted in WAC , the term learning characteristics means that students who are highly capable may possess, but are not limited to, the following learning characteristics: (1) capacity to learn with unusual depth of understanding, to retain what has been learned, and to transfer learning to new situations; (2) capacity and willingness to deal with increasing levels of abstraction and complexity earlier than their chronological peers; (3) creative ability to make unusual connections among ideas and concepts; (4) ability to learn quickly in their area(s) of intellectual strength; and (5) capacity for intense concentration and/or focus. The district’s plan will be submitted annually using forms provided by OSPI. (WAC ) Additionally, the district’s plan for students who are highly capable will be annually approved, through formal action, by the district’s board of directors. (WAC )

Nomination Assessment Identification Appeal (if not identified) Highly Capable

The nomination process for inclusion (and/or exclusion) from services for the highly capable is as follows: Referrals can be made by teachers, other staff, parents, students, and members of the community by accessing and completing the appropriate forms. (WAC ) *** need to decide on forms and where they are available*** Annually, the district will notify the public (parents and students) in multiple ways in the appropriate languages of any major identification activity. (WAC ) *** need to decide on methods, when annual notification will be made, what languages, etc. ** Clear, current data and evidence will be taken into account to screen students for eligibility. As indicated by WAC , students may also be found to be ineligible for services.

Nomination/Referral Procedures Does your district procedure include: the definition of the highly capable student (WAC )? the learning characteristics (WAC )? who can nominate/refer (WAC )? K-12 inclusively? a timeline for nomination and, if so, what is it? permission to nominate based on data/evidence that is being solicited and reviewed? where the procedures can be found and a timeline for the process?

Activity: Peer Review Use drafts of your products: Nomination process (WAC ) Annual public notice (WAC ) Referral form Find someone from another district Share the drafts you developed Review for omissions that you want to ensure the district considers Review for good ideas you can steal Receive and provide feedback

Nomination Identification Assessment Appeal (if not identified) Highly Capable

Assessment Phase of Identification 14 During this phase, specific assessment instruments are administered that match the gifted program area(s) addressed. Assessments during this phase need to match not only the area of giftedness, but also the characteristics of the students. Assessment shall be based upon a review of each student's capability as shown by multiple criteria intended to reveal, from a wide variety of sources and data, each student's unique needs and capabilities. (28A )

Assessment will be based upon a review of each student’s capability as shown by multiple criteria and multiple assessments. Students will be assessed by qualified district personnel. (WAC ) Multiple objective criteria for identification of students who are among the most highly capable. There is no single method for the identification. (WAC ) All tests and other evaluation materials used in the assessment will be valid and reliable. (WAC ) Identification

Screening and Placement 16 Once a student has been tested, data is compiled and forwarded to an identification and placement committee that determines eligibility for gifted services. Criteria for selection include a combination of: Academic achievement Achievement test scores Teacher recommendations Parent checklist of behaviors Ability test scores Audition or portfolio (visual/performing arts programs) Parents or guardians are notified of the committee's decision by letter.

Assessment Tools 17 Intelligence TestsNon-Verbal Ability Tests Aptitude Tests (Domain Specific) Creativity Tests Achievement TestsStudent Portfolios/Performance by Audition/Creative Productivity GradesPerformance-based assessments or tasks Teacher RecommendationsParent, Student, Peer, Community Nominations

District Planning Time Identification Screening

Nomination Identification Assessment Appeal (if not identified) Highly Capable

Welcome Tyler!

Assessment What questions were answered? What questions do you have? What decisions do you need to make?

Nomination Assessment Identification Appeal (if not identified) Highly Capable

Appeal Process (WAC ) 23 T he committee's decision may include:  Upholding the original decision of the Identification and Placement Committee;  Reversing the decision of the Identification and Placement Committee; or  Gathering additional or updated data. The parents or guardians will be informed of the appeal committee’s decision by letter. Requests for appeals for admission to ________ and are first addressed by the principal (or ____________________)

Appeal Process 24 Parents or guardians may appeal the decision of the Gifted Identification and Placement Committee when there is additional, pertinent information. An appeal form may be obtained from the Gifted Testing Office. All appeal requests must be submitted to the director of the Office of Gifted Education and Curriculum Development by the deadline provided within the letter communicating the decision of the Gifted Identification and Placement Committee. The parents or guardians will be notified by letter of the director’s receipt of the appeal. At the initial meeting of the appeals committee, all data collected including additional, pertinent information submitted in the appeal, are reviewed. The committee will decide if additional assessment data are needed. Any additional assessments must be initiated by the committee and administered by Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Assessments not conducted by VBCPS will not be considered by the committee.

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District Planning Time Appeal Process

Parent/Legal Guardian Permission Forms (WAC ) Assessment Placement and Services To include: Explanation of Identification Procedures and Process Appeals Process Exit Procedures Information About the Program and Options Available to Identified Student 27

District Self-Assessment of HCP As a team, review your progress in addressing the various sections of WAC Build an action plan for your district and what you would like to address between now and January 21 st !

Reflection Plus/Delta What worked well today and should be continued? What could be done better or differently? Jot down an idea on a sticky note Post on chart in back of room

Next Session January 21, 2014! K-12 Programming/Services District Planning