Gifted and Talented Academy Session 2 January 26, 2010

Agenda Process Home Play Developing a Written Gifted and Talented Plan District Program Goals Domains of Giftedness Identification Tools and Criteria Using this information Developing an Identification Plan

Processing Home Play Triads - three different districts With whom did you share your mission/philosophy? Discuss the process. How was it received? Were there suggestions for revisions? What discussion and/or professional development needs to happen now? (Related to the mission/philosophy?) How will it guide your programming?

Processing Home Play Return to original table. Whip Around Share one idea you heard from previous discussion Where do you go from here as a team?

A comprehensive gifted and talented plan Academy Outcome A comprehensive gifted and talented plan

Comprehensive Plan …a thoughtful, unified service delivery plan that has a singular purpose: to identify the many, varied ways that will be used to meet the needs of high-potential students. --Purcell & Eckert, p. 74

Considerations Unique learning profile of students Level of challenge in regular curriculum Ways high-potential learners are already served Areas where services are lacking --Purcell & Eckert, p. 74

Traits Derivation of Services Comprehensiveness Practicality Consistency Clarity Availability Continuation, Extension, and Evaluation From Purcell & Eckert p. 75-77

Goals and Performance Measures Program Goals Provide focus for evaluation and planning Provide direction toward a particular purpose “living” - will be revised as needed Based on clear mission and definition of giftedness (target population) --Purcell & Eckert, p. 63 Goals are broad and might not be measurable. The objectives or indicators are more specific and measurable.

Goals and Performance Measures What does success look like? How will we know when we get there? What data will we collect? How good is good enough?

Traits Alignment Validity Comprehensiveness Clarity Purcell & Eckert, p. 64-5

Using SART to Establish Program Goals Complete selected sections of the Self-Audit/Reflection Tool. Identify area(s) most in need of improvement. Target goal(s) to the area. At the end of the year review the SART section and data to ascertain goal attainment.

Sample Program Goals Urbandale District 196, Minnesota Based on NAGC Program Standards

Examine Your Program Goals Do you have program goals? Are they program goals or student outcomes? What’s the difference? Why is each important? How do they stack up against the traits of high-quality goals on p. 64?

Writing/Revising Program Goals Step-by-step process Report back at each Academy session

Gifted and Talented Identification What is it? Why do it? What then? Membership in the “club” or access to appropriate services? An event or a process? Have we mistakenly associated “identification” with running kids through a formal whole grade screening to the end of attaching a label?

The Target Population Definition of “gifted” Multiple Criteria used/analyzed

State of Iowa Definition General Intellectual Ability Specific Ability Aptitude Creativity Leadership Visual and Performing Arts

Characteristics Groups of 4 Brainstorm characteristics of assigned area of giftedness. Post to appropriate section on the EtherPad Gallery “Walk” of EtherPad Consider how these characteristics might look different at different grade spans.

Five Levels of Gifted

Understanding Giftedness The Five Levels of Giftedness Losing Our Minds Gifted Children Left Behind Ruff, 2005

Level One Gifted: Approximately 90th to 98th Percentiles TAG Academy Level One Gifted: Approximately 90th to 98th Percentiles “Moderately” gifted Bright children well ahead of classmates Advanced levels must be addressed to maximize their academic potential 1)Advanced abilities must be addressed to maximize academic potential and their ability to develop into confident & productive adults and 2) Readers or people learning about giftedness need to see how the learning and behavioral distinctions differ between children who are bright and those who are substantially more advanced. Important to understand the differences in levels of giftedness Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level One Gifted Birth to 2 TAG Academy Level One Gifted Birth to 2 Early eye contact Enjoyed being read to Early vocabulary Early counting, singing, reciting Sit still to watch and pay attention to TV Sit still to watch and pay attention to TV is common among the gifted, but it is not common among typical children under one and two years of age. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level One Gifted age two to three TAG Academy Level One Gifted age two to three Very busy Interested in many things Puzzles are a favorite activity for many Sit still to watch and pay attention to TV Knows colors and alphabet Interested in books Sit still to watch and pay attention to TV is common among the gifted, but it is not common among typical children under one and two years of age. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level One Gifted age four to five TAG Academy Level One Gifted age four to five Master kindergarten end–of-the-year academic tasks before they turn four. Read street and store signs Appreciation and practice of humor Understanding of subtleties of language Enjoy adult conversations Sit still to watch and pay attention to TV is common among the gifted, but it is not common among typical children under one and two years of age. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level Two Gifted 98th and 99th Percentiles Especially interactive very early in their lives. Ability to communicate and understand even before speaking Talk progressed quickly to very advance speech Could do things that adults did not teach them

Level Two Children By kindergarten most have begun to read Pick up contextual clues of vocabulary and meaning when interested in a topic Little evidence of “sounding out” Many resort to silent reading because it is faster.

Level Two Children Could complete the entire elementary curriculum in three years.

Level Three Giftedness: Approximately 98th and 99th Percentiles TAG Academy Level Three Giftedness: Approximately 98th and 99th Percentiles Described as “highly” or “exceptionally” gifted Intense eye contact from birth or soon after Clearly know and understand many things before they actually talk Talk in full sentences before age of 2 Quick transition of no speech to full sentences Know how to read, count, do simple math before Kindergarten. Typical public school with 100 children per grade level has one or two of these children in each grade. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level Three Giftedness: Approximately 98th and 99th Percentiles TAG Academy Level Three Giftedness: Approximately 98th and 99th Percentiles Abilities with numbers, colors, the alphabet, speaking & reading, and sense of humor are recognizably advanced. Know how to read, count, do simple math before Kindergarten. Most move from simple to chapter books during kindergarten. Typical public school with 100 children per grade level has one or two of these children in each grade. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile TAG Academy Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile Exceptionally to profoundly gifted Clearly outpace lower levels of giftedness in their powers of reasoning, complexity of speech and interests, and in grasp of math concepts Learning trajectories in reading raised from average 3rd grade level during kindergarten to an average upper high school level by 4th or 5th grades More students are in this category than we will ever know particularly since some of the students will never be formally identified as gifted because their challenging behaviors in a regular classroom may work against their identification. Some level 4 children may start in public schools, however the parents might move or send the child to a particular school here they think the educational opportunities will be greater. Many parents of Level four and higher children turn to home schooling so fewer level four and five children are in our schools than what could or should have been Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile TAG Academy Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile Most level Four children are capable of finishing all academic coursework through eighth grade before they reach third or fourth grade, but few have the opportunity to live up to their capabilities. These are students who could go off to college at age 10-12. They could complete the elementary curriculum in two years. More students are in this category than we will ever know particularly since some of the students will never be formally identified as gifted because their challenging behaviors in a regular classroom may work against their identification. Some level 4 children may start in public schools, however the parents might move or send the child to a particular school here they think the educational opportunities will be greater. Many parents of Level four and higher children turn to home schooling so fewer level four and five children are in our schools than what could or should have been Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

But we don’t let them Radical acceleration is not radical to the child whom it serves. Instead it is a shock to the “system” and deemed “radical” by the big people in that system who don’t understand either the affective or the cognitive needs of highly gifted young children.

Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile TAG Academy Level Four Gifted: 99th Percentile “Every child in this chapter started kindergarten and first grade with other children who were within a year of his or her own age. Every child in this chapter had parents who asked the schools to recognize the abilities that their child possessed and to guide him or her appropriately. Every parent and child encountered one problem after another. More students are in this category than we will ever know particularly since some of the students will never be formally identified as gifted because their challenging behaviors in a regular classroom may work against their identification. Some level 4 children may start in public schools, however the parents might move or send the child to a particular school here they think the educational opportunities will be greater. Many parents of Level four and higher children turn to home schooling so fewer level four and five children are in our schools than what could or should have been Losing our Minds, Ruf, 2005 Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Level Five Gifted: Above the 99th Percentile Profoundly gifted Omnibus genius – unusual occurrence of profound ability across all ability areas Feldman, 1986 Children are so obviously different from their age-mates in intellectual ability that either their parents or the school arrange for dramatic changes.

Level Five Gifted: Above the 99th Percentile Many times a parent postpones a career to advocate for the needs of the child. Incredibly advanced in every intellectual domain – the primary distinguishing factor in contrast with other levels Level 5 children could finish the entire elementary curriculum in less than a year if given the opportunity.

Reflect and Discuss What are the implications for schools and teachers?

Commonality Gifted children seem to need and run on less sleep. Some go from full activity to ….

Small Poppies: Highly gifted children in the early years Jigsaw sections of Profile article. Number off 1-5, All will read the introduction and their assigned profile Plan to share your coding when completed Miraca U.M. Gross Source: Roeper Review 1999 Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 207-214 Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

Text Coding ? Needs clarification ! New perspective or new idea I knew that ? Needs clarification ! New perspective or new idea Upon completion of reading. Share with a partner what you have coded. Heartland AEA, Linda Moehring

2-3 places where you text coded Share With a Partner 2-3 places where you text coded Why did you code? What was your connection?

Gifted at the Secondary Level Add information from Feldhusen book

Starting the Process Screening Nomination/Referral Use existing data sources Nomination/Referral Who may/should refer? How will they do it? How will they know they can?

Digging Deeper What stands out about the child? What more do you need to know? Cast a wider net No single piece of data screens a child “in” or “out” Are the criteria valid for the construct being measured? How will you analyze the information? At what point can you make a decision with confidence? Notification

Multiple Measures?

Multiple Hurdles?

Activity Consider the list of multiple criteria Identify which area(s) of giftedness for which each would be a valid criterion to consider. Are all the criteria appropriate at all grade spans? Add other examples at the bottom. Share with someone you haven’t yet worked with today. Note the ID tools page on the Wiki.

Matrix See the matrix example on the Wiki

Placement Which children need which services? Not about assigning a label According to need

It is better to have imprecise answers to the right questions than precise answers to the wrong questions. --Donald Campbell

Some Things to Ponder Once identified, always identified? Procedure for staffing out? Your questions?

Gap Analysis With your team Study Guiding Principles, Attributes That Define High-Quality Identification Procedures (p. 51-2), and SART results Identify desired state Outline your current identification procedures (current state) List steps needed to move toward desired state

Home Play Establish program goals for identification Determine domains of giftedness to be served Write identification plan for district (Identification section of written plan) Share with GT Advisory and/or Administrative Team Complete Differentiated Program section of Self-Audit Tool

Magnet Summary Fold paper in fourths Write “identification” in the middle In each corner write a key word or phrase to remember Summarize at the bottom