Designing Comprehensive Gifted Programming Session 1 October 30, 2018 http://aea11gt.pbworks.com

Look with favor upon a bold beginning. --Virgil, Roman poet

Agenda Welcome and Introductions Goals Iowa Code Foundation Home Play Closure

Tools Wiki Google site Visit http://aea11gt.pbworks.com Create site Share with me

Introductions Identify 2-3 words or phrases that capture the essence of your gifted program Share your words in descending order of importance. What do we have in common? All must agree on all the words

Why this work? A common philosophy A comprehensive K-12 program plan to guide programming Teamwork Establish importance of leadership It will benefit kids Sharpening focus

Outcomes To deepen understanding of the components of comprehensive gifted and talented programming To create valid and systematic identification procedures To construct and/or improve a written comprehensive gifted and talented program plan To identify and use data necessary to provide, drive, and improve gifted and talented programming To build a team mentality

Team Role Honor commitment to complete work between sessions Everyone contributes Dedication to learning Advocacy Promote learning of others Be open to change

Administrator Role Provide and protect time for team to meet Provide access to data Provide access to staff Encourage and guide Learn with teachers Be open to change

Group Norms, Processes and Needs Talk freely - think out loud Support one another in the learning Use technology responsibly Feel free to change your mind Remember Iowa Core and Iowa Code Make connections Commit to intercession work

Iowa Code and Gifted Standards Iowa Code provides requirements in law for minimum compliance (Chs. 12 & 59) NAGC PK-12 Gifted Programming Standards provide guidance toward best practices to achieve student outcomes Teacher Preparation Standards in Gifted Education identify essential knowledge and skills for teachers of gifted

Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming Including many things Having a wide scope or full view Extensive; wide; large; full; compendious (dictionary.com)

So what is it? Work with your team to list the components/characteristics of comprehensive gifted and talented programming. Think: comprehensive physical, comprehensive exam

Comprehensive Gifted and Talented Programming Includes and integrates multiple domains of giftedness Provides multiple programming options matched to student need Addresses both cognitive and affective needs Is articulated K-12 Is evolutionary in nature Is essential to and embedded in an effective educational program Is based on student need Identifies children with unmet educational needs Discuss questions and insights this list brings to mind. How does this look and feel different from what you currently know? How does it align with what your programming is/does?

CONSENSUS INFRASTRUCTURE CONSENSUS IMPLEMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE This graphic and thinking have been applied to many different initiatives.When we implement comprehensive gifted and talented programming, this is a valid framework to apply. CONSENSUS INFRASTRUCTURE

Managing Complex Change + Vision Skills Incentives Resources Action Plan = Change Confusion = + Skills Incentives Resources Action Plan + Vision Incentives Resources Action Plan = Anxiety = + Vision Skills Resources Action Plan Resistance For most of you and your staffs, implementing comprehensive g/t programming represents complex change. Change, especially that with 2nd order implications, can upset people and create resistance. Often we’re left wondering why. This chart helps explain it. Let’s talk about each aspect. Vision: Skills: If you expect me to drive you across town to an important meeting, you assume I have certain skills associated with driving. What are some of those skills? What will happen to me as the potential driver if I lack these skills? What will you as the passenger experience? Incentives: Eating right: What’s in it for me? You eating right: What’s in it for me? Resources: I have to teach literature but have no books and no internet access. Action Plan: Prevents purpose drift. Helps me break the “big thing” onto manageable parts. Shows me how to bring the vision to life. = + Vision Skills Incentives Action Plan Frustration = + Vision Skills Incentives Resources False Starts Adapted from Knoster, T., Villa R., & Thousand, J. (2000). A framework for thinking about systems change. In R. villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Identify in Grade Spans… With regard to g/t programming which areas are strengths? which areas need attention/work? Report one strength and one area needing attention.

Vision Mission Beliefs Commitments to Action It All Starts With… Vision Mission Beliefs Commitments to Action

Vision What we aspire to Requires “stretch” Example: ITAG envisions a time when all students, including the gifted and talented, are given an appropriate educational experience that matches their abilities and potential, where they have abundant opportunities for their intellectual and creative challenge and growth, and those who work with them are effectively trained to appreciate, understand, and nurture their unique talents and needs. What elements require stretch? What words take us to a future time? Could this vision be achieved easily? Quickly? Tomorrow…or next week?

Victory Circle Three years from now, the DE awards your district the “Outstanding GT Program” distinction for the state. What would we see, hear, experience, etc. that would give credence to the award? Chart paper Post

Creating Stretch What aspects of your victory are worthy of achieving but would require significant stretch? Consider these ideas to help you write a statement of vision. This is a process of generalizing from a list of specific attributes using inductive reasoning.

S-W-O-R Analysis What are the strengths in our school that would help us achieve our victory? What weaknesses do we need to overcome? What opportunities exist if we achieve our victory? What risks do we face along the way?

Assumptions What assumptions do you hold about gifted children? (+ or -) What assumptions do classroom teachers, administrators, and parents in your district/building hold?

Putting It All Together… Consider desired state (victory) components requiring stretch current state (S-W-O-R) assumptions which drive beliefs Create a draft of your vision.

Sample Vision Waukee – “New learning all day every day for each identified gifted child.” Consider: In what ways will vision impact programming?

Mission/Philosophy Answers the questions What is our purpose? Why does the program(ming) exist? What it does Creates cohesiveness, commitment, and understanding Gives meaning to our work Choosing how we’ll work What work we choose to do --Conzemius & O’Neill, 2002

Traits Comprehensiveness Rationale Consistency Clarity --Purcell & Eckert, 2006 These traits are spelled out on page 21-2 of Designing Services and Programs for High-Ability Learners. Take a minute to look through them and discuss in your team.

Evaluating Your Mission/Philosophy Rate your mission/philosophy with regard to Comprehensiveness Rationale Consistency Clarity

Sample Mission/Philosophy The mission of the Iowa Talented and Gifted Association is to recognize, support, and respect the unique and diverse needs of talented and gifted learners through ADVOCACY: by encouraging informed educational professionals, parents, policy makers, and all other stakeholders to take appropriate action for the benefit of talented and gifted learners. EDUCATION: by strengthening and encouraging the recognition and implementation of practices that support identification of talented and gifted learners and accommodation of the social, emotional, and intellectual levels. NETWORKING: by increasing opportunities for collaboration and cooperation among all stakeholders with the goal of advancing the abilities and developing the potential of talented and gifted learners. Compare/contrast the ITAG vision and mission statements. How are they different? Why would the organization have each?

Belief Statements & Commitments to Action Beliefs: an expression of what we believe to be true Commitments to Action: absolute commitments that translate into behaviors Example: Belief: gifted kids learn best in the company of intellectual peers Commitment to Action: to provide grouping arrangements that promote new learning for gifted kids Beliefs reflect commitments to action, sometimes called core values, and vice versa. Beliefs are based on underlying assumptions Core values can be stated in three ways: as outcomes for students, as commitments to each other, or as beliefs about conditions for learning

Sample M/V/B Waukee Perry Bettendorf What is important for your work? Critical to connect GT m/v/b to larger district view Review sample Do you need all of them? Let’s take a look at sample district vision, mission, beliefs, and commitments to action

Building Consensus Determine With whom you will share How you will determine/build consensus

Program Evaluation Baseline data Basis for program goals Complete Self-Audit/Reflection section(s) Program Goals Bring results to next session Basis for program goals Means to improve programming

Home Play Complete two sections of SA/RT Program Goals Share draft of Mission/Philosophy with GT Advisory, Administrative Team, and/or School Board Get input Get mission/philosophy approved Reflect on results

Next Meeting November 14, 2018 2:30. – 4:30 p.m. - Zoom

Memory Mingle How has the information you’ve engaged with so far “pushed” your thinking? Share Identify connections and/or conclusions What does this mean for your work?