Gifted and Talented Academy Session 5 June 16, 2011 http://aea11gt.pbworks.com

Agenda Day 5 Welcome/Warm Up Lessons Learned Staffing Patterns/GT Schedules Advocacy Work Time Closure

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. --Confucius

Welcome Back! Where we’ve been Mission/philosophy Target population Identification Program goals Comprehensive programming Collaboration PEPs

Objectives To deepen understanding of the components of comprehensive gifted and talented programming To examine system-level factors affecting comprehensive programming Advocacy & Leadership To identify areas of professional growth necessary to effectively implement programming In-service Design

Warm Up Individually In your team/at your table Identify three ways you’ve grown in your thinking about g/t programming since September (1/sticky note) In your team/at your table Share ideas (3-5 minutes) Pair up w/someone not at your table Share 1 idea Repeat twice Return to table Share one thing you heard

Lessons Learned Form mixed-district groups of five Number off by 5’s Jigsaw “Lessons Learned” article Discuss connections to Academy learning Large group share

Barriers or Bridges Two lunch bags Bag 1 Nest w/bag 2 Build wall One side – barrier to accomplishing the recommendations from “Lessons Learned” Other side – bridge to accomplishing Nest w/bag 2 Build wall What two barriers can you identify with? What bridges do you need to build? Discuss with your team “What’s our plan?”

Staffing Patterns/Schedules What are the total FTEs for gifted and talented in your district? How are they distributed K-12? Who develops the schedule? What programming components have been identified? How is the teacher’s time allotted to implement those components effectively? What needs to change? Make connections to funding, inservice design, and advocacy.

Job Descriptions Do you have a job description? If so, in what ways does it accurately reflect what you do? What guidance should/would the written g/t plan provide and vice versa?

GT Teacher/Administrator Agreement What is the value in an agreement? How does it align with programming and with job description? What do school counselor agreements look like? Do you need an agreement with administrators? Time to discuss

Advocacy: What is it? Why is it necessary? On what levels does it occur? What resources are available? Where do we need to focus our advocacy efforts? Do we need a plan?

--NAGC, 2000 as cited in Purcell & Eckert, 2006 Advocacy: What is It? “…the act of arguing in favor of something – an idea, cause, or policy” --NAGC, 2000 as cited in Purcell & Eckert, 2006 …getting decision makers at the school, school district, state, and national levels to support strategies, services, and policies to initiate, implement, and support gifted education. --Purcell & Eckert, 2006

Why Advocate? Raise awareness Show positive impact Influence change --Purcell & Eckert, p. 240 Review Guiding Principles – p. 241

Levels of Advocacy National State District School

Levels of Advocacy Find a partner and discuss… …how you have been involved in gifted advocacy at any of these levels. …the extent to which advocacy is or should be part of your job. …the effectiveness of your individual and collective advocacy efforts. …ways to increase the effectiveness of your efforts.

Advocacy Resources http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=36 http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/advocacy.htm Purcell & Eckert, Chapter 18 (p. 239-248)

Advocacy Plan Traits Clarity – the plan has a clear message Inclusiveness – the plan involves interested parties Support Information – the plan includes support information Specificity – the plan provides specifics for implementation --Purcell & Eckert, p. 242

Advocacy Focus Barriers and Bridges Think back to the barriers and bridges you identified. Discuss the ways in which advocacy could make a difference. Do you need to develop an advocacy plan? (See p. 243, Purcell & Eckert)

Work Time Work with your team to further develop and/or refine your written gifted and talented plan. A copy of your new/revised written gifted and talented plan is due June 30.

Required Sections Vision/mission/beliefs Identification (include target population) Program Goals Differentiated Program Staff Qualification/Allocation In-service Design Program Evaluation (optional)