Elementary G/T Programs Let’s get it going!

Elementary G/T Programs Enhance understanding and commitment to implementing HISD and Texas G/T Standards Increase participation of underrepresented populations Build capacity of teachers and school leaders to incorporate research skills that lead to advanced level products

Water Bottle Foundation Project Grade 4 If your district asked you to send in examples of advanced products, what would you send? What makes an advanced level product?

G/T State Goal What connections do you make between student products and the State Goal? Why would the state describe the goal with emphasis on the creation of a product? Students who participate in services designed for gifted/talented students will demonstrate skills in self- directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that reflect individuality and creativity and are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or environment. Turn to your shoulder partner and discuss.

Step 1: G/T Identification The G/T identification of a student can be initiated in 4 ways: 1) parent 2) teacher 3) student 4) district-generated rosters based on the universal testing done at Kindergarten and 5th grade

Step 1: G/T Identification Nomination What are the barriers to the identification of those in our underrepresented groups? How do we overcome the barriers?

Step 2: Class Assignments Instructional Delivery Models Vanguard Standard 5 Research indicates that gifted and talented students’ academic and social emotional needs are best met in classrooms with other students with similar abilities and with fluid, flexible groupings that change as needed based upon students’ interest and abilities. G/T instruction shall be delivered in one of the following instructional delivery models:  G/T homogeneous classrooms  G/T clusters in the general classroom  Combination of G/T homogeneous and G/T cluster models

Step 2: Class Assignments Look at the handout. What do you notice?

Step 3: Support for G/T Classrooms So…we have G/T identified students… And…they are assigned to classes with G/T trained teachers But…there are still so many questions… How do we teach research skills to young children? Where do we go for support? Ideas? How do we know what advanced level products are? How do we guide students to create them?

Step 3: Support for G/T Classrooms  Human capital:  Self-contained teacher using differentiation effectively  Enrichment teacher as co-teacher  Enrichment teachers as mentors  Materials/resources: ◦ Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) ◦ Renzulli ◦ Independent Investigation Method (IIM) ◦What else is working on your campus?

Renzulli Superstarter Projects

TPSP Grade Level Tasks Phase I: Learning Experiences Whole class activities Phase II: Independent Research Individual or small group studies The Big Question: How do I teach my students HOW to conduct research? EXPLORATORY RESEARCH

Follow These Footsteps to Success in a Research Project Topic Goal Setting Research Organizing Goal Evaluation Product Presentation INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION METHOD (IIM)

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