Book Talk: Removing the Mask: Giftedness in Poverty Project PROMISE Virginia Department of Education Designed by Tiffany M. Hall

Welcome Welcome to the Project PROMISE Removing the Mask: Giftedness in Poverty book talk CD. By now you have received a copy of Removing the Mask: Giftedness in Poverty by Paul D. Slocumb and Ruby K. Payne. This CD features questions to guide your reading. The questions contained on this CD will prepare you to participate in the next book talk.

Helpful Hints Here are some helpful hints to prepare for the book talk: 1.Start reading now if you haven’t already. 2.Pace your reading. 3.Jot down any questions or ideas you might have about each chapter. 4.Use this icon to any questions you would like answered or ideas that you would like to share. 5.Respond to all of the questions/statements on this CD.

Navigation Tips This CD has been created so that you may easily navigate through its contents. If you wish, you can print this page and keep it as a quick reference as you work through the CD. Here is just a brief explanation of the icons you will see throughout the CD. Return to the task list Exit questions

Tasks Click on the task bar below for the chapter you are working on or to explore resources included on this CD. Chapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter Four Chapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter Eight Chapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenResources

Chapter One: The Paradigm What would constitute “equity” in gifted programs? Should student products be rated equally or equitably? Why?

Chapter Two: Environmental Opportunities What are the consequences of the typical performance and standardized tests dominant identification systems? Why are these factors blocks to the recognition of giftedness in children of poverty? How might that be corrected?

Chapter Three: Weighing the Opportunities Thinking about one of your students, use the Environmental Opportunities Profile (EOP) and see how much of it you can complete based on the information you have gleaned during the course of the year. If given the choice, would you use the EOP when considering a student for gifted education services? Why?

Chapter Four: Student Production When assigning tasks, how can you as a teacher level the playing field for all students? How could a school division incorporate portfolios in its identification process?

Chapter Five: Informant Data How would you encourage a teacher to use the Payne/Slocumb rating scale on the children of poverty in his/her classes?

Chapter Six: Cognitive/Language Skills Do you agree with the following statement that appears on page 152? “Disregarding standardized testing measures, the student from poverty and the non-poverty student have the same number of points. This brings equity to an identification process that historically has treated students equally but not equitably.” Explain the reason standardized tests are not reliable in the assessment of economically disadvantaged students. Should standardized test scores be a part of the identification process at all? If so, how should the scores be used?

Chapter Seven: Designing for Equity Chapter Seven offers many suggestions for accommodations to the gifted program for children of poverty. What are the implications of the use of such accommodations? What are some ways that you can act as a bridge for your students? Using the lists on pages , rate how many of the strategies are included in your curriculum and instruction. What one new strategy could you add to your repertoire between now and June?

Chapter Eight: Curriculum for the Gifted from Poverty Using the list on pages , rate the abstractness and complexity of your content. How could you bump your curriculum and instruction up one notch between now and June?

Chapter Nine: Nurturing and Keeping the Gifts How should teachers of the gifted assess the gaps that may be present in the learning of children of poverty? How can schools address impoverished students’ need for a sense of belonging? Disciplining children of poverty is a source of consequences for both students and teachers. Using the information on pages , which techniques are you using? Which one or two do you think you can incorporate into your classroom management strategies between now and June? What restructured discipline procedures might you consider implementing this year?

Chapter Ten: The Systemic Change What are three significant system problems you recognize in your division that negatively affect children of poverty? Are those three problems related? Develop a strategy to remediate each of those three problems and determine who the first contact person is in recognizing and solving the problem. Develop a strategy for bringing the concern to the first contact person. Overall, if you could suggest that your school change one practice in the assessment of these children, what change would you suggest? How would you defend it?

Chapter Eleven: Conclusion—Opportunity Knocks How has reading this book affected your view of children of poverty? What are some things you might do differently next school year? If you could share one successful strategy that you’ve already used with children of poverty, what would it be?

Resources Click on the links below to access more information about educating children of poverty. To view these resources, Internet access is required. Once online, click the back button to return to this page. National Center for Children in Poverty Children and Poverty: How Teachers Overcome Barriers The Effects of Poverty on Teaching and Learning U.S. Department of Education Academic Challenge for Children of Poverty Report Rigor + Support = Success Q&A with Ruby Payne

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