Cedarville Schools Gifted and Talented Program

How assessments are used to determine placement and guide services:  Assessments help the identification committee determine whether or not a student should be placed in the gifted program. If they determine the student’s needs are being met in the regular classroom then they won’t be placed. However, if after carefully reviewing the data from all of the assessments the committee feels the student’s needs are not being met, that student will be placed in the program.  Once placement has been decided upon, the gifted specialist, classroom teachers, parents, and the student will work together to determine what services will most benefit the student. They can review the assessment results to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses as part of the educational plan.

How does ADE define giftedness?  According to ADE, “Gifted and talented children and youth are those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services. Possession of these talents and gifts, or the potential for their development, will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability, task commitment and /or motivation, and creative ability.”

Characteristics of Giftedness: Characteristics more easily recognized as gifted:  Advanced language  Creative  Problem solver  Analytical thinker  Task commitment  Motivated  Questions “What if?”  Leader Characteristics that might hinder identification:  Underachievement  Perfectionism  Supersensitivity  Frustration  Overexcitability  Lack of motivation  Disruptive behavior  Argumentative

Issues regarding the definition and identification of giftedness for diverse populations  Not all students fit the traditional definitions and characteristics associated with giftedness: *Students with disabilities: These students are often harder to identify because their disability may mask their gift. *Gender: Girls may be harder to identify because they are often quieter and less aggressive than boys. *Race/culture: A language barrier and cultural norms may make identification more difficult. *Low income students: Lack of opportunities may result in delayed development, making gifts not as easily recognizable.

Diversity: Cognitive and Affective Issues  Cognitive and affective issues may be more pronounced for diverse populations: *These students may have issues, such as learning difficulties, cultural factors, or a lack of exposure to opportunities, that prevent them from learning some things readily. This can cause frustration and self-esteem issues. *Students may feel isolated both because of their diversity and because of their gift. This can lead to social and emotional problems that may also cause academic issues. *These students need even more cognitive and affective support from administrators, teachers, and parents than gifted students that are not from diverse populations.

Twice-Exceptional Gifted Students:  These are students who are gifted but also have some form of disability. It could be a physical, psychological, or social disability.  Because of their twice-exceptionality, these students are more likely to have problems with self-concept and social problems. These issues must be addressed by administrators, teachers, and parents in order for these students to reach their full potential.

Resources related to Twice-Exceptionality:  WEBSITES:  ‎  ‎   BOOKS:  To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled by Susan Baum, Steve V. Owen & John Dixon. Creative Learning Press, Inc. Crossover Children: A sourcebook for helping children who are gifted and learning disabled. Council for Exceptional Children  Intellectual Giftedness in Disabled Persons by Joanne Rand & C. June Maker. Aspen Systems Corp. The Many Faces of Giftedness by Alexinia Young Baldwin and Wilma Vialle. International Thompson Publishing, Inc.

Nomination Process:  Students can be nominated by administrators, community members, teachers, parents, or peers. Students can also nominate themselves.  In order to nominate a student, a person must fill out a nomination form identifying who the student is they are nominating and what characteristics and/or traits led them to nominate this student.  A student that has been nominated will then complete a series of assessments (with the parent’s permission).  After the assessment process has been completed and a compilation of other artifacts has been collected (i.e. behavior checklists, portfolio of student work, etc), the identification committee will meet to determine the needs of the student.  These forms can be found in the principal’s office OR I can give you copies.

Assessment Tools:  There are countless assessment tools that can be used. The important thing is to use multiple criteria and multiple assessment tools when identifying giftedness. It is also important that the assessments used are reliable and valid and that they are nonbiased for diverse populations.  Both qualitative and quantitative assessments should be used. Some assessments that should be included are cognitive assessments (SAGES), behavioral checklists (from both parents and teachers), Creativity assessments (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking), and a student portfolio.  What do we use? Parent/Teacher behavioral checklist SAGES (Screening Assessment for Gifted Elementary Students) Torrance Test of Creative Thinking Student Portfolio

Sample Creativity Assessment Scores and What They Mean:  Torrance scores for a 2 nd grade student (scores are nationally norm-referenced): 74% Fluency (This measures the ability to produce relevant ideas.) 82% Flexibility (This measures the ability to produce varied ideas.) 98% Originality (This measures how unique ideas are.) 95% Elaboration (This measures the amount of detail given.) ________ 87% Overall national creativity index (this is an average of the above scores and shows what the students overall creativity score is compared nationally.) ***These scores indicate that this student is very creative overall. She is relatively strong in each category of creativity that the Torrance measures. Based on these scores and high ability in other areas, she was placed in the gifted program.

Examples of Differentiated Curriculum:  Differentiated curriculum is curriculum that takes into consideration a student’s learning styles and needs. Often, students are given choices in the content, process, and product of their learning.  Some examples of differentiated curriculum include: *Independent study projects *Creative writing *Learning centers *Mentorships *Field trips *Competitions

Why affective curriculum is so important:  While gifted kids obviously have high ability and extraordinary gifts, affective issues are often an unfortunate part of life for these kids. These include emotional and social issues.  Many have poor self-concepts. They feel isolated, different, and put too much pressure on themselves. Fear of failure or boredom may lead to underachievement. They may deal with perfectionism, supersensitivity, and depression.  Many gifted students have social problems. They feel like they do not fit in, others may be jealous of them, and they may not have any true peers. This leads to further problems with self-concept and emotional issues.  With issues like this, academic success is unlikely. Intervention in the form of affective education is critical to the success of many gifted students.

Example of Affective Curriculum:  Activities that promote self-awareness and develop social skills are a key component of affective curriculum.  A specific example is the Values Clarification strategy. In this strategy, students answer a series of questions designed to help them explore and understand their beliefs and feelings. As they do this within a group setting, they are also developing their social skills with other students.

Current Program Options: K-2 Whole Group Enrichment: *Includes critical thinking, problem solving, higher order thinking, creativity *30 minutes once a week 3 rd -4 th grade pullout: *150 minutes per week with the GT teacher 5 th -6 th grade pullout: *45 minutes per week with the GT teacher *Classroom teachers that are trained and provide differentiated instruction 7 th -9 th grade: *Monthly meeting with the GT teacher *Classroom teachers that are trained and provide differentiated instruction 10 th -12 th grade: *Monthly meeting with the GT teacher *Classroom teachers that are trained and provide differentiated instruction *Opportunities to take pre-AP, AP, and distance learning courses