Administration and Supervision of Gifted Programs Weekend 1 February 25-6,

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

Winnie the Witch Why do children need gifted services? Winnie the Witch Winnie on the Web She’s even on Facebook!

Agenda  Welcome and Introductions  Goals  Norms  Iowa Code  Foundation –Vision –Mission –Beliefs  Program Goals  Home Play  Closure

Course Outcomes  To deepen understanding of the components of comprehensive gifted and talented programming  To determine the extent to which g/t services are infused in the total education program  To construct and/or improve a written comprehensive gifted and talented program plan  To determine how to set priorities for g/t programming and students served  To identify and use data necessary to provide, drive, and improve g/t programming

Group Norms  Talk freely - think out loud  Questions establish a culture of curiosity  Freedom to change your mind  Connect to Iowa Core, previous learning and district initiatives  Support one another in the learning

Introductions  Name  School  Current role/gifted aspiration  One important thing you hope to gain from this class

Reflections

What Are You?  Enthusiast?  Explorer?  Sightseer?  Vacationer?  Prisoner?

Iowa Code, NAGC Program Standards, & PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards  Iowa Code provides requirements in law for minimum compliance (Chs. 12 & 59)  NAGC PK-12 Gifted Programming Standards provide guidance toward best practices  PK-12 National Gifted Education Standards identify essential knowledge and skills for teachers of gifted

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

So what is it? Work with a partner 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

CONSENSU S

Managing Complex Change = Change Confusion = = = = = ++++ VisionSkillsIncentivesResources Action Plan 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 ). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Anxiety Resistance False Starts Frustration ++++ SkillsIncentivesResources Action Plan ++++ VisionIncentivesResources Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsResources Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsIncentives Action Plan ++++ VisionSkillsIncentivesResources

Consensus-Building Tool #3 Managing Complex Change + VisionSkills IncentivesResources Action Plans CONFUSION ++ +

Consensus-Building Tool #3 Managing Complex Change Vision Skills IncentivesResources Action Plans ANXIETY ++ ++

Consensus-Building Tool #3 Managing Complex Change VisionSkills IncentivesResources Action Plans Resistance ++ ++

Consensus-Building Tool #3 Managing Complex Change VisionSkills IncentivesResources Action Plans FRUSTRATION

Consensus-Building Tool #3 Managing Complex Change VisionSkills IncentivesResources Action Plans FALSE STARTS ++ ++

Talk About It…  With regard to g/t programming in your district –which areas are strengths? –which areas need attention/work?

Survey Results Download Excel sheet from Wiki Transfer item values  Section 1 – Vision  Section 2 – Skills  Section 3 – Incentives  Section 4 – Resources  Section 5 – Action Plan

It All Starts With…

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.

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

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? Group 1Group 2Group 3

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.

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?

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

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.

Beliefs …are firmly held …guide what we do …influence practice

Assumptions  What assumptions do you hold about gifted children? (+ or -)  What assumptions do classroom teachers, administrators, and parents in your district/building hold? Group 1Group 2Group 3

Putting It All Together… Consider  desired state (victory) –components requiring stretch  current state (S-W-O-R)  why your program exists  assumptions which drive beliefs Create a draft of your vision, mission/philosophy, and beliefs.

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

Sample Academically talented children in Jonesville may possess characteristics that necessitate qualitatively different instruction. Our program is designed to provide the atmosphere for stimulating above- average-ability students. Trait54321 Comprehensiveness Rationale Consistency Clarity --Purcell & Eckert, 2006

Sample Academically talented children in Jonesville may possess characteristics that necessitate qualitatively different instruction. Our program is designed to provide the atmosphere for stimulating above- average-ability students. Trait54321 ComprehensivenessX RationaleX ConsistencyX ClarityX --Purcell & Eckert, 2006

Makeover The mission of the Jonesville School District is to ensure that each child has equal opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational experiences. The school board recognizes that some students possess, or are capable of possessing, extraordinary learning ability and/or outstanding talent. These students come from all socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. The school board affirms the following:

 Curricular modifications as described in our comprehensive program design will occur in the regular classroom to provide continuous levels of challenge for all students, including those with unique gifts and talents.  In addition to the regular classroom, a range of instructional settings, both within the school as well as the community, will be available for specialized instruction that is integrated with the regular curriculum and the intellectual and social and emotional needs of gifted and talented children.  It is the responsibility of the school district and the larger community to ensure the following: –Ongoing identification of gifted and talented children –Provision of appropriate and systematic educational services to meet the unique learning needs of gifted and talented children. --Purcell & Eckert, 2006, p

Building Consensus Determine  With whom you will share  How you will determine/build consensus Reflect on  How the message was received  Further work needed

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

Goals and Performance Measures  Program Goals –Provide focus for evaluation and planning –Provide direction toward a particular purpose –“living” - will be revised as needed –Based on clear mission and definition of giftedness (target population) --Purcell & Eckert, p. 63

Goals and Performance Measures  Performance Measures –What does success look like? –How will we know when we get there? –What data will we collect? –How good is good enough?

Traits  Alignment  Validity  Comprehensiveness  Clarity Purcell & Eckert, p. 64-5

Using SART to Establish Program Goals  Complete selected sections of the Self-Audit/Reflection Tool.  Identify area(s) most in need of improvement.  Target goal(s) to the area.  At the end of the year review the SART section and data to ascertain goal attainment.

Sample Program Goals  Urbandale  District 196, Minnesota –Based on NAGC Program Standards

Examine Your Program Goals  Do you have program goals?  Are they program goals or student outcomes? –What’s the difference? –Why is each important?  How do they stack up against the traits of high-quality goals on p. 64?

Memory Mingle 1.How has the information you’ve engaged with so far “pushed” your thinking? 2.Share in triads 3.Identify connections and/or conclusions 4.Share with large group

Gifted and Talented Identification What is it? Why do it? What then?

The Target Population  Definition of “gifted”  Multiple Criteria used/analyzed

State of Iowa Definition  General Intellectual Ability  Specific Ability Aptitude  Creativity  Leadership  Visual and Performing Arts

Characteristics  With your team  Review areas in your target population  Talk about the assessments that help you find kids in each category  How is that working?  What other assessments might you need?

Starting the Process  Screening –Use existing data sources  Nomination/Referral –Who may/should refer? –How will they do it? –How will they know they can?

Digging Deeper  What stands out about the child?  What more do you need to know? –Cast a wider net –No single piece of data screens a child “in” or “out”  Are the criteria valid for the construct being measured?  How will you analyze the information?  At what point can you make a decision with confidence?  Notification

Activity  Consider the list of multiple criteria  Identify which area(s) of giftedness for which each would be a valid criterion to consider.  Are all the criteria appropriate at all grade spans?  Add other examples at the bottom.  Share with someone you haven’t yet worked with today.

Placement  Which children need which services?  Not about assigning a label  According to need

Some Things to Ponder  Once identified, always identified?  Procedure for staffing out?  Your questions?

Gap Analysis With your team 1.Study Guiding Principles, Attributes That Define High-Quality Identification Procedures (p. 51-2), and SART results 2.Identify desired state 3.Outline your current identification procedures (current state) 4.List steps needed to move toward desired state

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